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spcglider
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Well it was quite a blast, folks.
The National Puppeteers Of America Festival was held in St.Paul, MN this past week.
Five eighteen-hour days of workshops, performances by some of the world's great puppeteers and puppet troupes, and many hours of glad-handing and schmoozing with the "glitteratti" of the puppetry universe.
I am WHACKED!
I started feeling the effects of a cold on Wednesday evening. I wouldn't accept that it was. I just kept telling myself it was allergies. Finally, when I wasn't able to sleep, my wife shoved a nighttime cold pill down my throat and tucked me in. I ended up sleeping through the second session of the "Puppeteering For Video" workshop on Friday morning. I needed to rest, but the timing was really poor.
Then I spent the next four days popping daytime cold pills to stay functional and alert throughout the Festival. Lemme tell ya, if you need to keep awake until 2 or so in the a.m. and you have a cold, take a DAYTIME cold pill. They have some kind of stimulant in them that makes it a breeze. I watched as all the other puppeteers went down for the count, but at 2:30 am I was still perfectly good to drive home. Not a yawn, not a droopy eyelid!
Anyway, my self-imposed mission for this festival was to network and make contacts. I attended several workshops, but only a few. I wanted to be sure that I was as loose as possible schedule-wise so I could break at any given moment and have a conversation with anyone who might happen along. In some cases, it allowed me to simply wait in the hall until someone I did want to talk to came along. Yeah, yeah yeah... sounds like stalking behavior. I call it "goal oriented positioning". LOL!
And talk to folks I did.
I met Andrew from PuppetVision Blog. Wow. You'd play heck finding somebdy more knowledgable and articulate concerning the world of puppetry. Man, this guy is CONNECTED. And what's more, he's obviously well liked. After 30 years of being involved in science fiction fandom, I can tell you THAT's a trick. Being that intimate with a society, being that involved... you really do run the risk of offending somebody somewhere sometime. Just by being yourself. And while Andrew probably isn't freinds with EVERYBODY in puppetry, he sure counts a large majority of them as friendlies. And frankly, I find that very impressive.
Oh, and he runs a kick *** site too. Little detail there.
The other great treat of the festival was meeting folks that 've only ever known as pixels on a screen! Some of you folks from HERE at MC.
Chase Woolner is an energetic young guy. And recipient of one of the Festival's scholarships if I am unmistaken. And the creator of a puppetry club at his school. Can you say "making yourself a target" in public school? But he seems to be solid with it. people have a hard time giving you any real flack when you're as dedicated as Chase is. He also has some pretty dedicated parents. I think I saw his dad more than I saw Chase! But you know, you really couldn't hope for better parents than his. They obviously support him in his interest... a thing that many of us didn't get as young people. It was very encouraging to see them take it so seriously and devote that much energy and understanding to it. And Chase, if you're reading this, remember to thank your parents if you already haven't!
I also re-met Ken Martinson. Ken and I had crossed paths at the Muppet auditions in LA two years ago. Ken is one fo the charter members of the "Disgruntled Puppeteers Club"... a term I use to describe all the good folks who got together and commiserated over dinner after being unsuccessful at the auditions. He's also a great guy. Strangely enough, even though he's been a PofA member for 25+ years, this was his FIRST festival!
Also met (though later in the festival) was Spencer Lott. I find it to be absolutely typical of this or any other social community: you never know who is involved that lives right next door to you! Puppetry is what I call a "hidden art". You can be the bestest puppy-tear in the universe, but unless you've got your hand up a puppet or wrapped around a controller, your talent just isn't obvious. So, unless you're at a puppet event such as a festival or performance, the subject simply doesn't come up all that often in casual everyday life.
So color me surprised when I discover that Spencer, a wholly capable and much practiced video puppeteer, lives in a town not too far away from Minneapolis. Man this networking thing is a plate of spaghetti, isn't it? Of course, I immediately found myself wondering where was Spencer when I was trying to cast puppeteers for Transylvania Television! Well, he was off at school... but still. Couldn't the universe just cut me a LITTLE slack and serendipitously shove him into my line of vision? Oh well. We'll make up for that later. Hear that Spencer? I gots PLANS for you! Bwa ha ha ha haaa!
I also had a breif (term refers to a short time, NOT underwear) encounter with Joel Brubacher of Banjo Puppets. Being mucho impressed with his wares in the Puppetry Store, it was delightful to put a face to the name (and talent). He makes some pretty groovy little monster puppets that look like Muppephones on speed. He's got a good eye for style, texture and proportion. Too bad we only really met at the closing night party. I'd like to talk with him more as well.
And last (but not least) I got the opportunity to talk with Martin P. Robinson, the puppeteer responsible for Telly Monster and Snufalupagus (as well as several other Sesame Street regulars). What a charming and well-spoken gentleman. I would call him "gracious to a fault". And more than forthcoming about his views on puppetry, the industry, working with other puppeteers, and the unspoken code of character puppetry. He was also very complimentary to me about my work on the puppets for Transylvania Television. He is in charge of casting for international co-productions of Sesame Street, which I find to be ultimately fascinating. Stepping into a foreign culture and learning the subtle ins and outs while trying to cast a children"s show has got to be harrowing at least. If you get a chance to watch The World According To Sesame Street", you'll get the picture clear as a bell.
It was also very edifying to discover that he and I share some similar hobby interests outside of puppetry as well.
Okay. I've rambled enough. Time to get to my morning coffee and make everyone here at work think I actually contribute to the bottom line!
-Gordon
The National Puppeteers Of America Festival was held in St.Paul, MN this past week.
Five eighteen-hour days of workshops, performances by some of the world's great puppeteers and puppet troupes, and many hours of glad-handing and schmoozing with the "glitteratti" of the puppetry universe.
I am WHACKED!
I started feeling the effects of a cold on Wednesday evening. I wouldn't accept that it was. I just kept telling myself it was allergies. Finally, when I wasn't able to sleep, my wife shoved a nighttime cold pill down my throat and tucked me in. I ended up sleeping through the second session of the "Puppeteering For Video" workshop on Friday morning. I needed to rest, but the timing was really poor.
Then I spent the next four days popping daytime cold pills to stay functional and alert throughout the Festival. Lemme tell ya, if you need to keep awake until 2 or so in the a.m. and you have a cold, take a DAYTIME cold pill. They have some kind of stimulant in them that makes it a breeze. I watched as all the other puppeteers went down for the count, but at 2:30 am I was still perfectly good to drive home. Not a yawn, not a droopy eyelid!
Anyway, my self-imposed mission for this festival was to network and make contacts. I attended several workshops, but only a few. I wanted to be sure that I was as loose as possible schedule-wise so I could break at any given moment and have a conversation with anyone who might happen along. In some cases, it allowed me to simply wait in the hall until someone I did want to talk to came along. Yeah, yeah yeah... sounds like stalking behavior. I call it "goal oriented positioning". LOL!
And talk to folks I did.
I met Andrew from PuppetVision Blog. Wow. You'd play heck finding somebdy more knowledgable and articulate concerning the world of puppetry. Man, this guy is CONNECTED. And what's more, he's obviously well liked. After 30 years of being involved in science fiction fandom, I can tell you THAT's a trick. Being that intimate with a society, being that involved... you really do run the risk of offending somebody somewhere sometime. Just by being yourself. And while Andrew probably isn't freinds with EVERYBODY in puppetry, he sure counts a large majority of them as friendlies. And frankly, I find that very impressive.
Oh, and he runs a kick *** site too. Little detail there.
The other great treat of the festival was meeting folks that 've only ever known as pixels on a screen! Some of you folks from HERE at MC.
Chase Woolner is an energetic young guy. And recipient of one of the Festival's scholarships if I am unmistaken. And the creator of a puppetry club at his school. Can you say "making yourself a target" in public school? But he seems to be solid with it. people have a hard time giving you any real flack when you're as dedicated as Chase is. He also has some pretty dedicated parents. I think I saw his dad more than I saw Chase! But you know, you really couldn't hope for better parents than his. They obviously support him in his interest... a thing that many of us didn't get as young people. It was very encouraging to see them take it so seriously and devote that much energy and understanding to it. And Chase, if you're reading this, remember to thank your parents if you already haven't!
I also re-met Ken Martinson. Ken and I had crossed paths at the Muppet auditions in LA two years ago. Ken is one fo the charter members of the "Disgruntled Puppeteers Club"... a term I use to describe all the good folks who got together and commiserated over dinner after being unsuccessful at the auditions. He's also a great guy. Strangely enough, even though he's been a PofA member for 25+ years, this was his FIRST festival!
Also met (though later in the festival) was Spencer Lott. I find it to be absolutely typical of this or any other social community: you never know who is involved that lives right next door to you! Puppetry is what I call a "hidden art". You can be the bestest puppy-tear in the universe, but unless you've got your hand up a puppet or wrapped around a controller, your talent just isn't obvious. So, unless you're at a puppet event such as a festival or performance, the subject simply doesn't come up all that often in casual everyday life.
So color me surprised when I discover that Spencer, a wholly capable and much practiced video puppeteer, lives in a town not too far away from Minneapolis. Man this networking thing is a plate of spaghetti, isn't it? Of course, I immediately found myself wondering where was Spencer when I was trying to cast puppeteers for Transylvania Television! Well, he was off at school... but still. Couldn't the universe just cut me a LITTLE slack and serendipitously shove him into my line of vision? Oh well. We'll make up for that later. Hear that Spencer? I gots PLANS for you! Bwa ha ha ha haaa!
I also had a breif (term refers to a short time, NOT underwear) encounter with Joel Brubacher of Banjo Puppets. Being mucho impressed with his wares in the Puppetry Store, it was delightful to put a face to the name (and talent). He makes some pretty groovy little monster puppets that look like Muppephones on speed. He's got a good eye for style, texture and proportion. Too bad we only really met at the closing night party. I'd like to talk with him more as well.
And last (but not least) I got the opportunity to talk with Martin P. Robinson, the puppeteer responsible for Telly Monster and Snufalupagus (as well as several other Sesame Street regulars). What a charming and well-spoken gentleman. I would call him "gracious to a fault". And more than forthcoming about his views on puppetry, the industry, working with other puppeteers, and the unspoken code of character puppetry. He was also very complimentary to me about my work on the puppets for Transylvania Television. He is in charge of casting for international co-productions of Sesame Street, which I find to be ultimately fascinating. Stepping into a foreign culture and learning the subtle ins and outs while trying to cast a children"s show has got to be harrowing at least. If you get a chance to watch The World According To Sesame Street", you'll get the picture clear as a bell.
It was also very edifying to discover that he and I share some similar hobby interests outside of puppetry as well.
Okay. I've rambled enough. Time to get to my morning coffee and make everyone here at work think I actually contribute to the bottom line!
-Gordon
