SPOTLIGHT: FELT – A Puppet Tale About Dreams, Doubt, and Dougie
We’re shining a light on this wildly original short film — part drama, part felt, all heart.
There’s a quirky, heartfelt indie film coming together, and it’s one we at Holly Likes Puppets are backing with full enthusiasm.
It’s called FELT — and it needs your help. Right now.
⚡️ Crowdfunding Closes Soon — Be Part of the Magic
The team behind FELT are in their final push to raise funds, and every donation truly makes a difference. Whether you're pledging £1 or £500, you’ll be helping bring an ambitious and emotionally rich story to life — complete with puppets, pathos, and poignant laughs.
🎯 This is an urgent call-to-action:
The campaign is flexible funding, but the sooner they hit their goal, the better this film can be.
🎥 What is FELT?
FELT is a short film about Dougie, a former folk singer who’s shut the door on music. That door gets kicked open when Noggin — a hopeful dreamer with studio gear and felt for skin — moves in next door.
The film explores:
The tension between art and ambition
The inner critic vs. the hopeful dreamer
What it means to create even when it hurts
It’s Mike Leigh meets Jim Henson — a slice-of-life tale with puppets, but played completely straight.
From Writer/Director Robert Trott:
“This story means a lot to me because it started as an exercise in writing without thinking.
Now before you say ‘Yeah, it shows,’ what I mean is, I tried to not get in my way and overthink it into oblivion.
What surprised me most was how much I fell for our scrappy tale of dreams gone by, and whether the point is the succeeding, or the trying.
I found the more I wrote, the characters felt like the two battling parts of myself: the part that wants to stop pushing to make stuff because of the vulnerable fearlessness needed to share your art, and the endless dreamer who loves it all too much to stop.
I want to show what happens when those two values meet — and the magic of collaboration.”
Meet the Cast
This isn’t just a felt-fuelled fever dream — it’s packed with talent.
Chris Kendall – Performing Dougie (the puppet)
An established puppeteer and creature performer, Chris has worked on:
Netflix’s The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance
The Sooty Show
CBBC’s Andy and the Band
ITV2’s Buffering
And a slew of commercials, shows, and stage productions. Also an acclaimed puppet builder, his craftsmanship gives Dougie true soul (and decent posture).
Craig Haines – Playing Noggin
Craig and Rob (the director) have been building characters together since they were 10 years old. That kind of chemistry can’t be faked.
Craig’s most recent role was Cooper in Robert’s debut feature 4:00am, where he brought a depth and vulnerability that FELT will twist and play with.
🎙️ Also featuring voice talent across fake TV shows, call centres, and late-night ads. The whole world Dougie’s avoiding is coming to life in surround sound.
Pick Your Perk: Crowdfunding Rewards You’ll Actually Want
What You Get When You Back FELT
There’s something for everyone — whether you’re tossing in a quid or going full puppet-royalty. Every contribution helps bring FELT to life, and every backer gets a little something in return.
Backers at £5 get a heartfelt social media thank you — and might even bring a tear to the director’s eye (especially if the moon’s in the right phase). 🌕
At £10, you’ll receive a private link to the finished film, so you can enjoy it on your own terms, with your beverage of choice.
For £20, you’ll unlock a bundle of behind-the-scenes photos, videos, a digital copy of the script, and that all-important private screening link.
£30 gets your name in the Special Thanks credits at the end of the film — plus all the digital goodies above.
With £50, you’ll receive a Digital Fan Pack including poster artwork by Gordon Skalski, a backer-exclusive wallpaper, and a sneak peek at the score — on top of all previous perks.
At £75, we’ll post you a signed A5 physical poster, along with a personalised thank-you print. It’s real art, from real artists, for your real walls.
£100 gets you access to a live group Q&A Zoom call with Robert Trott and members of the cast and crew. Ask anything — filmmaking, felt, failure, festivals, or favourite snacks on set.
£250 lets you choose a 1-on-1 Zoom workshop in either script development, podcast production, or cinematography — a proper creative deep-dive with the team.
At £500, you’ll be credited as an Associate Producer on IMDb and receive a personal thank-you video from Robert and Dougie (puppet tears not guaranteed).
And for the bold-hearted, the £850 tier makes you an Executive Producer. You’ll get a character named after you, a Zoom call from the set, and every single reward tier included. Immortalised in felt forever.
💬 From Writer/Director Robert Trott:
“This film is personal. It’s about the war between giving up and going for it. About making something just because you love it. I wrote it when I stopped overthinking and just let the characters talk — turns out they had a lot to say. And they said it loud.”
This isn’t just a short. FELT has the bones to expand into a feature or series, with a cast and crew already brimming with chemistry and creative passion.
💡 Why Support This?
It’s a rare mix of authentic emotion and surreal visual storytelling
It supports independent UK film at its most original and DIY
You’ll be directly helping puppeteers, composers, artists, and emerging actors make something truly special
You get cool stuff!
🧵 TL;DR
🎥 Short film called FELT
🎭 Puppet drama with a big heart
💸 Crowdfunding now with amazing rewards
⏳ Campaign closing soon — act fast!
🎁 Back the Project on Crowdfunder