Steve Carell didn’t fully understand his character in “Dinner for Schmucks” until he met a fake mouse courtesy of the Chiodo brothers.
Carell’s character in the new comedy, when he isn’t being a “schmuck,” fashions wonderfully ornate mice sculptures and dioramas.
“When I was on the set with him, they brought him over with [co-star Paul Rudd] and said, ‘this is what you create,’” Charles Chiodo recalls of his mouse sculptures.
Seeing the brothers’ handiwork helped the actor connect with the character, Carell told Charles Chiodo.
Audiences will simply marvel at how seamlessly the figurines flesh out the comical story.
The three brothers – Charles, Edward and Stephen – have been creating puppets, stop-motion figures and other movie effects since 1982.
Chances are you’ve seen their work before. The family created puppet and creature effects for “Killer Klowns from Outer Space,” “Team America: World Police” and “Elf.” For “Schmucks,” their singular talents provided both character depth and a running gag which never grows old.
Carell of “The Office” fame plays Barry, the titular “Schmuck.” Barry causes his co-star fits with his idiotic behavior, but he gains the audience’s sympathy when he shows the tiny mouse figurines he creates in his spare time.
The brothers had a little help in making the mouse figurines.
“It took many hours of work with a lot of people involved,” Stephen Chiodo tells WWTW, estimating about 30 people in all pitched in to make the movie‘s effects a reality. “I sculpted the characters, and we have people who cast them and others who put the fur on them.”
The film’s creators initially wanted Barry to make figures out of toothpicks before settling on the mice motif. But the brothers say the film’s producers were worried using mice might make the finished product too “scary or creepy” for a light comedy.
No problem there.
The brothers created a wealth of fanciful mouse creations that wouldn’t frighten a fly. Even people uneasy with mice will likely embrace them here.
The brothers are particularly proud of the “Earl of Sandwich” mouse diorama featured in the film. Imagine two mice surrounding a third with one standing on an olive.
Sometimes the brothers’ work is pushed into the background of a film or gets lost in the shuffle of plotting and characters. But for “Schmucks,” their work is spotlighted in a way that thrilled them.
“This was really embodied in the character, it was really highlighted. It couldn‘t be cut out of the film,” Stephen Chiodo says. “It gave Barry a heart. They understood where he was coming from,” Charles Chiodo adds.
The brothers grew up watching the stop-motion magic made by FX legend Ray Harryhausen. They used army men figurines and other household toys to create their own mini-films.
“It was a form of play for us,” Stephen Chiodo says.
Today, the brothers work toward a common goal but bring different skills to the table. Charles excels in design and illustration, while Edward does the mechanical work each gig requires. Stephen Chiodo is the stop-motion guru.
Anyone wishing to follow in their unique footsteps would be advised to diversify their talents.
“Learn how to paint, sew, draw and sculpt … work with different material and do crafting,” Charles Chiodo says.
“You have to be versatile,” Edward Chiodo says, adding even a background in digital effects can help a budding artist build a career in old school special effects.
The brothers, whose handiwork will next be seen as part of a “Simpsons” Christmas special, don’t think the rise of computer generated effects will run them out of business. They suspect audiences are more than eager for a break from CGI wonders.
“We’re swinging back to more traditional art forms,” Stephen Chiodo says. “Younger audience in general that appreciate the handmade quality. Our techniques will always be around.”
(Photo: Top, right: The Chiodo brothers created the ornate mice dioramas developed by Steve Carell’s character, Barry, in the new comedy “Dinner for Schmucks.” Paramount Pictures. Bottom, right: One of the brothers’ earliest creations, the creepy villains from “Killer Klowns from Outer Space.”)
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Well, now I need to see this movie just to see those mice!
Sounds fun, thanks.
My son is 20 and he loved the mice. He said it totally made the movie for him to see the really cool dioramas. I am seeing it this weekend. Go mousterpieces!
The mice are worth the ticket price– There should be a website devoted to the small “stars” of this movie! I would love to be able to look at pictures of the mouseterpiece dioramas created by the Chiodo brothers to really take in all of the intricate details. Good job guys– these mice are cute!! Not at all like the pests that invade my home in the fall/winter.
I love mice. This made the whole movie for me.