What Will be Animated?
As an artisan who makes automata there was no doubt that parts of the float would be animated. I have experience some of the challenges in trying to scale up some of the smaller mechanisms I normally build but decided to accept the challenge.
Here is a list of the animated features on the float.
So in December of 2017 I pitched the thought of of entering our own float and walking in the Fenelon Santa Day Parade. The seed had been planted and I started thinking of parade ideas. With my wife, daughter and her husband still working I recognized that a lot of the construction and design details would fall to me. As it would likely only be something we would do once I thought we should plan something special that would stand out in the parade, and of course doing something with my automata making skills in mind; it should be animated.
When my daughter was young we would travel every Christmas from Toronto to Balsam Lake for Christmas and a winter holiday. Our travel anthem in the car was "Driving Home For Christmas" a bouncy holiday song by Chris Rhea. He sings of driving home for Christmas to his family along side many other holiday travellers anticipating reuniting with his family. It has remained my most favourite contemporary Christmas songs ever since. I look forward to hearing it played every year and I often play it myself in the car. This seemed like a natural theme for our parade entry.
Christmas parades can be magical events for children so it was important to have appeal for them. People driving in a car would just not do! It would have to be someone who would need to travel to go home, be whimsical in nature, and perhaps a little cartoonish. I chose penguins. many children are enamoured by the "Penguins of Madagascar" and many adults consider them cute and cuddly. They seem to be a popular item these days, even being regular;y feature on a national bank advertising campaign in Canada. My default was to make them cartoonish, for the kids, so they are painted simply and not so authentically. so with penguins as the leading characters I was off into design.
Here is a list of the animated features on the float.
So in December of 2017 I pitched the thought of of entering our own float and walking in the Fenelon Santa Day Parade. The seed had been planted and I started thinking of parade ideas. With my wife, daughter and her husband still working I recognized that a lot of the construction and design details would fall to me. As it would likely only be something we would do once I thought we should plan something special that would stand out in the parade, and of course doing something with my automata making skills in mind; it should be animated.
When my daughter was young we would travel every Christmas from Toronto to Balsam Lake for Christmas and a winter holiday. Our travel anthem in the car was "Driving Home For Christmas" a bouncy holiday song by Chris Rhea. He sings of driving home for Christmas to his family along side many other holiday travellers anticipating reuniting with his family. It has remained my most favourite contemporary Christmas songs ever since. I look forward to hearing it played every year and I often play it myself in the car. This seemed like a natural theme for our parade entry.
Christmas parades can be magical events for children so it was important to have appeal for them. People driving in a car would just not do! It would have to be someone who would need to travel to go home, be whimsical in nature, and perhaps a little cartoonish. I chose penguins. many children are enamoured by the "Penguins of Madagascar" and many adults consider them cute and cuddly. They seem to be a popular item these days, even being regular;y feature on a national bank advertising campaign in Canada. My default was to make them cartoonish, for the kids, so they are painted simply and not so authentically. so with penguins as the leading characters I was off into design.
Some of the Finer Details
I have designed the float employing the "ten foot" rule. This means that most observers will see the float from a distance of about ten feet, and in the dusk as this will be a night parade. As a result finishes and details can be less than perfect. Regardless as in my automata work I like to add a few details for those willing to take a longer look as the float passes. Here is a list of some little things to look for.
- The float street sign identifies the exact distance from the parade location to the South Pole.
- A small red cardinal is perched atop the street sign.
- The hood ornament on the car is a dancing hula girl.
- The car tires are branded "Penguin Grip"
- The large penguin holds a sign reminded Santa not to forget those at the south pole.
- The car licence plates are HoHo Ho.
- The open trunk holds a Christmas tree and several presents.
- One penguin wears a top hat while others wear traditional Santa hats.
- Minature spotlights illuminate key float items characters
- Costumed Penguin walkers accompanying the float hand out fish-shaped candy to children along the route.
- And of course, "Driving Home for Christmas" by Chris Rea with be playing as the float passes.