learning puppetry

[muppetfan89]

what's the best way to learn puppetry? classes? a course in a college? Particually, I want to learn about the cartoony type of puppetry like the muppets.

 

[Buck-Beaver]

Probably the best thing to do is just do it and practice a lot.

Classes can be hard to come by unless you live in one of the bigger cities with a lot of professional puppeteers like New York, L.A. or Toronto, but workshops with an experience TV puppeteer are great (there will probably be some at the Regional PofA Festivals this year) if you can find one.

If you are learning on your own a really good article to start with is Introduction to Video Puppetry: Manipulation for the Camera and Setting Up A Practice Monitor which explain the very basics and will help get out started.

Paul Louis has some basic puppetry tutorials on ExpertVillage and
Puppetry Lab is a really good site with some good video tutorials. I've got some stuff on puppetry theory on my blog too.

 

[muppetfan89]

now that you mention practicing, that leads me to my next question, what's the best way to practice getting good lip sync? So, far I've just doing the ABC's 1-2-3's, saying words and sentences, but I think I'm still off.

 

[Onath]

Can I reccomend for lip synch practice that you sit in front of a mirror and try to sing along with your favorite songs from Itunes. Nursery rhymes are also good practice. I would like to second what Buck said just do it practice and practice and practice and you will get better.

 

[muppetfan89]

sounds good. One last question, I think...lol. Anyway, with my puppets I made the mouths out of cardboard, I think that's one of the reasons why the lip sync is bad, becuase it's probably not flexable enough. I'm not sure if it's that or that I need a strap to put around my fingers as I'm operating the mouth, or to use a different material for the mouth all together. What should I do?

btw, I'm sorry for the bother with all these questions.

 

[wes]

I picked it up by watching the muppet show, and the different muppet movies.

 

[Kevin the Frog]

whoops, dbl post

 

[Kevin the Frog]

It shouldn't matter that much if the mouthplate is cardboard, I think the most important thing is that your hand has a snug fit and doesn't flop around inside the head. You could use a strap or just stuff some foam or stuffing into the head, say above where you hand goes to make it a tighter fit.

The second most important thing is to only move you thumb, and keep your fingers (top half of mouth) as still as possible so the puppet has good eye contact.

I third the notion to just practice, practice, practice in front of a mirror. It takes time, but once you feel comfortable then a private lesson or two would be a good next step. That's where I am right now....

p.s. Thanks Buck for the link to Puppetry Lab - i had been looking for that for months and thought it just disappeared. I loved the videos, and now there is great writing as well.

 

[wes]

It shouldn't matter that much if the mouthplate is cardboard, I think the most important thing is that your hand has a snug fit and doesn't flop around inside the head. You could use a strap or just stuff some foam or stuffing into the head, say above where you hand goes to make it a tighter fit.

Well he needs a pretty decent puppet to start off with the cardboard will fall a part do to sweat, I had this happen. there are some nice cheap puppets you can buy until you get the hang of making song mouths for your puppets.

Puppet Productions gets a bad wrap for making cookie Cutter puppets but the puppets are mad well and last a long time.

One way Street has nice built puppets but they don''t look as nice. I also think they cost more.

 

[Kevin the Frog]

Hey Wes, I knew someone would say that after I hit submit. For durability and longetivity, yes cardboard is not preferred. But for practicing and starting out learning how puppeteer, I don't think it's a big deal. After all, the original Kermit had a cardboard mouth and Jim puppeteered him well!

My first non Muppet puppet was a Puppet Productions puppet, they are made very well and I like some of their characters.