Trey Stokes
Encyclopedia
Trey Stokes is an American
filmmaker and puppet
eer, best known for his Star Wars
parody series Pink Five
, and his puppeteering work on various movie, TV, and motion-ride projects.
. After working as a puppeteer for several years, he was hired as the head puppeteer on the 1988 remake of The Blob
. This led to many other film puppeteering jobs, including Species
, Robocop 2
, and eventually head puppeteer on The Abyss
.
In 1990, he designed the motion simulation and supervised the ride film for The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera
at Universal Studios Florida
.
In 1995, Stokes was hired as the animation department supervisor for Tippett Studio
, and worked on the films Starship Troopers
and My Favorite Martian.
Stokes gained some notoriety for helping debunk Fox Network
's Alien Autopsy: Fact or Fiction? as a hoax with his article "How to Build an Alien". Stokes published the opinions of 15 of his movie industry colleagues about the claimed alien autopsy footage, and all 15 felt the film was a fake. Many, according to Stokes, found the footage so laughable that they couldn't believe that anyone in the business would take it seriously enough to even do a survey about it.
One of the many shorts Stokes and Earhart collaborated on was a 2002 Star Wars spoof entitled Pink Five
. Originally intended as a bluescreen test project, the film became an internet hit beyond their expectations. The film was featured on CNN
, and became one of the most popular downloads on Ifilm
and TheForce.net
. In 2003, Pink Five moved to AtomFilms
as part of The Official Star Wars Fan Film Awards
, where the film was picked by George Lucas
as the grand prize winner of that year's competition. As part of the prize, Stokes travelled to Skywalker Ranch
, where the film was remixed at Skywalker Sound
.
! at Universal Studios Orlando
, and also served as an animation supervisor for the film that accompanied the ride. Later that year, Stokes directed Hooves of Destiny for the National Film Challenge, and the film won three awards, and was named one of the competition's ten best films of 2003.
In 2004, Stokes worked as a lead motion capture
integrator for The Polar Express
and also worked as a puppeteer on Team America: World Police
. Also that year, his short film Woody Burns: A Life won the Grand Prize in the National Film Challenge, and the Pink Five sequel (Pink Five Strikes Back
) was picked as the Audience Choice winner in that year's official Star Wars fan film contest.
In 2005, Stokes worked with filmmaker John E. Hudgens
on his films Sith Apprentice
and American Scary
. He also appeared as a Tellarite
in two of the final episodes of Star Trek: Enterprise
because members of the Trek production crew were fans of the Pink Five films, and invited Stokes and Earhart to appear on the show.
Stokes reteamed with Earhart to complete the Pink Five saga with the eagerly awaited Return of Pink Five
, which is now in post-production.
Most recently, Stokes was a consultant on Universal Studios' The Simpsons Ride
and directed the webseries Ark, and the feature film 2010: Moby Dick
, both starring Renee O'Connor
.
for genre films.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
filmmaker and puppet
Puppet
A puppet is an inanimate object or representational figure animated or manipulated by an entertainer, who is called a puppeteer. It is used in puppetry, a play or a presentation that is a very ancient form of theatre....
eer, best known for his Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
parody series Pink Five
Pink Five
Pink Five is a Star Wars fan film that made its debut on the Internet in 2002. It was written and directed by Trey Stokes and stars Amy Earhart as Stacey , a fast-talking Valley Girl-type dropped into an X-Wing cockpit during the Battle of Yavin, and presents familiar events and story points from...
, and his puppeteering work on various movie, TV, and motion-ride projects.
Early career
Stokes majored in Cinema Production at the University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. After working as a puppeteer for several years, he was hired as the head puppeteer on the 1988 remake of The Blob
The Blob
The Blob is an independently made 1958 American horror/science-fiction film that depicts a giant amoeba-like alien that terrorizes the small community of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania...
. This led to many other film puppeteering jobs, including Species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
, Robocop 2
RoboCop 2
RoboCop 2 is a 1990 science fiction action film directed by Irvin Kershner and starring Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Dan O'Herlihy, Belinda Bayer, Tom Noonan and Gabriel Damon. Set in the near future in a dystopian metropolitan Detroit, Michigan...
, and eventually head puppeteer on The Abyss
The Abyss
The Abyss is a 1989 science fiction film written and directed by James Cameron. It stars Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, and Michael Biehn. The original musical score was composed by Alan Silvestri...
.
In 1990, he designed the motion simulation and supervised the ride film for The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera
The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera (ride)
The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera was a simulator ride at Universal Studios Florida, and one of the park's original attractions. The story line was that Dick Dastardly and Muttley have kidnapped Elroy Jetson, Yogi Bear gives chase and the audience is in for the ride of their lives. Peter N...
at Universal Studios Florida
Universal Studios Florida
Universal Studios Florida is an American theme park located in Orlando, Florida. Opened on June 7, 1990, the park's theme is the entertainment industry, in particular movies and television. Universal Studios Florida inspires its guests to "ride the movies," and it features numerous attractions and...
.
In 1995, Stokes was hired as the animation department supervisor for Tippett Studio
Tippett Studio
Tippett Studio is a visual effects company specializing in computer-generated imagery for movies and television commercials. Phil Tippett founded the studio in 1984, which employs effects artists who work with his partners Jules Roman and Craig Hayes....
, and worked on the films Starship Troopers
Starship Troopers (film)
Starship Troopers is a 1997 American military science fiction film, written by Edward Neumeier , directed by Paul Verhoeven, loosely adapted from Starship Troopers, a science fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein. It is the only theatrically released film in the Starship Troopers franchise...
and My Favorite Martian.
Stokes gained some notoriety for helping debunk Fox Network
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
's Alien Autopsy: Fact or Fiction? as a hoax with his article "How to Build an Alien". Stokes published the opinions of 15 of his movie industry colleagues about the claimed alien autopsy footage, and all 15 felt the film was a fake. Many, according to Stokes, found the footage so laughable that they couldn't believe that anyone in the business would take it seriously enough to even do a survey about it.
Star Wars fan films
After meeting and teaming up with actress Amy Earhart in 2000 for the now-defunct Aliendog web series, Stokes began directing short films of his own, often in 48-hour film competitions. His 48-hour films, all featuring Earhart, include The Untitled Russian Film, Land of Many Uses, Fish Guys, and Double Shot.One of the many shorts Stokes and Earhart collaborated on was a 2002 Star Wars spoof entitled Pink Five
Pink Five
Pink Five is a Star Wars fan film that made its debut on the Internet in 2002. It was written and directed by Trey Stokes and stars Amy Earhart as Stacey , a fast-talking Valley Girl-type dropped into an X-Wing cockpit during the Battle of Yavin, and presents familiar events and story points from...
. Originally intended as a bluescreen test project, the film became an internet hit beyond their expectations. The film was featured on CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, and became one of the most popular downloads on Ifilm
IFilm
ifilm.com was an online archive of short films, movie trailers, and other video clips of interest. Ifilm.com was originally founded by independent filmmaker Raphael Raphael in 1997 as an independent film and media collective...
and TheForce.net
TheForce.Net
TheForce.Net is a Star Wars news site. It has material related the movies and associated games, publications, and other merchandise ....
. In 2003, Pink Five moved to AtomFilms
Atom Films
Atom.com is a broadband entertainment network offering original short subject films, animations, and series by independent creators...
as part of The Official Star Wars Fan Film Awards
The Official Star Wars Fan Film Awards
The Official Star Wars Fan Film Awards is an annual contest put forth by Lucasfilm and AtomFilms to showcase and acknowledge the growing genre of fan films made by, for, and about fans of the Star Wars saga. The inaugural contest in 2002 was the first time Lucasfilm had officially sanctioned the...
, where the film was picked by George Lucas
George Lucas
George Walton Lucas, Jr. is an American film producer, screenwriter, and director, and entrepreneur. He is the founder, chairman and chief executive of Lucasfilm. He is best known as the creator of the space opera franchise Star Wars and the archaeologist-adventurer character Indiana Jones...
as the grand prize winner of that year's competition. As part of the prize, Stokes travelled to Skywalker Ranch
Skywalker Ranch
Skywalker Ranch is the name of the workplace of film director and producer George Lucas. It is located in a secluded, but open area near Nicasio, California, in Marin County. The ranch is located on Lucas Valley Road, although Lucas is not related to the road's namesake, who was a...
, where the film was remixed at Skywalker Sound
Skywalker Sound
Skywalker Sound is the sound effects, sound editing, sound design, sound mixing and music recording division of George Lucas' Lucas Digital motion picture group. Its main facilities are located in Lucas Valley, near Nicasio, California...
.
Recent work
In 2003, Stokes programmed the motion simulators for Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon BlastJimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast
Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast was a simulator ride at Universal Studios Florida that replaced The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera. The story line revolved around Ooblar, from the Yolkian planet has stolen Jimmy's newest rocket creation, the Mark IV...
! at Universal Studios Orlando
Universal Orlando Resort
Universal Orlando Resort is a theme park resort in Orlando, Florida. It is wholly owned by NBCUniversal and its affiliates. The resort consists of two theme parks , Universal CityWalk , and three Loews Hotels...
, and also served as an animation supervisor for the film that accompanied the ride. Later that year, Stokes directed Hooves of Destiny for the National Film Challenge, and the film won three awards, and was named one of the competition's ten best films of 2003.
In 2004, Stokes worked as a lead motion capture
Motion capture
Motion capture, motion tracking, or mocap are terms used to describe the process of recording movement and translating that movement on to a digital model. It is used in military, entertainment, sports, and medical applications, and for validation of computer vision and robotics...
integrator for The Polar Express
The Polar Express (film)
The Polar Express is a 2004 motion capture computer-animated film based on the children's book of the same title by Chris Van Allsburg. Written, produced, and directed by Robert Zemeckis, the human characters in the film were animated using live action performance capture technique, with the...
and also worked as a puppeteer on Team America: World Police
Team America: World Police
Team America: World Police, often referred to as simply Team America, is a 2004 action comedy film written by Trey Parker, Matt Stone, and Pam Brady and directed by Parker, all of whom are also known for the popular animated television series South Park...
. Also that year, his short film Woody Burns: A Life won the Grand Prize in the National Film Challenge, and the Pink Five sequel (Pink Five Strikes Back
Pink Five Strikes Back
Pink Five Strikes Back is a fan film that made its debut on the internet in 2004, created by fans of the Star Wars franchise. The sequel to the popular Pink Five, it is a comedy set in the Star Wars universe...
) was picked as the Audience Choice winner in that year's official Star Wars fan film contest.
In 2005, Stokes worked with filmmaker John E. Hudgens
John E. Hudgens
John E. Hudgens is an independent director, producer, and editor noted for his short Star Wars fan films and for many Babylon 5 promotional videos....
on his films Sith Apprentice
Sith Apprentice
Sith Apprentice is a Star Wars fan film that made its debut on the internet on March 29, 2005, directed by John E. Hudgens and co-written by Hudgens, Denny Humbard, and Men in Black creator Lowell Cunningham. Made for around $1000, it is a spoof of Star Wars and The Apprentice, with Emperor...
and American Scary
American Scary
American Scary is a 2006 documentary film about the history and legacy of classic television horror hosts, written and directed by American independent filmmakers John E...
. He also appeared as a Tellarite
Tellarite
Tellarites are a fictional species from the planet Tellar from the Star Trek television show.Though not used in a great number of episodes, they are one of the founding races of the show's United Federation of Planets, to which Earth belongs....
in two of the final episodes of Star Trek: Enterprise
Star Trek: Enterprise
Star Trek: Enterprise is a science fiction television series. It follows the adventures of humanity's first warp 5 starship, the Enterprise, ten years before the United Federation of Planets shown in previous Star Trek series was formed.Enterprise premiered on September 26, 2001...
because members of the Trek production crew were fans of the Pink Five films, and invited Stokes and Earhart to appear on the show.
Stokes reteamed with Earhart to complete the Pink Five saga with the eagerly awaited Return of Pink Five
Return of Pink Five
A sequel to the fan films Pink Five and Pink Five Strikes Back, Return of Pink Five continues the adventures of Stacey around the edges of the original Star Wars trilogy. The film was directed by series creator Trey Stokes, who co-wrote the film with Chris Hanel . The film has been released in...
, which is now in post-production.
Most recently, Stokes was a consultant on Universal Studios' The Simpsons Ride
The Simpsons Ride
The Simpsons Ride is a simulator ride featured at the Universal Studios Florida and Universal Studios Hollywood theme parks. The ride is based on the animated television series The Simpsons. It was first announced in 2007 and replaced the Back to the Future: The Ride at both locations...
and directed the webseries Ark, and the feature film 2010: Moby Dick
2010: Moby Dick
Moby Dick is a 2010 film adaptation of Herman Melville's novel Moby-Dick. The film is an Asylum production, and stars Barry Bostwick as Captain Ahab....
, both starring Renee O'Connor
Reneé O'Connor
Renée O'Connor is an American actress, producer and director best known for playing the role of Gabrielle on the TV series Xena: Warrior Princess from 1995 to 2001.-Early career:...
.
Podcasting
Stokes is also a regular panelist on the podcast Down in Front, which produces alternative audio commentariesAudio commentary
On disc-based video formats, an audio commentary is an additional audio track consisting of a lecture or comments by one or more speakers, that plays in real time with video...
for genre films.