As part of a course project, first-year students on BA (Hons) Modelmaking at Arts University Bournemouth (AUB) were tasked to create promotional music videos, featuring “hands-up” puppets miming to shortlisted songs from this year’s Eurovision Song Contest.
Over the course of two weeks, students designed and created the puppets, along with props and background illustrations, inspired by the entries for Armenia, Latvia and Sweden. They then filmed their videos against green screens in the AUB studios.
Modelmaking student Abi Dawson was on the team producing the Sweden video. She explains:
“The most challenging part was making the puppets, working with fabrics and foam was something new to most of the group especially with some of the complicated designs that were made.
“In terms of the most exciting part for me was definitely the filming of the music video. Experiencing being on a set with lots of fancy cameras was awesome.”
The students have since been promoting their videos on social media, with Sweden leading on nearly 4,000 views.
Speaking of the video’s success, student Justin Hobbs, also on the Sweden team, says, “not only was the effort we put into this project noticed by viewers, but also the fandom that comes with the song Bara Bada Bastu and the fans of KAJ.”
Abi adds, “The success of the video was 100% down to Matthew [Jessop]'s and Justin's promotion on their socials. The band even liked one of their posts!”
Their efforts have not gone unnoticed by the other Eurovision artists, either. This year’s entrants for Latvia, Tautumeitas, responded to their video on social media, thanking the students and commending their puppets.
“The Eurovision Puppet Project engages students in the design thinking process,” explains Graham Wood, Senior Lecturer on BA (Hons) Modelmaking at AUB. “They are introduced to new materials and techniques required to make hands-up puppets, including sewing machine inductions and pattern making. Teamwork and collaboration are key elements of this project.
“Students have only a short period of time to agree on a production style, storyboard, team roles, and a plan for making. Each puppet can have up to three people working on it. We mix the class up, so students work with peers they haven’t collaborated with before. Students are challenged to produce a cohesive aesthetic across all puppets, props, and backgrounds.
“One of the most exciting and rewarding aspects of the project is the time spent in the studio working alongside the talented staff and students from the BA (Hons) Film Production and VFX courses. This collaboration provides a clear deadline – each team has just a two-hour slot in which their puppets must be finished and ready to perform. This replicates the pressure of a professional deadline: once filming is complete, the puppet no longer serves a purpose - so it can’t be late!
“The filming can be chaotic but incredibly fun. Some shots involve five or more puppets, meaning up to ten people are crouched below, trying to make them dance through fits of laughter.”
BA (Hons) Modelmaking at AUB offers a rich variety of learning experiences designed to prepare students for success across a wide range of employment sectors. It has developed an international reputation for high standards, enabling graduates to secure roles in an increasingly global marketplace.
Graham says, “Encompassing the creation of models for diverse fields – such as film, architecture, design, museums and heritage, animation, medicine, education, advertising, and beyond – our course equips students with the versatile skills necessary for thriving careers in the creative industries.”
