The Peep Week Finale

Every year, I fret about Peep Week. I worry that I will disappoint Peep Week fans - the few that are out there - so I dream and I dream big. Of course, the bigger the dream the bigger the risk of disappointment - not just yours but my own. But such is the burden of a peepologist.

I didn't start planning the finale until about two weeks ago when I reached out to my friends Missy and Kristin for help. The basic concept and name of this year's final video came out of a brief conversation on Twitter. We met on 4/13/11 to discuss the concept at length and plan the set. Missy and Kristin had only a few days to build props for the set while I purchased the cast and additional set pieces. On 4/18/11, Missy and I filmed the first part of the movie in Powderhorn lake. It was cold and windy and, by the time we finished, I couldn't feel my feet. Then, Missy and her very patient husband, Todd, came over to my house on 4/20/11 to shoot the second part. Missy and I created the set on my dining room table. Then, Todd shot some of the initial footage and taught Missy and I the process as he went. We finished up ourselves. Todd sent the footage to me on Friday - just a couple of hours before I left town for the weekend.

To make this tiny video, it took:

1 hour to shoot in the park

3 hours to shoot the stop-motion pieces

4 hours to edit

This does not include the time spent purchasing items, building props and drawing the storyboards.

You will notice that the movie is only 1 minute and 48 seconds long. This might seem like a disappointing return on our time investment but I am thrilled.

I want to thank Todd Wardrope for the use of his camera and for his expertise. I want to thank Missy Hansen for her beautiful boat and props and for hanging in there with me every step of the way. I want to thank Kristin Swanson and Brian Wifler for the beautiful towers and bows they made for the set. Lastly, I want to thank Luisa for her patience and for keeping the kids corralled while we moved Peeps a few millimeters at a time. Whew. Now, I know how Oscar speeches end up so long.

I now present this year's Peep Week Finale - Bunniver's Travels. I hope that you enjoy it. Now, I'm going to go sleep for a few days.