• Welcome to the Muppet Central Forum!
    You are viewing our forum as a guest. Join our free community to post topics and start private conversations. Please contact us if you need help.
  • Christmas Music
    Our 24th annual Christmas Music Merrython is underway on Muppet Central Radio. Listen to the best Muppet Christmas music of all-time through December 25.
  • Macy's Thanksgiving Parade
    Let us know your thoughts on the Sesame Street appearance at the annual Macy's Parade.
  • Jim Henson Idea Man
    Remember the life. Honor the legacy. Inspire your soul. The new Jim Henson documentary "Idea Man" is now streaming exclusively on Disney+.
  • Back to the Rock Season 2
    Fraggle Rock Back to the Rock Season 2 has premiered on AppleTV+. Watch the anticipated new season and let us know your thoughts.
  • Bear arrives on Disney+
    The beloved series has been off the air for the past 15 years. Now all four seasons are finally available for a whole new generation.
  • Sam and Friends Book
    Read our review of the long-awaited book, "Sam and Friends - The Story of Jim Henson's First Television Show" by Muppet Historian Craig Shemin.

The Foam Book

scottabrown2001

New Member
Joined
Sep 27, 2007
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
in regards to buying a tape in pal or ntsc, i moved to the uk from th usa, and i have found that a most of my vhs tapes and a lot of my dvd's will play on my dvd players, now i am not sure if it is my telly that allows them to be played or my players that automatically converts it. but this is not an uncommon occurence as my sister has two vcrs and two dvd players that play the ntsc and pal. and they were cheap players. if your wanna get an ntsc tape just buy it. you more then likely be able to pick up a player on the cheap that will play the tapes.
i hope this is of some use. ciao scotty.
 

TommyTheMad

Active Member
Joined
Oct 14, 2007
Messages
45
Reaction score
0
I got my copy of the book today from Amazon. Not a bad book for $20.00 with shipping. I'm looking forward to reading through it.
 

TommyTheMad

Active Member
Joined
Oct 14, 2007
Messages
45
Reaction score
0
I read the whole thing, and found that there was very little in it I didn't already know. A bit of a disappointment, but the things I didn't know made me think that it was a worthwhile investment.
 

staceyrebecca

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2007
Messages
698
Reaction score
26
Everyone should buy it from the Puppeteers of America shop...

Just a little plug, there.

When Drew actually did the demo for us, it was a lot more helpful. I'd say my 2nd or 3rd generation of making puppets (am I on generation 15 now?) was using the foam book method...i think it was a good starting point & really helpful then, but I know a lot more now & burn my fingers a lot less than I did when I was doing nip-tuck.
 

Patience

Active Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2008
Messages
35
Reaction score
0
I thought about buying The Foam Book, but would like opinions first, which would be more useful: The Foam Book or a Pattern from Project Puppet?

Thanks in advance,
Patience
 

SesameKermie

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 3, 2004
Messages
271
Reaction score
2
Patience, they both have their uses. I've bought both. The Foam Book approaches puppet design from a more 'artistic'/improvisational standpoint, IMHO. They start with a basic puppet mouthplate, and then design the head shape around that, experimenting with placement and widths of darts to create different shapes.

The Project Puppet pattern has already worked out the darting necessary to create certain head shapes, and gives you a pattern to use as a jumping off point--to which you can then add features to create a character.

Hope this helps clarify things.
 

Teenager's

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 27, 2005
Messages
382
Reaction score
0
I personally thing Project Puppet is more useful. The foam book is nice to look at.....but I've never used the techniques it shows because it's not what I'm going for. It's a nice idea book though.

but project puppet is much more worthwhile. & you could probably find the foam book at a library.
 

Nojoy

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2007
Messages
53
Reaction score
0
I use both, and while the Foam Book is great reference material, it really is more of a fly by the seat of your pants approach. If you've never built a puppet (muppet-style) then Project Puppet is where I would recommend starting. Working with those patterns can go a long way towards teaching you basic techniques that you can apply to building your own designs later on.
 

Conor IX

Active Member
Joined
Sep 11, 2007
Messages
43
Reaction score
0
Patience, I have both the foam book and a bunch of patterns from project puppet. I would definitely recommend project puppet for a first time, mainly because the results are very professional from the get go, and it's a great confidence booster to know that you can craft something to a high standard. The foam book is ok, but to be honest, i don't like the aesthetics of the puppets, the diagrams are really just rough drawings. It's very loose ended, and that can be a double edged sword, on one hand it's not spoonfeeding you ideas, which is nurturing for the imagination, but it might leave you with too much of a blank canvas. The project puppet patterns are a good spring board and starting point, and the patterns are great.

The foam book authors should get a designer in to revamp the look and feel of the book. The paper and everything isn't up to standard with other books out at the moment.
 

Patience

Active Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2008
Messages
35
Reaction score
0
books

ConorIX

Thanks for the reply! Do you have other suggestions for books and/or patterns?

I have a PP Pattern. I wasn't as excited or impressed as many others here have been. The directions are lacking! I had to have the pattern and the directions in front of me (which takes up a lot of work space). in order to put the thing together. The hole is way too small! I could go on, but that wouldn't be nice.

I took 2 years of Fashion Design (you may think one has nothing to do with the other, but the details are much the same), so I know plenty about Pattern Drafting and Construction, (just not to do with puppets). But my skills as a Dress Designer/Maker are very transferable. If I had the time, I could do my own pattern drafting (now that I know they all start off like a glorified ball).

Patience
 
Top