GMA-7 Encantadia Imaw Trivia (Part 1)

A lot of people may not realize this, but Imaw is the result of the combined efforts of puppeteers, actor and technicians.

Q. How does Imaw work?
A. The creators and designers of Imaw took their cue from The Lord of the Rings team, particularly the techniques used for the hobbits’ shots. For the close-up shots, the puppet Imaw is used, while for the long shots when Imaw is required to move, like walk, an actor, who also happens to be a small person, wears an Imaw mask and costume. That’s why a whole team of approximately 8-10 people is needed just to make Imaw work.

Q. How does the puppet Imaw move?
A. It takes four people, led by a head puppeteer, to control Imaw’s movements. The head puppeteer usually takes control of the head and therefore, all its movements, like where to look, or how to angle the head to convey different emotional or physical states like anger, bemusement, cunning, etc.

Aside from the head, the head puppeteer also controls the left arm and hand. It is only the left hand that has controls for its fingers, so it is usually the left hand that is used for any grasping motion.

Needless to say, this is the most physically demanding job among the puppeteers, especially in the first few months, when there was no spring support for Imaw’s head. It took physical brute force to lift the head with all its animatronic contraptions, approximately weighing 15-20 lbs, and yet make it seem effortless while the scene is being shot.

Another puppeteer, who also controls the right hand, assists the head puppeteer with additional movements. There may also be times when said puppeteer may control both of Imaw’s hands.

If you notice, the two previously mentioned puppeteers’ work descriptions echo the work of traditional puppeteers. It’s the other two who take on the more modern animatronic side of puppetry.

The third puppeteer controls the mouth and provides the voice of Imaw. The puppeteer has the multi-task of reading the lines from the script, controlling the mouth’s opening through a lever and yet making sure to provide the vocal emotions required of the scene. There is the additional pressure of making sure that the lines are said clearly because most of Imaw’s lines are taped live.

The fourth and last puppeteer controls the eyes and eyebrows of Imaw through a contraption that resembles joysticks or the controls for a toy car. It is made quite confusing because the way it’s wired, the controls are opposite the direction of the eye movement. For example, when Imaw has to close his eyes, the control must be pushed up, and vice versa. It took some getting used to.

Q. How do the puppeteers coordinate?
A. Before any shot is taken, the director states what he wants for the scene. If necessary, he consults with the head puppeteer regarding any technical issues or concerns that he may have. The head puppeteer then gives the other three puppeteers instructions for specific moments or actions that he thinks would work for the scene, as indicated by the director.

Otherwise, the creativity of each individual is respected, while a certain level of synergy is also established because the work of one puppeteer is dependent on another. For example, if the puppeteer handling Imaw’s head makes him look up as if seeing something wonderful, then the puppeteer manipulating the eyes would make sure that Imaw’s eyes open wide while the eyebrows are also raised.

Or if the puppeteer providing the voice says the lines as if they’re causing him emotional pain, the puppeteer controlling the head would probably move Imaw’s head to make it look down while gently moving it side to side, while the puppeteer in charge of the eyes would make them half-closed before finally closing them.

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