Hidden arm rods

[Puppet crazy]

I'm thinking about making an internal arm rod puppet to ad to the illusion. The cable and rod runs inside the puppet's body. I’ve got a few designs in my head to make the elbow bend and arms open outwards then back on the puppet's tummy. Plan B will be just to make the rod through the elbow.

Has anyone designed a puppet with the arm rods hidden? Any ideas?

 

[Fozzie Bear]

I'd like to know what your plans are to make the elbow bend with the armature internal?

Otherwise, the arms will be awfully stiff and un-life-like.

 

[Buck-Beaver]

I think the easier thing to do is just either stage puppets so that the arm rods are mostly out of shot (for film/video) or not worry about it because the audience doesn't notice if the performance is good (live puppetry).

I'd be interested to see what you design though.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

True, Buck! If you notice that a LOT of the times (unless really necessary) in the OLD Muppet stuff, their hands are moving along the bottom of the screen more than anywhere else so as to hide the arm rods.

 

[mummytomb]

Sounds Awesome! If you want to show us your Idea, we can all help out. This could be the next inovation in puppetry!

 

[Puppet crazy]

Ok heres the plan. It's only in my head and I havent tested it yet.

DESIGN

Basically the movement is from the lower elbow. The green wooden rod is along the inside of the shirt or body. When you twist it should make the arm twist back and forth too. Now there is a lever to move the elbow up and down. With both movements combined and at different variations it should be a realistic universal arm movement.....almost. Only thing it can't do is raise its hands above it's head because the upper arm doesn't really move. That's why i've made it a slight slant.

Do you think this would work? Maybe someone can make it simpler.

 

[Iokitek]

The idea seems good. But how many people (hands) do you need to operate it? It could probably work if you use three puppeteers as in bunraku. But I don't see anyone operating this by him/herself. Unless you're just using one arm at a time. But for two arms you need atleast two puppeteers aswell then. And when you both have to have your hand up the puppets body that usually doesn't work out that wel from what I've gathered.

I'm not trying to disencourage you though I'm also always struggling with new ideas for mechanics. But usually I notice that most puppeteering techniques have already been fully developed. So I basicly just try to copy what other people have already figured out for me, instead of having to figure it all out by myself only to end up with the same result as them.

 

[Puppet crazy]

I was going to have one hand to opperate the puppet's head and the other hand would operate one hand.... or I could swap now and then because the internal rod would hang about an inch below the bottom of the puppet so I can reach easily.

I agree that the normal arm rods would be more practical and simpler to use but I was just trying something new, besides, the puppet I was thinking of is a small Rizzo/pepe type puppet and wires seemed way to obvious on it.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

Remember that the original Mahna-Mahna had small arms and they were wired into position without the use of arm rods. He never moved his arms, and people accepted that. Your character might be able to just be performed without arm movement.

The thing with arm rods is weight. If you have one hand holding up the puppet and the other hand holding up the hands and arm rods, they helps to release some of the weight on your performing arm. And that's what you really do want--a lighter puppet.

 

[Phantom]

Yeah...a lighter puppet...you could call him Zippo...He could have a shock of "flaming" red hair...he's a bit of a square though....

hee, hee...I kill me...