Road to fame paved with socks— ’88 grad makes his mark with special effects, children’s show ‘Sockville’ Spring 2009 - By Lori Schueler
Instead of putting socks on his feet, alumnus Patrick Voss has teamed up with Bee Flicks Entertainment to use toe warmers more creatively as hand puppets to educate and entertain children.
Voss, along with James Gregson, owner of Bee Flicks Entertainment in Woodland Hills, Ca., have developed the award-winning children’s show “Sockville.” The show educates children in an imaginative way, claiming “Sockville” is the place where socks go when they get lost in the laundry. It teaches children how to spell, how to identify numbers and gives history lessons.
Voss said most people he tells about the show are not aware of how innovative and engaging the show is until after they watch it.
“(People) probably think it’s just a puppet show,” Voss explained. “Every time I talk about ‘Sockville,’ and tell people it’s where your socks go when they get lost in the laundry, they chuckle.”
Bee Flicks Entertainment (www.beeflicks.com) began distributing one episode of “Sockville” in 2007. Voss said when parents and children viewed the episode they were impressed.
“It is so fun to see parents bring their kids out and the kids are leaving singing the songs,” Voss said. “It could be the next ‘Sesame Street.’”
The show won Best Children’s Film at the 2008 St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase. Gregson said the response from parents has been overwhelming, and every kid they have given a copy to has loved it.
“It’s extremely rare when you get a response like that,” Gregson said with excitement. “It’s like gold.” Gregson described the show as having an edgy feel to it. “It’s very funny,” Gregson said. “It’s kind of like Bugs Bunny meets ‘Sesame Street.’ It’s intelligent humor.”
Voss graduated from SIUE in 1988 after majoring in Mass Communications with an emphasis in television and radio. He said he still remembers what Professor Riley Maynard taught him and uses what he learned in college when talking with clients today.
“There’s still things that pop in my head that he taught me,” Voss said. “(Such as) ‘Tell them what you’re going to tell them, tell them and then tell them again,’”
Maynard was pleased to hear Voss still uses what he was taught 20 years ago.
“It’s very gratifying,” Maynard said. “I’m glad that I was able to do some good for him. Sometimes you wonder if you get through at all.”
He remembered Voss being interested in making masks and props and said he made a giant wheel, similar to the wheel on “Wheel of Fortune,” for the theater department while he was a student.
Voss still makes props and masks, but now he does it for a living. In addition to being the producer of Bee Flicks Entertainment, Voss owns Robot Monkey Lab, which is
a special effects and sculpture studio.
On top of producing “Sockville,” Voss makes props and does special effects for his company. Recently, he completed effects for a horror film, “Edgar Allan Poe’s Ligeia.” He made the main props for the movie including a soul-sucking mask, a tomb and soul vials.
Gregson was impressed with how Voss was able to make inventive, artistic pieces for the set of “Sockville,” on a tight budget. He said 95 percent of the set was made using recyclable material.
“I was amazed how Pat took these piles of stuff and made a set,” Gregson said. “It was like a guessing game to see how he made some of the stuff.”
Voss he enjoys what he does for a living because there is always something new to work on.
“It’s always different,” Voss added. “I really enjoy figuring things out. I always have people calling me asking me how to do something.”
Bee Flicks Entertainment is still working on getting more exposure and financing for the program, but it is now available to watch on Charter Cable’s Charter OnDemand (OnDemand > IWantMore > Education or Entertainment > Sockville)
“We’ve been working on ‘Sockville’ so long I just feel like we’re on the brink in opening doors with it,” Voss said with anticipation. “Everyone loves the show.”
Bee Flicks Entertainment recently promoted “Sockville” at a children’s expo March 7, in St. Charles, Mo. And the company is supporting children's hospitals through Together for Kids, a national support network for children's hospitals, through its own fundraising Web site: www.sockshelpingkids.com.
You can watch “Sockville” at www.sockville.com. Visit Voss’ studio online at:
www.robotmonkeylab.com. You can also see the company’s special effects DVD series at: www.vfxsecrets.com. Voss’ distribution company, Bee Flicks Entertainment, is on the Web at www.beeflicks.com.