ShowBiz Pizza Time Character Training videos (Johnsonverse)

This video, produced by ShowBiz Pizza Time, Inc., is a series of instructions for cast members on how to dress up as and act as characters from Chuck E. Cheese's and ShowBiz Pizza Place. It is narrated by Tim Johnson. A separate video detailing live motion-capture performing for the AnimeTronics at Japanese States locations was released the following year, also narrated by Johnson.

Walkarounds
Hello and welcome to the walkaround section of the ShowBiz Pizza Time Character Training video. I'm your El Presidente Tim Johnson, and the purpose of this video is to show you, as a costumed character, how to act like the characters from Chuck E. Cheese's and ShowBiz Pizza Place. The first basic instruction is to ensure that, no matter what, every guest leaves happy, and that your character is always real. Children, in particular, still have memories of seeing the character long after they've left the restaurant. This is why we place an emphasis on "our characters are always real". We want to create a magical experience for our guests, and so our goal for the video is to help you, as your character, make magic at our restaurants.

When you put your character back in the room for the night, be sure to spray the head with a disinfectant and brush the fur every day. It is very important your character has a well-groomed appearance. The rest of your outfit can be machine-washed with cold water and dried on the lowest setting. Your character's clothes should be air-dried. While cleaning, visualize what your performance will consist of. Even the cleanest costumes won't help if you don't prepare your show. Our costumes are very crucial to our image, not to mention expensive. To care for these items, machine-wash separately in cold water on a gentle cycle, tumble dry on low or no heat, iron if necessary but don't iron over any details, and always check to see which items may need to be dry cleaned. Clean these items with a cleaner. Periodically apply vinyl protectant such as Armor-All. Do not dry clean. For the fat suit, remove the fabric cover from the foam. The cover can be machine-washed on gentle in cold water. The foam should be allowed to air out after each use and it should also, at that time, be sprayed with Lysol. Remember, Mitzi Jr. and Helen's outfits must always be dry-cleaned. And please be sure to double-check your manual for costume cleaning procedures. To maintain energy, please bring a few items from home such as running shorts, because your costume will get extremely warm, t-shirts, which are comfortable and absorb perspiration, socks, which will prevent your feet from being irritated by the costume, a towel, which is a must; use it to freshen up or tuck it into your t-shirt for comfort during a performance, and a headband will also help cushion your head and keep sweat from running into your eyes.

Here are some handy tips to help you succeed as your character. Number one, drink a lot of water, or at least some other cold liquid such as juice or lemonade. The costume can be hot, and you want to stay hydrated. Number two, do not let any of our guests see you when you're not in the full costume. You're either your character or you, but none in-between. Number three, safety first. The head has limited visibility, so please be extra careful when you're around children. Number four, have an escort when possible. Escorts can help clear your way and keep children from getting hurt. Number five, dress comfortably. And number six, because the costume uses VoxMutatio technology, you can speak inside the costume, as said technology will make you sound just like your character. Just ad-lib your own lines and make sure to stay in-character.

Here are some do's and do not's for being a costumed performer. You can give hugs and high-fives, play games like peek-a-boo and follow the leader, play a game of skeeball or air hockey, and greet kids at kidcheck (especially reserved parties). However, you can not pick up, chase, tickle, or bump into children, pull guests' noses or mess up their hair, approach a frightened child, or touch adults. And never let a guest see you without the full costume. This means leaving the room without the head, shirt or hands. Remember, to kids, your character is real.

Now, let's talk about your mannerisms. If someone says "It's my birthday!", raise your arms in the air and/or clap. It's supposed to be the best thing your character has heard. If someone says "You're my best friend!", raise your arms a couple times to give the illusion of squeeing, and hug when appropriate. If someone says "I don't like you!", hang your head and rub your eyes to give the effect of crying. Most kids will like you then. At no point should you act aggressively towards a kid if they say they don't like you. If someone asks "How old are you?", scratch your head, put your hand on your chin, and have your hands out so the kids can count. Let them decide your age. Once again, ad-lib your lines for these situations. If someone wants you to hold their child or baby, sit on the floor with your legs crossed and put the child in your lap. Remember, in the costume, your balance is impaired so be extra careful. If a child or children hit or kick you in the costume, think clearly, act quickly, and remain calm. Should you retaliate, you'll immediately be shown the door, and we will NOT defend you if you get sued by the parents. Find a Cast Member walking by and stop them, point to the kids hurting you, and they'll take care of the situation. If you can't find a Cast Member, go to the costume room or to the back of the house. In this type of situation, do not take off the costume until you are sure no children are around you. And if someone talks dirty or rude at you, please don't act aggressively or argue, because there's no point in arguing with a rude person. Instead, say "Well, it was nice talking to you, see ya later!" or something similar. Then find a Cast Member and escort them quietly to the game room, the Cabaret or Pasqually's.

Now that you got your behavior ready, it's time to show you how to put on your costume. First, put on your fat suit. If you're portraying a bigger character such as Munch, Fatz, or Billy Bob, you might have to wear a larger fat suit for this. Next, put on your costume skin. Then your clothes. Finally, put on your mask. It is fitted with a variation of the AnimeTronic technology. Now you're all set. Go entertain the audience in the building. There are four opportunities to do so. There are Live Shows every hour throughout the day, Boom Box live shows are every hour in the game room, kiddie room, toddler zone, and even at Kid Check. You can also perform at birthday parties, and when your character walks around the store, all the guests can meet and greet with them. Do not go to the stage room when an animatronic show is in progress, unless it is necessary. Remember: kids love the live characters, but the animatronics take priority.

Now here's an example of

AnimeTronic motion-capture
Hello. I'm your El Presidente Tim Johnson, and welcome to the AnimeTronic motion-capture section of the ShowBiz Pizza Time Character Training video. The purpose of this video is to show you how to perform motion-capture work as the Ho-kago Tea Time characters at ShowBiz Pizza Place locations in the Japanese states. The first thing you want to do is rehearse as your character. This should take approximately one week. After that, put on your mocap suit, and perform in front of the camera. Remember to make sure you perform as you did in your rehearsals, with some ad-libbing when possible. It's a good idea to also binge-watch all available K-On! material to get the mannerisms for each character down just right. It'd be very odd to see the girls acting out-of-character, like Yui being all smart or Mugi acting like a drill sergeant. We'd never hear the end of it from hardcore K-On! fans.

Once you're ready, let's go to the lower floor. Go and perform in your mocap suit, and entertain our guests!