Making Light :: The Sultan's Elephant :: comments http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/007535.html#comments Language, fraud, folly, truth, history, and knitting. Et cetera. en Tue, 09 May 2006 13:16:07 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/?v=4.34-en The Sultan's Elephant The grand finale. (Via BoingBoing.)... The grand finale. (Via BoingBoing.)... http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/007535.html The Sultan's Elephant -- comment #1 from Greg London comment from Greg London on 9.May.06 Yay!

]]> <p>Posted May 9, 2006 1:16 PM by Greg London</p> http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/007535.html#124673 http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/007535.html#124673 Tue, 09 May 2006 13:16:07 -0500 The Sultan's Elephant -- comment #2 from jennie comment from jennie on 9.May.06 This has everything wonderful in it (except maybe chocolate)! Elephants, puppeteering, water, fire, a weird space-ship thing! SQUEE of SQUEENESS!

Thanks for posting!

[[Retreats to mundane comma chasing, happier by the thought of one giant mechanical perambulating elephant.]]

]]> <p>Posted May 9, 2006 1:16 PM by jennie</p> http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/007535.html#124674 http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/007535.html#124674 Tue, 09 May 2006 13:16:55 -0500 The Sultan's Elephant -- comment #3 from elise comment from elise on 9.May.06 You have reached YouTube, the premier digital video repository on the Internet. We are currently working on the site.

We'll be back soon...

Drat. And me with a shipment of patience still on back-order.

]]> <p>Posted May 9, 2006 2:40 PM by elise</p> http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/007535.html#124681 http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/007535.html#124681 Tue, 09 May 2006 14:40:39 -0500 The Sultan's Elephant -- comment #4 from Fragano Ledgister comment from Fragano Ledgister on 9.May.06 elise: I'm in the same boat.

]]> <p>Posted May 9, 2006 3:07 PM by Fragano Ledgister</p> http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/007535.html#124686 http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/007535.html#124686 Tue, 09 May 2006 15:07:48 -0500 The Sultan's Elephant -- comment #5 from Steve Glover comment from Steve Glover on 9.May.06 Um. There're a few errors in Cory's piece. We started in Waterloo Place, not Trafalgar Square (in an added touch of realism, there was an actual crater left behind when the spaceship was moved to Horseguards Parade) and the Sultan wasn't the little giantess's benefactor - he had had disturbing dreams of the girl and eventually arranged for a time machine to be built so he could follow her across time.

While the organisation left a bit to be desired in some places, I wouldn't have missed it for the world!

]]> <p>Posted May 9, 2006 3:46 PM by Steve Glover</p> http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/007535.html#124690 http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/007535.html#124690 Tue, 09 May 2006 15:46:29 -0500 The Sultan's Elephant -- comment #6 from bryan comment from bryan on 9.May.06 I am appalled at the lack of commentary from wingnutsphere about liberal europe celebrating a sultan stalking a white female across time.

]]> <p>Posted May 9, 2006 4:09 PM by bryan</p> http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/007535.html#124691 http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/007535.html#124691 Tue, 09 May 2006 16:09:45 -0500 The Sultan's Elephant -- comment #7 from jill comment from jill on 9.May.06 That was the coolest thing I've ever seen. Didn't get to see the little girl (although I'm actually hanging on to the light pole you can see in the beginning just after the elephant splashes everyone).

I hope the company does things like this in other cities. It's just too marvelous to be kept to one corner of the world.

]]> <p>Posted May 9, 2006 4:11 PM by jill</p> http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/007535.html#124692 http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/007535.html#124692 Tue, 09 May 2006 16:11:02 -0500 The Sultan's Elephant -- comment #8 from HP comment from HP on 9.May.06 YouTube's running again. Don't everyone go at once.

]]> <p>Posted May 9, 2006 4:11 PM by HP</p> http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/007535.html#124693 http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/007535.html#124693 Tue, 09 May 2006 16:11:02 -0500 The Sultan's Elephant -- comment #9 from HP comment from HP on 9.May.06 BTW, am I the only one who would gladly pay to own a DVD about the Sultan's Elephant? It would be terrific to have high-quality video of the Paris and London tours, "making of" footage, maybe a dramatized backstory, concept drawings, etc.

]]> <p>Posted May 9, 2006 4:26 PM by HP</p> http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/007535.html#124698 http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/007535.html#124698 Tue, 09 May 2006 16:26:54 -0500 The Sultan's Elephant -- comment #10 from Tom S. comment from Tom S. on 9.May.06 HP: You're not alone. I'd love to see such a product.

]]> <p>Posted May 9, 2006 4:35 PM by Tom S.</p> http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/007535.html#124705 http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/007535.html#124705 Tue, 09 May 2006 16:35:07 -0500 The Sultan's Elephant -- comment #11 from Dave Bell comment from Dave Bell on 9.May.06 There's a TV programme being shown on BBC4, Thursday next week.

]]> <p>Posted May 9, 2006 4:38 PM by Dave Bell</p> http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/007535.html#124708 http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/007535.html#124708 Tue, 09 May 2006 16:38:07 -0500 The Sultan's Elephant -- comment #12 from HP comment from HP on 9.May.06 There's a TV programme being shown on BBC4, Thursday next week.

So, these are the people we Yanks need to petition to get something available in region 0/1, NTSC.

Well, I'll be... BBC America's mailing address is in Florence, KY ("Florence, Y'all"). That's about a half-hour's drive from here. I wonder if I could just pop over some time for a bit of a chat and a sit-down, and just sort of casually mention the whole Sultan's Elephant DVD thing.

]]> <p>Posted May 9, 2006 5:01 PM by HP</p> http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/007535.html#124717 http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/007535.html#124717 Tue, 09 May 2006 17:01:02 -0500 The Sultan's Elephant -- comment #13 from Fragano Ledgister comment from Fragano Ledgister on 9.May.06 It was lovely to watch, and I too hope that it will become available on DVD.

]]> <p>Posted May 9, 2006 7:52 PM by Fragano Ledgister</p> http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/007535.html#124748 http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/007535.html#124748 Tue, 09 May 2006 19:52:03 -0500 The Sultan's Elephant -- comment #14 from John M. Ford comment from John M. Ford on 9.May.06 HP: I would expect that the Florence KY address is a fulfillment house or remailer of some kind, and contains no one actually part of the Beeb.

Though you might drive up quietly, and if you see a red postal truck parked near a cat, a dog, and a Dalek having a tea break, barge on in and dismiss any denials.

]]> <p>Posted May 9, 2006 8:32 PM by John M. Ford</p> http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/007535.html#124758 http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/007535.html#124758 Tue, 09 May 2006 20:32:15 -0500 The Sultan's Elephant -- comment #15 from Jon Meltzer comment from Jon Meltzer on 9.May.06 Grey as a mouse, big as a house, nose like a snake, I make the earth shake ...

]]> <p>Posted May 9, 2006 9:40 PM by Jon Meltzer</p> http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/007535.html#124769 http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/007535.html#124769 Tue, 09 May 2006 21:40:14 -0500 The Sultan's Elephant -- comment #16 from Eve comment from Eve on 10.May.06 Though you might drive up quietly, and if you see a red postal truck parked near a cat, a dog, and a Dalek having a tea break, barge on in and dismiss any denials.

"Shall...I...be...mother?"

I was there in Horseguards Parade right at the end, but at 4'11" I didn't see any of the flames coming out of the rocket. My friend took some video, and it's quite amusing to see this forest of cameras and mobile phones being held up to look, like babies.

Now we just have to work out how to get it to Prague...

]]> <p>Posted May 10, 2006 5:09 AM by Eve</p> http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/007535.html#124805 http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/007535.html#124805 Wed, 10 May 2006 05:09:37 -0500 The Sultan's Elephant -- comment #17 from Kimberley Verburg comment from Kimberley Verburg on 10.May.06 I missed the grand finale but I did go see it on its way to Trafalgar Square on Saturday. Imagine all these tourists and Londoners innocently wandering around Piccadilly Circus and suddenly there's an elephant coming down the street at them. People just stopped what they were doing in order to run after the magical elephant. It was brilliant.

]]> <p>Posted May 10, 2006 6:27 AM by Kimberley Verburg</p> http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/007535.html#124807 http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/007535.html#124807 Wed, 10 May 2006 06:27:30 -0500 The Sultan's Elephant -- comment #18 from HP comment from HP on 10.May.06 Sorry to derail further, but this is quite odd.

The telephone number on BBC America's contact page is a local Florence/Erlanger toll number (rather than the toll-free number you'd expect with a call center). Curiously, Google lists the number as the personal phone number of one Frank Hulefeld, "rock-'n'-roll club manager/band hustler" (shown here flanked by a Union Jack and Old Glory). Apparently (ahem), Auntie Beeb's American operations are run out of the living room of a 26-year-old punk rock impresario.

]]> <p>Posted May 10, 2006 12:24 PM by HP</p> http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/007535.html#124842 http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/007535.html#124842 Wed, 10 May 2006 12:24:52 -0500 The Sultan's Elephant -- comment #19 from Joseph Nicholas comment from Joseph Nicholas on 10.May.06 I am appalled at the lack of commentary from wingnutsphere about liberal europe celebrating a sultan stalking a white female across time.

Oh, don't worry. Some pillock somewhere is doubtless frothing away at the first draft of his denunciation even as we type.

]]> <p>Posted May 10, 2006 12:59 PM by Joseph Nicholas</p> http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/007535.html#124846 http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/007535.html#124846 Wed, 10 May 2006 12:59:47 -0500 The Sultan's Elephant -- comment #20 from Joe J comment from Joe J on 13.May.06 Seeing those pictures and the clips, I'm reminded of Being John Malkovich(IMDB). It was one of those improbable but wonderful concepts in the film that we might see puppeteering on a grand artistic scale.

This is one of those things that is amazing not only in itself, but also because people made it happen at all.

]]> <p>Posted May 13, 2006 2:17 AM by Joe J</p> http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/007535.html#125112 http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/007535.html#125112 Sat, 13 May 2006 02:17:33 -0500