Should Puppetry Be a Genre?

[mr3urious]

Like animation, puppetry is a medium, not a genre.

 

[D'Snowth]

Entertainment itself is a medium - TV, movies, music, etc.

I don't know whose idea it was to classify animation as its own genre, but whenever that happened, puppetry must not have been really noticable in film and television, because otherwise, I think it probably might be considered a genre as well by now.

 

[Fluffets]

Of course it should, its an art in it's own beutiful right. I should know, i have experminented in it and many other arts! I also like doing stop-motions, I'm gonna do a lego comedy soon with a friend in the U.S. It's unique as he sends the scripts by e-mail and the same will be done for his character's voices, I'm head in charge but he is what I think as 50% of the project.

 

[muppetfan89]

Animation, Puppetry, Film and TV are all mediums of entertainment, but they're also art forms.

Genre is something such as comedy, drama, action, etc. However, in film and TV when a genre is picked for it, if it's live action, then they just have to call it a comedy or drama. However, if it's animated, they would probably call it an "animated comedy/drama." If puppetry is involved, it's taken as a live action film, with no mention of puppetry.

So, all in all, while they really are mediums and art forms. I do feel that since animation is considered to be a genre by many, puppetry should be included on that, but at the same time, make it known as an art form, which is what animation should do as well.

At least, that's I hope happens. I plan to do that as a filmmaker.

 

[D'Snowth]

Very insightful.

 

[D'Snowth]

Here's an interesting thought from a friend of mine...

Would you consider stop-motion animation to be a form of puppetry as well? I've noticed a lot of stop-motion animtors refer to the characters as "puppets".

 

[Fluffets]

Here's an interesting thought from a friend of mine...

Would you consider stop-motion animation to be a form of puppetry as well? I've noticed a lot of stop-motion animtors refer to the characters as "puppets".

Definately not, I guess it's kind of funny when you think of it that way but they're more like dolls, in-fact toys can be used for it and in my work, are, same goes for clay and lego for anyone who isn't aquainted with the art of stop-motion, it's just frame-by-frame pics put together so anything with articulation, even anyone heres's MR muppets replicas could be used in stop-motions. But to answer the thought no it wouldn't be considered puppetry.

 

[D'Snowth]

I notice DVD Aficionado has puppetry listed as a genre as well, but they've categorized it with stop-motion under one genre called "Puppetry & Stop-Motion".

 

[Fluffets]

I notice DVD Aficionado has puppetry listed as a genre as well, but they've categorized it with stop-motion under one genre called "Puppetry & Stop-Motion".

Hmm, weird.

 

[Whimsy]

Calling puppetry a genre would be like calling a musical instrument a genre. Puppetry is a medium for telling a story, just as a saxophone is an instrument for playing Jazz Music.

As for classifying it as Stop Motion - I'd be more inclined to consider 3D animation and Cel Animation with Stop Motion before grouping it with puppetry. Puppets must be performed "live" even when taped, not animated frame-by-frame.

edit: Heh, looks like muppetfan89 said much of what I said. Shows me for not reading the thread.