How to prepare production for kids show?

[Coco Ladybug]

Hey everyone!
I have currently gotten a job to help out building a whole cast of puppets for a kids show. With about 11 characters there needs to be duplicate puppets about 3 per puppet so about 33 puppets in total.
This being my first large job I'm wondering how i should go about the production and what I should charge for my services.... there is alot more I'd like to ask but I'll start this thread off with this info first.

If anyone has any suggestions itd be much appreciated! Thanks!

 

[gfarkwort]

Charge A Lot of money for A Lot of work......I mean you're building 33 Puppets......so and they're professional and for TV.....so I would say have a Starting price at 1000 per Puppet

 

[Melonpool]

Also, what's the time table? I know that it takes me about three days of solid work to make a puppet. So, if you have a staff, think about how many people will be working on the puppets, and if you don't, how much time will it take to get the new hires up to speed?

I sure hope you're not planning on making all 33 puppets yourself. I think I have about six puppets in me before I go insane!

Steve

 

[Coco Ladybug]

no specific time line

well I'm suppose to come up with a whole list of supply cost, I obviously need a studio space, cost for making the puppets, i mean I can make one puppet in about three days of intense puupet making but if i do a conveyor belt assembly line i think it might just be better approaching it that way per set of puppets. $1000 is what I had charged for some other puppets i made.
ANy other ideas?

 

[Blink]

well I'm suppose to come up with a whole list of supply cost, I obviously need a studio space, cost for making the puppets, i mean I can make one puppet in about three days of intense puupet making but if i do a conveyor belt assembly line i think it might just be better approaching it that way per set of puppets. $1000 is what I had charged for some other puppets i made.
ANy other ideas?

I say figure out your material costs and then figure out how many hours it would to build the puppets. Decide on an hourly rate and charge accordingly. If you normally charge $1000.00, decide how long it would take you to build one of those puppets. If there is a design that would take more time then you should charge more money.

The assembly line thing works well. You will have to decide on how much overhead you want to have and figure out how many helpers. You don't always need puppet builders to help with an assembly line thing. If you know someone who is an amazing sewer then you can hire that person to sew, likewise for someone cutting patterns. You will have to oversee everything though.

If you are working off of their character designs try to see how many use the same shape of body and then you can knock off a whole bunch of the body shapes in the assembly line. If you are designing the charcters yourself you can try to see if the charcaters would work with having the same shape body, or grouping them if some have the same shape then building them that way (you can do that with head shapes as well). Sorry if that is confusing.

Just think about how much time and effort you put into the puppet. Don't sell yourself short. It is alot of work 33 puppets. How much time do you have? I know groups of pro builders (who need very little direction) who would see 33 puppets for one order and a big job. Make sure that you have enough help and that the amount of work/stress and pay level out.

Just my thoughts.

 

[Coco Ladybug]

Thanks Blink! By the way Congrats on the Avenue Q "One Night Stand"! I voted for Tipo! He does to look related to Nicky from the original cast.

As far as time line is concerned I believe I have untill the end of this summer or so, I need to clarify because it really depends on how much time it would take me to produce all these puppets. I believe there will actually be more than 33 because he would like each puppet to have at least 3 copies and also to have rod arms and another version with the glove arms (if the puppets have to hold something) like your Tipo puppet. Also he does want full body versions. He already has the designs of the cast I just have to execute them.

Blink where did you get the pattern for Tipo's body and hands?, I already know the head was from Puppet Project right? I just ordered their Forma Trio packet and will be constructing them this week. I need to beef up on some more patterns because I do want the puppets to have some variations.

Your info is very helpful, hope you got to come to NYC to see Tipo perform! Had I known about the contest I would have entered I hope they do another one!

I'm gonna start writing up some estimates and planning things out all info is greatly appreciated everyone thank you! I'm really excited about this project and want a sound plan before I go into full production.

I also contacted Kathy from gastate about purchasing a whole big roll of antron fleece. If anyone else knows where to get some fleece that'd be cool, it's always nice to shop around. There is a foam supplier I found out here in NYC which is where I'm located, gonna check out some prices to see if it's just cheaper to get it online if anything.

Thanks everyone!

 

[Coco Ladybug]

Also, what's the time table? I know that it takes me about three days of solid work to make a puppet. So, if you have a staff, think about how many people will be working on the puppets, and if you don't, how much time will it take to get the new hires up to speed?

I sure hope you're not planning on making all 33 puppets yourself. I think I have about six puppets in me before I go insane!

Steve

I actually will need to find some people to help me out but I am a bit of a workaholic so I might end up doing some of the assembly. I'm sure I can find someone to help me out with the sewing and then I'd need to figure out dying the fleece I've never done that.

Thinking of using RIT saw another thread with info from the RIT site on creating different hues because I need different skin tones. I've never dyed anything before so I'm gonna have to do some test runs before I start production to see how much time that will take and cost and supplies I'll need, info on this would be appreciated too.

After dying does fleece shrink? Anything I should know does it act differently? What's the difference between 12oz antron fleece and 14oz? How does it look different? I've got alot of ground to cover !!!

 

[ravagefrackle]

al i can say is good luck,

its a challenge for sure(especially if you have never tackled a task like this before)
im currentlley supervising a build of roughly 40 some odd puppets , it is a challenge for sure but if you get a good crew it can be done

 

[Blink]

Thanks Blink! By the way Congrats on the Avenue Q "One Night Stand"! I voted for Tipo! He does to look related to Nicky from the original cast.

As far as time line is concerned I believe I have untill the end of this summer or so, I need to clarify because it really depends on how much time it would take me to produce all these puppets. I believe there will actually be more than 33 because he would like each puppet to have at least 3 copies and also to have rod arms and another version with the glove arms (if the puppets have to hold something) like your Tipo puppet. Also he does want full body versions. He already has the designs of the cast I just have to execute them.

Blink where did you get the pattern for Tipo's body and hands?, I already know the head was from Puppet Project right? I just ordered their Forma Trio packet and will be constructing them this week. I need to beef up on some more patterns because I do want the puppets to have some variations.

Hey Coco Ladybug,

Thanks about the contest, I appreciated the vote.

Yes, it is a big job, but not impossible. Perhpas one of the things you can do is hire someone (or two) who work on the dying only. It can save you the learning time. You can actually learn alot from watching them as well.

As far as patterns for my puppets, I make everything from scratch. The only time I have used Project Puppet was for my Darth Maul puppet as a little fun challenge. No, I don't use anyone else's patterns except my own. So Maurice's head was not from project puppet, it was from...um...errr..."Project Chensational Puppets".

If you want to find some patterns then you can look here or here.

Best of luck.

al i can say is good luck,

its a challenge for sure(especially if you have never tackled a task like this before)
im currentlley supervising a build of roughly 40 some odd puppets , it is a challenge for sure but if you get a good crew it can be done

Agreed. You need to have a good crew. Try to get people at least who are responsible and hard workers if nothing else.


In general, it would be ideal to find talented artists and builders with tons of skill, but that that doesn't always happen right away. It usually takes time. I am sure that ravagefrackle had to go through a few not so nice working situations to find a good crew.

 

[Coco Ladybug]

Blink,

Sorry for the mix up your Darth puppet is kick ***! I didn't know you created your own patterns and thank you for the links they will come in handy (ha ha sorry for the corny pun!)

I already know a professional seamstress so the sewing can be covered and she knows how to cut patterns as well. I need to find people to dye the fabrics, yes finding people will cut my learning time although I would like to learn this skill anyway, she might actually know some people or know herself.

Finding responsible, hard workers who will also have the desire to take this project on might be a challenge but forums like these do give me have hope that there is already a pool of people out there who have the same interest and desire I have in puppet construction

Luck would help me but a good team and a solid plan will see me through this!