My Rudolph Re-creation (a work in progress)

For about ten years, I've been collecting the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer action figures, based off the classic "Island of Misfit Toys" Rankin-Bass holiday film.

Two years ago, I shot these photos re-creating specific frames of the original. The toys were so perfectly sculpted by the various companies (Playing Mantis, Memory Lane, and now Forever Fun) that it required very little in the way of set dressing to evoke the visuals. A white tablecloth, a large blue backdrop for sky, etc. I did use a couple of digital retouching cheats, but far fewer than you'd expect. The bulk of these shots are just toys.

I had hoped to haul them back out and finish the storyline this year, but I just learned that I missed out on a few additional action figures the last couple of years, so I need to track those down first.

For now, enjoy the first half of the story, set to the proper music tracks, in the form of instrumentals by the Decca Concert Orchestra, conducted by Herbert Rehbein.

Merry Christmas!

Alex

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Rudolph
• Red-Nosed
• Reindeer
• Island
• Misfit
• Toys
• Hermey
• Elf
• Dentist
• Yukon
• Cornelius
• Santa
• Mrs.
• Sam
• Snowman
• Burl
• Ives
• Rankin-Bass
• Playing
• Mantis
• Memory
• Lane
• Forever
• Fun
• Alex
• Newborn

[beastly345]

i liked it, when is part 2 coming?

[LextheRobot]

@beastly345 Glad you enjoyed this. Not sure when I'll shoot pix for Part 2, but lately I have been buying several 2009/10 items I'd missed. It was very difficult to nab a Cowboy/Ostrich, for some reason, but he's finally joined my collection, along with recent accessories like the Misfit Bird Bear, Misfit Scooter and Misfit Rocking Dog. I'm currently awaiting a package with the Girl Elf with the Harp, which would mean adding at least one extra shot to "We Are Santa's Elves"... a Special Edition?

[Sto0pidPenguinPro]

I think it is awesome as hell, but those figures dont have the same articulation that the original pieces did. won't that make it difficult?

[LextheRobot]

@Sto0pidPenguinPro Oh, sorry... I didn't mean to imply that I was attempting to re-create the entire stop-motion film frame-by-frame. No, I was just posing the existing toys into as many iconic moments as I could. And yes, the limited poseability of the toys did make things difficult at times, especially the Yukon Cornelius action figure, whose eyeline is entirely too high.

[LextheRobot]

@LextheRobot Plus, there's one shot in here, of Yukon lifting up his earmuff ("Who am I?") which was a total cheat... his elbow joints are practically non-existent, so that's a second Yukon figure, hidden out of frame, whose hand is lifting the earmuff up.

[toddmeckart1]

Really great job!

[daneacts]

You did an amazing job! Yay!

[Teletran35]

That was frackin sweet! I collected those figures too and put them out each Christmas

[CHAP316]

This is outstanding!!! I plan on doing some thing similar using my Mickey's Christmas Carol figures. Love the video, hope to see more videos like this from you. I also dig the Muppets videos a lot too. keep up the great work!!

[1014kerry]

@kerrycars what a wonderful effort! you have captured the feel of the original masterpiece! very well toned film! love it! cant wait to see more, very fine sharp images too! i shall try to put my rudolph / christmas vidio on soon, to inspired me on!

[1014kerry]

@kerrycars what a wonderful effort! you have captured the feel of the original masterpiece! very well toned film! love it! cant wait to see more, very fine sharp images too! i shall try to put my rudolph / christmas vidio on soon, to imspired me on!

[Sto0pidPenguinPro]

@LextheRobot oh I see haha, I'm sorry I didn't realize that. Still very cool, I don't know anyone who would have had the patience to do this.