Robert Tygner

Robert Tygner

Motion Capture Director, Animation Direct, Puppeteer

Supervisor Puppeteer / Supervisor Animation Director / 24 yrs

London, United Kingdom

Hire Me

Character Animator

Mee-Shee: The Water Giant (2007)

Puppeteer

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005)

Animator

Brotherhood of the Wolf (2002)

Animator

Jason and the Argonauts (2000)

Performance Puppeteer Supervisor

Loch Ness (1996)

Muppet Performer

Muppet Treasure Island (1996)

Puppet Coordinator

The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

Puppeteer

The Witches (1990)

Robert is a freelance Puppeteer, Motion Capture Director and Puppet Performance Director. Also has many years experience as a Digital Puppeteer/Performance Animation/CG Real-time puppeteer. He helped set up the Real-time CG department at Passion Picture and was involved on numerous projects using Mocap and CG puppeteering techniques. Robert has numerous Film and TV credits as a puppeteer. His more recent are FAUNTANLAND AND THE LOST MAGIC. Other credits include BLACK MIRROR 2 episode “The Waldo Moment”, WIZARD VS ALIENS, YOKO, ANTICHIRST and WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE. His handy-work as a puppeteer can also be seen in a number of advertisements aired worldwide.
Work History

  • Puppeteer

    Mother

    March 2020 - March 2020
    London Black Island Studios

    IKEA Advert
    Campaign: THE HARE & THE TORTOISE
    Puppeteer: Tortoise.

  • Puppeteer

    John Nolan Studio

    November 2019 - November 2019
    London, United Kingdom

    TV Advert CALIFORNIA ALMONDS "Logs"
    Puppeteer for Squirrel

  • Puppeteer

    Independent Films

    October 2019 - October 2019
    Ipswich, United Kingdom

    Film - JACK
    Puppeteered the Dog Buddy.

  • Lead Tutor for Motion Capture Module

    National Film & Television School

    September 2019 - September 2019
    Beaconsfield

    Once a year, since 2009, over the course of a month I work with the 1st year "DigiPost" vfx/sfx students on their Optical Motion Capture module.

  • Puppeteer and Voice Over

    Phelecan Films AB

    June 2019 - June 2019
    Sweden

    Post Production puppeteering and Voice-Over work for FAUNUTLAND AND THE LOST MAGIC

  • Puppeteer

    John Nolan Studio

    May 2019 - May 2019
    Bucharest, Romania

    TV Advert Germany - 120 IKEA

  • Puppeteer

    Lifecast UK

    April 2019 - May 2019
    London, United Kingdom

    TV Advert - PPI Arnie

  • Puppeteer

    Phelecan Films AB

    June 2018 - July 2018
    Sweden

    Feature Film FAUNUTLAND AND THE LOST MAGIC

  • Performance Supervisor

    Passion Pictures

    June 2018 - June 2018
    London, United Kingdom

    Real Time Motion Capture

  • Freelance

    Robert Tygner

    November 2017 - May 2018
    London, United Kingdom

  • Puppeteer

    The Story Emporium Repair Shop

    August 2017 - November 2017
    London, United Kingdom

    Out now on YouTube. Kids will love it, so will you.

  • Performance Supervisor

    Passion Pictures

    February 2017 - June 2017
    London, United Kingdom

    Real-time motion capture work.

  • Puppeteer

    Cherry Tree Lane Productions

    February 2017 - February 2017
    Shepperton Studios

    Feature Film - MARY POPPINS RETURNS

  • Puppeteer

    Fido Films Germany

    September 2016 - November 2016

    Feature Film - DIE KLEINE HEKE / THE LITTLE WITCH

    Character - The Crow Abraxas

  • Puppeteer

    The Family sri

    August 2016 - August 2016
    Barcelona Area, Spain

    TV Commercial - TIM

  • Puppeteer

    John Nolan Studio

    August 2016 - August 2016
    London

    Music Video - The Wytches C-SIDE

  • Puppeteer

    Now

    July 2016 - July 2016
    Lonond

    TV Commercial - Leo Vegas STRICTLY COME CARCUSS

  • Visiting Puppet Director

    Wimbledon College of Art UAL

    May 2016 - May 2016
    Wimbledon

    Directing the 1st Year Tech Art Students Puppet project performance.

  • Mocap Director/Puppeteer

    Passion Pictures, London

    July 2014 - February 2016

  • Visiting Motion Capture Tutor

    National Film and Televison School

    November 2009 - October 2015

    Once a year, since 2009, I work with the 1st year "DigiPost" vfx/sfx students on their Optical Motion Capture module.

  • Performance Animation/Digital Puppeteering

    Passion Pictures

    August 2012 - July 2014
    London, United Kingdom

    PROJECTS:
    July 2014 - to present day
    Real-time Animation
    Performance Director
    Puppeteer

    June/July 2014
    Real-time Animation for Nike RISK EVERYTHING
    Performance Director

    January - June 2014
    Puppeteer

    October/November 2013
    Aleks Meekat "Gary Barlow" Interview
    CG Performance animator. Animation created using Performance animation techniques.

    September/October 2013
    Alexs Meerkat "ITV Awards with Ant and Dec".
    Puppeteer for live-time CG character Alexs.

    Miaya and Gok presenting the winner of the People's Choice Award for SPECTACLE WEARER OF THE YEAR 2013.
    Puppeteer for live-time CG character Miaya.

    September 2013
    Miaya Live interview with Elizabeth Hurley for SECRET CINEMA .
    Puppeteer for live-time CG character Miaya.

    May 2013
    Charmin Bear "Base Ball Game song"
    Puppeteer for live-time CG character Charmin Bear

    Dec 2012
    Alexs Meerkat interview on THIS MORNING tv.
    Puppeteer for live-time CG character Alexs.

    September/Oct 2012
    Charlie Brookers TV series "BLACK MIRROR 2" Episode 2 "The Waldo Moment".
    Puppeteer for live-time CG character Waldo.

    Alexs Meerkat "Live Book readings".
    Puppeteer for live-time CG character Alexs.




    CG Performance animator (also known as Digital Puppeteering) uses puppeteered input devices rigged to CG characters that are generated in real-time.

  • Lecturer for Skills Fusion

    The Film and Video Workshop

    November 2013 - December 2013

    This Skills Fusions workshop gave introductory tuition in the use of After Effects. After the tuition I was asked to talk about my experiences in the vfx industry.

  • Puppeteer

    ArtsMediaPeople

    September 2013 - September 2013

    Live Lexus promotional event featuring the Amazing in Motion "STEPS" puppet.

  • Puppet performance co-ordinator/Puppeteer

    Camp David

    August 2013 - August 2013

    TV Commercial - RADDEN BARMAN
    For Save the Children

  • Puppet Director/Puppeteer

    Baby Cow Animations Ltd.

    July 2013 - August 2013

    TV - Title sequence for MAN DOWN

  • Puppeteer

    Fight Films Ltd.

    June 2013 - July 2013

    Film - HARRY HILL THE MOVIE
    Directed by Steve Bendelack

  • Visiting Puppet Director

    Wimbledon College of Art

    June 2013 - June 2013

    Assisting 1st year Design for Performance students with puppeteering on their Puppet project.

  • Puppeteer

    ArtsMediaPeople

    March 2013 - March 2013

    Live Lexus promotional event featuring the Amazing in Motion "STEPS" puppet.

  • Puppeteer

    CHI & Partners Ltd

    January 2013 - February 2013

    TV Commercial Lexus Global "STEPS". Directed by Daniel Kleinman

  • Puppeteer

    Red Bee Media

    October 2012 - October 2012

    TV Commercial "BBC Digital Radio 2012", DAB D-Love.

  • Lead Puppeteer - VOLDEMORT

    London 2012 Ceremonies Ltd

    May 2012 - July 2012

    Working as a Lead puppeteer for Voldemort with Blind Summit theatre company who cast and directed 50 puppeteers (15 professionals and 35 volunteers) to bring to life giant puppets of Voldemort (90 feet high!), Captain Hook, Cruella De Ville and the Queen of Hearts in the 'Second on the Right' section of Danny Boyle's thrillingly original Opening Ceremony for London 2012.

  • Puppeteer

    BBC Wales

    April 2012 - April 2012

    TV Series - "WIZARDS VS ALIENS"
    Episode - "Grazlax Attacks"
    Grazlax puppeteer

  • Puppeteer

    Hogarth Worldwide

    April 2012 - April 2012

    Commercial for Nectar. "GIFT HORSE"

  • Visiting Puppet Performance Tutor

    Wimbledon College of Art

    January 2012 - January 2012

    Assisting 1st Year Tech Arts students with Puppet films.

  • Performance Animation/Digital Puppeteering

    Phyzog TV

    November 2011 - December 2011

    Creating the MoCap animation (using Optical and Device driven Motion Capture) for Phyzog.

    Phyzog is a kind of Satire Direct, in which the powers that be are caricatured via images and sketches that come straight to your smartphones.

  • 2nd Puppeteer FOZZY BEAR

    Baker/Coogan

    November 2011 - November 2011

    TV - "X FACTOR"

    Puppet performer with The Muppets for Olly Murs performance on the X-Factor semi- final.

  • Performance Animation/Digital Puppeteering

    Phyzog TV

    July 2011 - September 2011

    Creating the MoCap animation (using Optical and Device driven Motion Capture) for Phyzog.

    Phyzog is a kind of Satire Direct, in which the powers that be are caricatured via images and sketches that come straight to your smartphones.

  • MoCap Director

    TT Animation

    May 2011 - July 2011

    TV - “WHAT’S YOUR NEWS” series 2

    Mocap Director for the 2nd Season of the award winning series“WHAT’S YOUR NEWS”, a half hour news program for children produced by TT Animation. The CG animation is created using a combination of “Optical Motion Capture” and traditional key frame animation techniques.

  • Mocap Supervisor

    Animagine Studios

    February 2011 - May 2011

    Motion Capture supervisor; finding talent, rehearsing, running mocap shoot, motion editing and keeping a sense of humour throughout it all.

  • Puppet Director

    Shooting Fish Theatre Company

    January 2011 - February 2011

    Theatre - "LAMINATED"

    Laminated is an imaginative and wonderfully visual piece, using puppetry and physical theatre to bring life to the stories and memories of Charlie’s world. It asks us to consider the reality of chasing our dreams, and all the things in life that we can see, but not touch.
    Laminated will be at Tristan Bates Theatre, Covent Garden, London from Monday 31st January - Saturday 19th February 2011.

  • Technical Director

    Andrew Dawson

    November 2010 - November 2010

    Theatre - "THE ARTICULATE HAND".

    Through movement, Andrew Dawson uncovers the grace, beauty and psychological consequences of the impairments of the hand.

    The Articulate Hand is a collaboration between performance artist Andrew Dawson and Jonathan Cole, neuroscientist and author.

    Funded by a Wellcome Trust Arts award.

  • Animatronic Performance Director and Puppeteer

    Fido Film

    August 2010 - November 2010

    Film - "YOKO"

  • Visiting Puppet Director

    Wimbledon College of Art

    May 2010 - May 2010

    Director of the 1st year Tec Arts student puppet performance.

  • Pre-viz animator

    Nviz

    March 2009 - May 2009

    Film - "GULLIVERS TRAVELS" Pre-viz animation

  • Mocap Animation Mentor

    London College of Communication

    March 2009 - April 2009

    Worked with 1st Year animation students using Motion Capture to help create a 30sec Ident for the animation department. Funded by Skillset.

  • Motion Capture/Animation Director

    TT Animation

    June 2007 - November 2008

    TV "WHAT'S YOUR NEWS" series 1.

    Mocap & Animation Director for all 26 episodes of the CGI project “WHAT’S YOUR NEWS”, a half hour news program for children produced by TT Animation and Nickelodeon. The CG animation was created using a combination of “Optical Motion Capture” with “Performance Animation Techniques”.

  • Puppeteer

    Zentropa

    October 2008 - October 2008

    Film - "ANTICHRIST" Directed by Lars Von Trier.

  • Lead Puppeteer

    Crush Productions

    March 2007 - May 2007

    Film - "AGENT CRUSH"

  • Puppeteer

    Baker/Coogan

    April 2007 - April 2007

    TV - "SCISSOR SISTERS" Brit awards

  • Head Puppeteer/Performance co-ordinator 2nd Unit

    Warner Bros.

    September 2006 - December 2006

    Film - "WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE"

  • CG Character Animator/Performance animator

    Cinesite

    September 2005 - September 2005

    Test Pitch film test using Key frame and Performance animation techniques.

  • Motion Editing and re-animation

    Centroid motion capture

    July 2005 - August 2005

    Using MotionBuilder software to motion edit, add animation and reblock cut-scenes.

  • Animation Director/CG Character Animator/Digital Puppeteer/Puppet Co-o

    The Jim Henson Company

    April 1985 - June 2005

    Over my long association with the Jim Henson Company here in the UK and USA, I had the great pleasure of working on numerous films, TV and commercials in a variety of positions and in many different countries.

    Films;
    HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY Puppeteer
    FIVE CHILDREN AND IT Puppeteer/Digital Puppeteer
    THE WATER GIANT CG Charactor Animator
    SESAME ST 3-D FILM Animation Director
    THE BROTHERHOOD OF WOLVES CG Charactor Animator
    GEORGE OF THE JUNGLE Puppeteer
    BUDDY Puppeteer
    PINOCCHIO Puppeteer
    MUPPET TREASURE ISLAND Puppeteer
    LOCH NESS Puppeteer/Performance Co-ordinator
    MARY REILLY Puppeteer
    THE FLINTSTONES Puppeteer/Performance Co-ordinator
    THE NEVER ENDING STORY III Performance Co-ordinator
    THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL Puppeteer/Puppet Co-ordinator
    THE POLAR BEAR KING Puppeteer/Puppet Co-ordinator
    TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES II Puppeteer
    TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES I Puppeteer
    THE WITCHES Puppeteer
    THE BEAR Puppeteer/Puppet Co-ordinator
    LABYRINTH Puppeteer

    TV;
    FRANCES THE BADGER Animation Director
    JACK AND THE BEANSTALK Puppeteer
    JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS CG Charactor Animator
    ALICE IN WONDERLAND Puppeteer
    THE STORYTELLER SERIES Puppeteer

  • CG Character Animator/Motion Editing

    Scarlet Digital Imaging

    November 2003 - January 2004

    TV - "CAPTAIN SCARLET"

    Used Maya to motion edit various motion captured scenes.

  • Principle Puppeteer

    Warner Bros.

    October 1986 - September 1997

    Film "LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS" directed by Frank Oz

  • Puppeteer

    Spitting Image

    1989 - 1995

    Puppeteered a variety of characters throughout Series 6,7,8,10,11,12 & 13. Insane and fun!

View All Positions