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Crazy Characters |
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Hi everybody. My name is Mark Boyd. I grew up on the North Coast of California surrounded by the Redwood Forest and Pacific Ocean. As a boy, my days were filled with make believe and games. I have always enjoyed comic books and fantasy and could often be found in the woods with my brother and sister playing Tarzan or superheroes. I used to dream about being an actor and making movies. I participated in several school and church plays growing up. As an adult, I have done some clowning with my mother, who has taught several clowning seminars here in Kentucky. A few years ago, I purchased a video camera. I took it wherever I went; vacation, holidays, taking my sons to the park. I would soon find that this was one of the best investments that I have ever made. A year ago, a friend of mine dared me to dress up like a woman at work for Halloween. I took him up on the dare and purchased a blonde wig and some fake eyelashes. I put together some women's clothes, blew up a couple of balloons and named my character Darla. Before I went to work that day, I let my oldest son film me while I played the song "Man, I Feel Like A Woman" by Shania Twain. My co-workers got a big laugh out of Darla and especially the video. They all encouraged me to make videos of other characters; Marky Mark, Boy George, Prince, and the list kept growing! This was just the beginning of my hobby. I got my two oldest sons, ages 11 and 8, involved in the filmmaking. They were extremely shy in front of the camera at first, but began to loosen up and enjoy themselves. We have made many films, all music videos up to this point. We have made a variety of films ranging from comedy and drama, to action and horror. Some of the characters we have portrayed include: Batman and Robin, WWII soldiers, Papa Smurf and Smurfette, a Hillbilly family, and Tarzan and Boy, just to name a few. My sons have become skilled at filming the movies and have even made a few of their own without me. |
Most of the movies are simple, but some have involved props and took some extra effort. In one of our films we used an old slide projector to show shadows on the wall. A dinosaur model makes a pretty spooky shadow. We have also experimented with colored lenses. In one of our recent horror films, we used a red lens while filming outside to give it a dark, mysterious look. In my Lucky the Leprechaun video, we stopped the camera and then blew bubbles. When we began filming again, it appeared that Lucky had disappeared in a burst of bubbles. A toy Pterodactyl tied to a ceiling fan by fishing wire looks rather convincing from a distance. One of our funniest films, Baby Markie, has my oldest son hiding behind me and sticking his arms through my shirt sleeves. With my arms in a pair of child's pants and my hands in some little shoes, we made a hilarious toddler. Up to this point, we haven't done anything expensive or elaborate. We have mostly used items that you can find around the house. I haven't spent a lot of money on costumes. My mom has kept a closet full of old clothes for years. She has some crazy looking jackets and outfits from the 70's that make awesome costumes. The boys love to dress up like hippies from clothing out of her closet. Whenever we go to a flea market I am on the lookout for items of interest. I have also learned how to use makeup to change a person's appearance and am getting better at that. I won first place in the Halloween contest at work this year dressed as my vampire character, Legault. I have had a lot of fun with filming videos and have seen my sons grow in their creativity. Many of the ideas for the films have come from them. I hope that this is something that they will pass down to their children. If you have never filmed a video with your children, why don't you give it a try. You'll be glad you did! Mark is a father and an independent amateur film-maker. If you are interested in taking a look at some pictures taken from his films, you can visit his web site . Or you can email him at markb_tsy@email.msn.com |
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