Jim Kroupa Mechanisms Coach

[ploobis]

Here's a clip I found of Jim Kroupa (Puppeteer, Puppet Builder and Mechanism Genius) couching kids on building these cool puppets that look like the Snerfs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUwAJFHL99U

I wanna build a puppet like that but I don't know where the rod for the neck goes on your hand. I don't wanna give it an eye mechanism, I just wanna build a replica of the Muppet snerf from the 1960s. If anybody knows how to build that type of rod puppet let me know.

 

[Buck-Beaver]

That's from the O'Neill National Puppetry Conference and the "kids" are somewhat established puppeteers actually lol. Jim teaches a multi-day workshop in rod puppet mechanics there every summer. It's a very good conference, but you have to apply to attend. I tried to take Jim's workshop last summer, but I applied too late and it was already full.

 

[Onath]

Kids! HAHA

Well that makes me feel a lot younger. I have taken his class the last two years. Jim is amazing and has a fantastic approach to mechs. He has all of his designs standardized and it is all in the keep it simple principle.

The secret is all you need for all mechs is a string and a spring. The spring causes the return. The spring pulls the part to where you want it. Then the spring brings it back.

The beauty to mechs are the ability to build puppets you can't put your hand in.

The Blatch puppet in the video is a super easy puppet especially if you don't want to do the eye mech.

Here is all you need to know. IF you want to do it without the eye mech.

Make a furry glove. Make a tube of fur. Build some eyes on to something stiff(plastic, etc..) Attach the eyes piece to a woodel dowel or plastic dowel. Slide the plastic dowel through the tube of fur. Attach the top of the furry tube to the eyes. Poke a hole in the furry glove between your middle and ring finger. Slide the dowel through the glove. Now attach the bottom of the furry tube to the glove. Bam your done.

The video you linked is a step by step of the mech process. Anyone interested in mechs should investigate the video extensively.

Here is the mech and performance we did in 2009. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVJBDCt-cvI

Hope I helped.
Jon Little

 

[ploobis]

Kids! HAHA

Well that makes me feel a lot younger. I have taken his class the last two years. Jim is amazing and has a fantastic approach to mechs. He has all of his designs standardized and it is all in the keep it simple principle.

The secret is all you need for all mechs is a string and a spring. The spring causes the return. The spring pulls the part to where you want it. Then the spring brings it back.

The beauty to mechs are the ability to build puppets you can't put your hand in.

The Blatch puppet in the video is a super easy puppet especially if you don't want to do the eye mech.

Here is all you need to know. IF you want to do it without the eye mech.

Make a furry glove. Make a tube of fur. Build some eyes on to something stiff(plastic, etc..) Attach the eyes piece to a woodel dowel or plastic dowel. Slide the plastic dowel through the tube of fur. Attach the top of the furry tube to the eyes. Poke a hole in the furry glove between your middle and ring finger. Slide the dowel through the glove. Now attach the bottom of the furry tube to the glove. Bam your done.

The video you linked is a step by step of the mech process. Anyone interested in mechs should investigate the video extensively.

Here is the mech and performance we did in 2009. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVJBDCt-cvI

Hope I helped.
Jon Little

Thank you so much for all the info Onath!

I've been wanting to make my own replica puppet of the Snerf (The green Muppet monster seen in the Muppet Ideal Toys commercial).

Oh, one more thing. Should the furry glove be a left hand glove or a right hand glove?

Thanks again!