Recycling isn’t just for bottles and paper—it’s for puppets and sets too.
In the entertainment industry, custom-made puppets are often discarded after a project ends, but a studio in Sonoma, California, aims to change that.
Images in Motion Media Inc (IMMI) champions sustainability by reusing and repurposing materials from previous productions.
“Sometimes it’s more creative to imagine repurposing rather than building something new,” says Lee Armstrong, producer and puppeteer at IMMI.
“We try to reduce waste and make videos more affordable, but we don’t feel like we sacrifice quality when we reuse.”
One of their most notable sustainable productions is Twinkle, a children’s music video collaboration with Stinky Tales that earned three Telly Awards.
The production reused a “cloud set”, creatively crafted from translucent trays filled with recycled pillow batting. “The magic is in the lighting,” explains Bill Ferguson, the studio’s go-to lighting expert whose credits include the original Fraggle Rock.
Another enduring piece of IIM’s eco-friendly inventory is their “Garden Set”, featuring trees, flowers, and background cutouts that have been used since the 1990s.
Even their puppets get a second life. A chicken puppet recently appeared in a public service announcement for an animal rescue centre, performing alongside live chickens and turkeys.
“Seeing our puppet interact with real animals was hilarious and unforgettable,” Armstrong recalls.
More recently, the studio acquired a translucent backdrop of the Golden Gate Bridge, salvaged from a sports commercial.
“I can’t wait to see what our puppets will do with that!” Armstrong concluded.
Founded in 1990, Images in Motion Media Inc specializes in TV puppetry and related art services, including 3D printing. Its credits include Baby Einstein, Mr Bean, Being John Malkovich, Monkeybone, PBS shows, and various commercials.
