CalArts Experimental Animators Team Up for Katy Perry Music Video

Although the holiday season has come to an end, we’re still celebrating the team of CalArtians who made the stop-motion puppets in Katy Perry’s music video A Cozy Little Christmas.

The puppets were fabricated by CalArts alum Zach Tolchinsky (Film/Video MFA 19), founder of independent animation Wood Goblin Studios. Current Experimental Animation students Meredith Quinn (Film/Video BFA 20), Aaron Holmes (Film/Video MFA 21), and CalArts alum Nick D’Agostino (Film/Video MFA 17) were brought on board for the project under the supervision of puppet fabrication supervisor Tolchinsky.

Directed by the filmmaking duo Watts, the music video features Perry as Mrs. Claus on a post-Christmas vacation in Palm Springs with Santa. The cute and slightly off-beat cast of stop-motion puppets includes Pippa the elf, Eddy the Yeti, Randolf the reindeer and Freezy the snowman.

Check out photos and sketches of the puppets from the music video directors’ Instagram below:

View this post on Instagram

Meet 🍻EDDY THE YETI! 🍻He’s like your Uncle Gary – a little reserved at first – but once you get an eggnog or 2 in him there’s no stopping him from dancing on your furniture.

A post shared by WATTS (@watts_la) on Dec 10, 2019 at 10:10am PST

View this post on Instagram

Meet 👩🏻‍🎤PIPPA THE ELF!👩🏻‍🎤Pippa is our spirit elf because when she’s not working her butt cheeks off she’s partying her butt cheeks off and when she’s not partying her butt cheeks off she’s working her … oh you get picture. We 💖 Pippa.

A post shared by WATTS (@watts_la) on Dec 16, 2019 at 12:09pm PST

View this post on Instagram

🎄Meet RANDOLPH!🎄 the most INfamous reindeer of all! Because who needs a red nose when you could have a disco ball nose?! Oh and have you ever had a massage by a reindeer?? Because Randolph’s 4 point shiatsu hoof massage will make you think you have died and gone right to heaven. 🕺 🦌

A post shared by WATTS (@watts_la) on Dec 9, 2019 at 9:34am PST

View this post on Instagram

❄️Meet FREEZEY!❄️Frosty’s (more fun and more turnt) younger brother. If you’ve never had a piña colada made by a snowman then you’ve never had a piña colada. ☃️🍍#stopmotion #cozylittlechristmasmusicvideo

A post shared by WATTS (@watts_la) on Dec 5, 2019 at 10:34am PST