Posing Your Kermit Replica

[Hat Sharpener]

I've seen some pretty terrible photos of the Kermit Replica out there - most on the MR site. I've also seen a ton of really great photos (mostly from people here). I did a lot of experimenting, and thought I would pass on advice to everyone else, and see if people had other ideas to help.

1. Lean him forward.

The best advice I found for making Kermit look real came from the three best experts themselves - Jim, Frank and Michael (Frith).

In this YouTube video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPKng8j9Mnw&feature=related) (at about 3:50) they talk about how Muppets are almost always tilted far forward at the angle of the performer's forearm - almost 45 degrees.

It's night-and-day when you lean your Kermit Replica forward enough... it seems weird at first, and you really have to bend those hip joints far when he's sitting, but makes a huge difference, expecially in the shape of his face.

It's a major problem in the little News Items on the MR homepage where they have Kermit visiting different places. It also really makes me understand the lean of the Palisades Kermit figure a bit more.

2. Don't use a flash.
I've learned this from people on this board. Somehow the fleece they used is VERY reflective and photos with your camera's flash come out looking almost plastic and shiny.

3. Don't always have his mouth open.
Most of the time Kermit is watching the craziness around him. He rarely has his mouth open unless he's talking or smiling. He somehow looks more real to me with his mouth closed unelss he's mugging for a photo.

4. He looks best from an angle.
Head-on shots looking into the camera just don't come out quite right. I think that has something to do with what Jim, Frank and Michael talk about at the end of that clip - Kermit's expressions are made be whether he's looking up aove the camer, or down below it, or to the side. Somehow, looking straight at it doesn't really work. Even the slighted tilt helps a ton.

Any other pointers?

Here's Kermit reviewing my pointers before I post. (http://www.hatsharpening.com/kermitMacBook.jpg)

[KermieBaby47]

Great thread idea! I've got something to add to your #2, use good natural light. And something else to consider - don't forget to pose his collar as well, to get the stiffer look. Also, I wouldn't discourage too much from head-on shots, he can look pretty good as long as you're able to get everything else to come together.

It took me a while, but I was able to go through all the Kermit threads and gather up the pictures with links that still worked. AntonyDavanzo, your pics are notably absent cuz they were posted on the now defunct Yahoo! Photos, so please give us a link to your wonderful pics! I've also included links to the original threads if anyone wants to read 'em, kinda interesting.

Original MR Kermit Thread: http://forum.muppetcentral.com/showthread.php?t=22866
Secondary MR Kermit Thread: http://forum.muppetcentral.com/showthread.php?t=29008

All linkable pics remaining, enjoy!

KermieBaby47: Pic 1, (http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y265/toughie47/MuppetsMyMRKermit2.png)Pic 2, (http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y265/toughie47/MuppetsMyMRKermit3.png)Pic 3, (http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y265/toughie47/MuppetsMyMRKermit4.png)Pic 4, (http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y265/toughie47/100_1335.jpg)Pic 5, (http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y265/toughie47/100_1435.png)Pic 6, (http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y265/toughie47/100_1439.png)Pic 7, (http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y265/toughie47/7.jpg)Pic 8, (http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y265/toughie47/100_15032.jpg)Pic 9, (http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y265/toughie47/100_1505.png?t=1199643995)Pic 10, (http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y265/toughie47/100_1506.png?t=1199644037)Pic 11, (http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y265/toughie47/100_1504.png?t=1199644062)Pic 12, (http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y265/toughie47/008a.jpg)Pic 13, (http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1144/1465641859_f764b7710d_o.jpg)Pic 14 (http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y265/toughie47/019b.jpg)

Boba Lynn: Pic 1, (http://img.creamedgeezer.com/images/Lymr.jpg)Pic 2 (http://img.creamedgeezer.com/images/Lymr3.jpg)

Bein Green: Pic 1 (http://web.mac.com/davejackson/Favorite_movies%2C_famous_places/Master_Replicas_Kermit.html)

KermieUK: Pic 1, (http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f112/KERMIE1/Kermits1stphotos005.jpg)Pic 2, (http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f112/KERMIE1/Kermits1stphotos.jpg)Pic 3, (http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f112/KERMIE1/DSCF0332-1.jpg)Pic 4, (http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f112/KERMIE1/DSCF0307.jpg)Pic 5, ([url=http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f112/KERMIE1/DSCF0311.jpg)Pic 6, (http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f112/KERMIE1/DSCF0314.jpg)Pic 7, (http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f112/KERMIE1/DSCF2086.jpg)Pic 8 (http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f112/KERMIE1/DSCF2090.jpg)

A Mickey Muppet: Pic 1, (http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e252/disneydude2005/100_1405-1.jpg)Pic 2, (http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e252/disneydude2005/100_1406.jpg)Pic 3, (http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e252/disneydude2005/100_1407.jpg)Pic 4, (http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e252/disneydude2005/100_1408.jpg)Pic 5, (http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e252/disneydude2005/100_1409.jpg)Pic 6, (http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e252/disneydude2005/100_1881.jpg)Pic 7 (http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e252/disneydude2005/100_1882.jpg)

Davina: Pic 1, (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v681/bookladydavina/muppets/100_0505.jpg)Pic 2, (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v681/bookladydavina/muppets/100_0506.jpg)Pic 3, (http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb52/familystuart/muppets/kermit46.jpg)Pic 4, (http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb52/familystuart/muppets/kermit47.jpg)Pic 5, (http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb52/familystuart/muppets/kermit48.jpg)Pic 6 (http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb52/familystuart/muppets/kermit45.jpg)

VaderDentist: Pic 1, (https://s.p5.hostingprod.com/@darthvaderhelmets.com/ssl/IMG4001.JPG)Pic 2, (https://s.p5.hostingprod.com/@darthvaderhelmets.com/ssl/IMG4002.JPG)Pic 3, (https://s.p5.hostingprod.com/@darthvaderhelmets.com/ssl/IMG4006.JPG)Pic 4, (https://s.p5.hostingprod.com/@darthvaderhelmets.com/ssl/IMG4007.JPG)Pic 5, (https://s.p5.hostingprod.com/@darthvaderhelmets.com/ssl/IMG4009.JPG)Pic 6, (https://s.p5.hostingprod.com/@darthvaderhelmets.com/ssl/IMG4011.JPG)Pic 7, (https://s.p5.hostingprod.com/@darthvaderhelmets.com/ssl/IMG4012.JPG)Pic 8 (https://s.p5.hostingprod.com/@darthvaderhelmets.com/ssl/Img4015.jpg)

Lab Rat: Slideshow (http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=13270459&uid=4219056)

rexcrk: Pic 1, (http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a152/rexcrk/Kermitonmybed.jpg)Pic 2, (http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a152/rexcrk/KermitplayingGameCube.jpg)Pic 3 (http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a152/rexcrk/Kermitvs.jpg)

MisterSuperstar: Pic 1, (http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/m1stersuper5tar/DSC00962.jpg)Pic 2 (http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/m1stersuper5tar/DSC00963.jpg)

Teenager's: Pic 1, (http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j190/pcep-puppets_2006/P1011096.jpg)Pic 2 (http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j190/pcep-puppets_2006/P1011091.jpg)

Was Once Ernie: Pic 1, (http://www.mynameisearlkress.com/weblog/kermitsitting.jpg)Pic 2, (http://www.mynameisearlkress.com/weblog/kermitstanding.jpg)Pic 3, (http://mynameisearlkress.com/kermit/kermitsurprise.jpg)Pic 4 (http://mynameisearlkress.com/kermit/kermitleaning.jpg)

Erine81981: Pic 1, (http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r153/Fred25/Picture4441.jpg)Pic 2, (http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r153/Fred25/Picture4440.jpg)Pic 3, (http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r153/Fred25/DSCF0103.jpg)Pic 4, (http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r153/Fred25/DSCF0104.jpg)Pic 5, (http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r153/Fred25/Picture4433.jpg)Pic 6 (http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r153/Fred25/Picture4435.jpg)

frogman: Pic 1, (http://bp1.blogger.com/_OHwnkRt-2JU/RjZRcg5761I/AAAAAAAAAAs/8DYLKwBYR3U/s1600-h/0417072220.jpg)Pic 2 (http://bp3.blogger.com/_OHwnkRt-2JU/RjZRdA5763I/AAAAAAAAAA8/5SBaN59xHTI/s1600-h/0417072213.jpg)

BigDumbWookie: Pic 1, (http://img82.imageshack.us/img82/1704/img0004uu4.jpg)Pic 2 (http://img74.imageshack.us/img74/5839/img0005ae1.jpg)

MuppetCaper: Pic 1, (http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb82/tsmert/MyKermit2Small.jpg)Pic 2, (http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb82/tsmert/IMG_0055.jpg)Pic 3 (http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb82/tsmert/IMG_0056.jpg)

RKUNKLER: Pic 1 (http://img86.imageshack.us/img86/2463/pb040100op7.jpg)

FrogBoy4: Pic 1, (http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb6/frogboy4/jamie_frog_01.jpg)Pic 2, (http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb6/frogboy4/ian_frog_02.jpg)Pic 3, (http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb6/frogboy4/ian_frog_01.jpg)Pic 4, (http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb6/frogboy4/kermit_jim.jpg)Pic 5 (http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb6/frogboy4/kermit_pose.jpg)

Fozzie Bear: Slideshow (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OppBPGoNxwY)

FennShysa: Pic 1 (http://www.zteamproductions.com/images/KermitMike.jpg)

Drudo: Pic 1, (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m155/StudioBueno/Kermit/Kermit_112806_001.jpg)Pic 2 (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m155/StudioBueno/Kermit/Kermit_Christmas_07.jpg)

Beauregard: Pic 1, (http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y218/Beauregard97/Christmas_Card.jpg)Pic 2, (http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y218/Beauregard97/DSCF2547.jpg)Pic 3, (http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y218/Beauregard97/DSCF2425.jpg)Pic 4, (http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y218/Beauregard97/DSCF2495-1.jpg)Pic 5, (http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y218/Beauregard97/DSCF2506-1.jpg)Pic 6, (http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y218/Beauregard97/kermistmasmemories.jpg)Pic 7 (http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y218/Beauregard97/DSCF2516.jpg)

EDIT: Could a mod please add any more pics posted into this post so they're always together in one place?

Just a thought, Cheers!
:)
Anthony

[antonydavanzo]

Great tips, its also nice to see all of the pictures. 2 yrs from now and we will have a great collection of group shots!

[MuppetCaper]

Wow Anthony, that must took a lot of work getting all of those. I could not emagine trying to find all those. Great Job.


Now we need to do one of Animal, then Gonzo....and most of all Fozzie!


Oh no, that would be more work LOL.

I love it though! :)

[KermieBaby47]

Antony, thanks for the PM, but I guess it's been too long for me to edit my post! Wierd, but in any case, here's the links you gave me. Maybe a mod can add 'em to my above post.

AntonyDavanzo: Pic 1, (http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...o/S8300792.jpg) Pic 2, (http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...o/S8300790.jpg) Pic 3, (http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...o/S8300563.jpg) Pic 4, (http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...o/S8300566.jpg) Pic 5, (http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...o/S8300177.jpg) Video (http://s18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...t=S8300547.flv)


Cheers all!
:)
Anthony

[frogboy4]

Wow, Anthony. Didn't know you collected so many of those. It's cool to see everybody's interpretation of how Kermit should be posed. By the way, one of mine is posed with my Muppet Newsflash fan art entry. He he. And ugh, that horrible picture of me with Kermit. The frog looks pretty good, but man, I looked pretty ratty and in need of a haircut!

[Hat Sharpener]

There are some really great shots in there. Also some really good examples of where the leaning forward thing would really help. I can't help thinking of Frank Oz cracking "Kermit the Duck" in that video.

Here is Jim demonstrating.

Correctly Angled:
http://www.hatsharpening.com/KermitAngle.png

Incorrectly posed vertically:
http://www.hatsharpening.com/KermitTheDuck.png

[KermieBaby47]

Here's the real links to Antony's pics. :p I goofed before.

AntonyDavanzo: Pic 1, (http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b101/antonydavanzo/S8300792.jpg) Pic 2, (http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b101/antonydavanzo/S8300790.jpg) Pic 3, (http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b101/antonydavanzo/S8300563.jpg) Pic 4, (http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b101/antonydavanzo/S8300566.jpg) Pic 5 (http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b101/antonydavanzo/S8300177.jpg), Video (http://s18.photobucket.com/albums/b101/antonydavanzo/?action=view&current=S8300547.flv)

Oh, and to Jamie: I didn't keep these, I actually went through every single page of all the MR Kermit threads, tested every single link, and then copy & pasted! AAAAAAAAUGH! :crazy: It wasn't too bad though, interesting to read our early critiques & compare them to the final outcome.

[Ignohippo]

This is the greatest thread ever! Thanks for all of your hard work KermieBaby. What a fantastic resource. MR should be posting some of these pics on the Kermit sales page!

[dwmckim]

Okay now here's a rarity: a tip on posing a Kermit replica from someone who doesn't HAVE a Kermit replica! (As much as i would dearly love the Muppet replicas in words i can't describe, the financial **** i've been in the last couple years makes purchasing anything over $50 really stretching it, and anything over $100 definately out of the question)

But still, i have a tip that may be valuable anyway. You know how many of us aren't all that crazy about the photo poser Muppets (esp the Kermit) because they have that "flat" look? I've always preferred photos of the real deal because it makes such a tremendous difference when there's a hand in the puppet giving the puppet a genuine expression. Well, having recently seen the Jim Henson's Fantastic World exhibit, i can appreciate this all the more. Among the just over a dozen puppets they had on display was an early 70's Kermit. Now the early 70's was a great time for Kermit since this was before they started doing the posers in photos and the material he was made of made for an even more malleable frog and his expressions were always so golden. Yet, they had him stuffed inside so much for display purposes that it gave him that artificial poser puppet look...even in the booklet for the exhibit they had a photo of this Kermit (looking straight at the camera) that totally ended up making him look like one of the posers. That made me appreciate all the more the difference it makes as to having a "spirit" (in the form of a puppeteer's hand) giving a Muppet its expression...there's something about the way it fits on a Muppeteer's hand that can't be duplicated.

So back to posing your Kermit...obviously these are modeled after the posers as opposed to being puppets and i certainly wouldn't suggest performing surgery on your puppet to allow a hand to go in there...but you can still scrunch it enough to where the stuffing's not all evenly distributed and bunched up making it look flat lifeless and artificial, maybe even consider where the natural curves of a hand would be if there was one inside and work toward trying to get the stuffing to match that as closely as you can.

I almost wanted to cry seeing one of the most expressive Kermits being made to look like one of those posers that i can't stand to look at! Seeing these Muppets up close where you can really examine them really made appreciate the sheer artistry that goes into the crafting of them...but part of the craft is also acheived by what's on the interior of the puppet as well, not just the exterior...and overdoing the stuffing on a puppet that was always supposed to have a natural fit on a hand really messes up the look like you can't believe!

[Telly]

I guess I just tried to imagine my hand inside of him when posing him. I also tried to take into consideration about his hands and where they're usually placed when he's on camera.

[Beauregard]

One point worth mentioning, fingers! Kermit's fingers are never straight in his official photos, they are slighty bent in and splayed. I try to always concider his finger positions when taking Kermit pics.

[KermieBaby47]

Excellent point Beau. :excited:

Telly, your old links were outdated, do you have any new links to share? Thanks!
:)

[KermieBaby47]

I thought I linked this earlier, but I guess I didn't! It's Kermit's trip to Leland, Misssissippi, as hosted by our own Kevin Williams!

Fozzie Bear: Slideshow 2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0j7pygpYM4&feature=user)

[Telly]

I don't even remember what pictures I had of him were. Anyway, here's two that I have on my imagecave.com

Kermit holding a clipboard from Universal Studios
http://usera.imagecave.com/ChrisTheReject/DSCN1078.JPG

Kermit and Erick (my roommate)
http://usera.imagecave.com/ChrisTheReject/ErickKermit.jpg

I've gotten compliments about how cool the picture is, but here's the backstory about Kermit riding along with my roommate. We had put our two month notice in WAY to eary and never looked for a place to live. Plus we waited until the last minute to move out of our townhouse and into my friends' garage. Well we were still moving stuff at like 5am and we had to be out of the townhouse by noon. Kermit was the last thing I wanted to move cuz he was going to be in the room that my friends were letting me stay in until I found a place to live. I was just going to hold him while sitting in the passenger seat. I realized I didn't lock the door so I put Kermit in the seat while my roommate waited in the car. I looked back and was like "Holy cows! That's sweet! It looks like you two are driving somewhere and he's talking to you!" So I took a picture.

[Fozzie Bear]

Here's what I posted in another thread:

Now, a few things about posing Kermit that I discovered as I went along with him:

First, the head has to be pulled all the way up on the body of the poser, then jutted forward some to give him a lean-forward, being puppeteered look.

Illustration: http://pic4.picturetrail.com/VOL742/3120815/6345768/298259842.jpg

The Kermit smile is by keeping the top and bottom palettes of the mouth straight, but the back part of the top pallette must be pinched up ever so slightly. The top pallatte must be kept straight so you can't see it in a straight-on photo, and the bottom pallette is open, but not all the way as wide that it touches the body.

The body poses have to look as if they are being positioned by putting a hand and arm in the poser and arm rods are posing the arms and legs.

The fingers have to keep a straight view and can't suddenly look like the frog has been stricken with arthritis. And the collar has to be posed straight down and against the body.

Another small detail is that the hands, when waving, have to be facing palm-out (so the thumbs point toward the body), and when he's sitting down, unless the bottoms of his feet are touching something, point his feet downard.

[Reevz1977]

Can anyone tell me what the real Kermits actual collar is made from and where I could get some? I'm gonna make my Kermit a new one because the current one bugs the heck out of me. The shape isn't right and the fabric feels cheap and doesn't sit right. Can any help? I also want to move his eyes slightly further apart as they look too close and make his pupils smaller more like the Kermit of yester-year. Has anyone successfully removed his eyes? Man, I'm torturing the little green fella, tis like Saw V!

[MuppetCaper]

What I basically do is just pose him till he looks right. It doesn't take much to just look at photo's and study his posture. Like I said before, think like a Muppet and you kinda get the idea. Watch a lot of Muppet Movies and look for the little green guy on the net. I did the same for Animal and I will do the same for all of them. Just staring at him and his buddies is in awe for me. I am really happy with them! :)

[frogboy4]

I like to think of an emotion. Something simple. And have the character represent it. It doesn't always come across as intended, but it does make for a good picture.

Also, don't forget all of Kermit's froggy parts. From hands to fingers, elbows to knees, feet and leg positioning, it's all important. I try to give Kermit as much appearance of weight as possible. It's important that he not only stands, but seems to distribute his weight in a particular way.

Also, whether it is fluffed out or matted down remember to fuss with the collar last. It's easy for that material to get all twisted and unnaturally ugly looking for a still photograph.

One of the things I also do is twist the eyes in on each other to cross them slightly. This helps create an eye focus that some photos appear to be lacking. Some of that is due to the proximity of the camera to the subject.

[Telly]

I'm having my birthday part at a karaoke bar. I decided to make a Facebook event out of it. I thought "HEY! Why not take pictures of Kermit and put one on the display picture!" So I popped in The Muppet Movie and turned on the subtitles. Then I grabbed a microphone from my roommate's Karaoke Revolution PS2 games and put it in Kermit's hand. I tried to make it look like he was singing from a karaoke machine. Here are the results...

pic 1 (http://usera.imagecave.com/ChrisTheReject/Karaoke001.jpg) pic 2 (http://usera.imagecave.com/ChrisTheReject/Karaoke002.jpg) pic 3 (http://usera.imagecave.com/ChrisTheReject/Karaoke003.jpg) pic 4 (http://usera.imagecave.com/ChrisTheReject/Karaoke004.jpg) pic 5 (the one I chose) (http://usera.imagecave.com/ChrisTheReject/Karaoke005.jpg) pic 6 (http://usera.imagecave.com/ChrisTheReject/Karaoke006.jpg) pic 7 (http://usera.imagecave.com/ChrisTheReject/Karaoke007.jpg) pic 8 (http://usera.imagecave.com/ChrisTheReject/Karaoke008.jpg) pic 9 (http://usera.imagecave.com/ChrisTheReject/Karaoke009.jpg) pic 10 (http://usera.imagecave.com/ChrisTheReject/Karaoke010.jpg) pic 11 (http://usera.imagecave.com/ChrisTheReject/Karaoke011.jpg)

[Fozzie Bear]

I like #6 because it looks like he's looking back at himself from the TV! :)

[Telly]

Haha Fozzie! I didn't even think of that!