This is the penguin we are making to perform in the film "Sterke Verhalen" by Kees van Nieuwkerk en Teddy Cherim. It is an animatronic hand puppet produced over a period of five weeks. It is made out of very flexible silicone rubber with jaw and wing mechanisms.
Character
In the film, the penguin gets stolen from a zoo. The thieves keep their new friend in their shower. The bird needed to look "realistic", but friendly. During the modelling process the bird seemed to take on a nearly "human" grin.
Here Saskia de Zee is finishing the complicated pattern for the fur. Vincent Mensink had got the first cable control wing prototypes ready.
Casting
The rubber mould has a core inside to allow the casting of a thin rubber wall. Colleague Padma Koster is seen lining a mould. The bird's head is modelled over a working jaw mechanism.
The whole project had begun with a trip to our friends at Blijdorp with colleague model maker Remie Bakker. His advice was invaluable during start up.
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There is another version of this page available, showing in more detail how we went about this project.
This is the penguin we are making to perform in the film 
