Using webcam for puppet monitor

[Melonpool]

Hi!

I auditioned in LA today for the Muppets and made it as far as working with the monitor before I was eliminated, leading me to believe that while my puppetry skills might be okay, my monitor skills need quite a bit of work.

Anyway, I was thinking it might be a relatively inexpensive set up to use an isight on my mac as a practice monitor ... maybe even doing a few chats this way for some real-time improv practice.

I was wondering if anyone had set up something like this, how well it worked (or if it even worked) and if there was a way to watch what you were broadcasting in real time.

Steve

 

[Puppet crazy]

I find it really hard to use a monitor too. I found it's easier to look at the puppet mainly, and
only use the monitor now and then to check you’re in the right spot. Mirrors are very easy to
use though. I think it’s the reverse image that is difficult to work with, so if you practice on
your cam make sure you don’t have the “mirror” setting or you will be cheating. Practising
on webcam could be quite fun though. Maybe people could put down there hotmail or yahoo
accounts here.

 

[practicecactus]

I've been trying to figure out how to make my tv a monitor with my camera.
I mean, I can connect it and make it work and stuff, thats the easy part, but it's reversed, which makes it hard to work off, becasue if you go left,on screen goes right.
I figure Television monitors are mirrored right?

I even tried using my playstation eye toy game, but the mirror stuff has effects (like ballons and stuff) which would look weird for taping purposes.

anyway, I know none of this isn't making any sense to anyone but me, so, I'll stop now.

 

[standay]

I figure Television monitors are mirrored right?...anyway, I know none of this isn't making any sense to anyone but me, so, I'll stop now.

No, it makes sense. To do puppetry for TV you really need a reversed-scan monitor. That's where the image is just mirrored from what it normally is. The puppeteer(s) watch a program feed from the studio on that while performing.

Most monitors can be modified for this (my Dad called it "jeeping" a monitor). You have to have the TV's schematic and some electronics knowledge and skills to do the mod yourself, although I'll bet there's some old-school TV repairmen types out there who could do one for you. And there may even be a few models with this built in but you'd have to look and see.

I was surprised to read that they apparently make you use a non-reversed monitor for the auditions? That's just not how it used to be done but maybe they don't use reversed monitors anymore for some reason.

As for a webcam, I think the inherent digital delay in any computer based video setup would make it hard to use for this purpose.

Stan

 

[Blink]

I've been trying to figure out how to make my tv a monitor with my camera.
I mean, I can connect it and make it work and stuff, thats the easy part, but it's reversed, which makes it hard to work off, becasue if you go left,on screen goes right.
I figure Television monitors are mirrored right?

In my expecience learning to use the standard monitor where the image in completely reversed (going left makes the puppet go right on the screen) is standard practice.

Every set I have been on has had this type of set up. I have learned from many professionals (some with Muppet performance experience) and this is the way they have all performed.

I think of it as, "Once you master the most difficult way of using the monitor, then other ways are easy to perform.". Which is to say if someone offers to mirror the image in my monitor rather that have it the standard reversed image then I have no worries either way.

People who only train on the "mirrored" type monitors will often have greater difficulty with a standard reversed image.

I say learn the difficult standard reversed technique and you will be more prepared as a television performer.

But this is simply my opinion.

 

[ravagefrackle]

I mean, I can connect it and make it work and stuff, thats the easy part, but it's reversed, which makes it hard to work off, becasue if you go left,on screen goes right.
anyway, I know none of this isn't making any sense to anyone but me, so, I'll stop now.

Just To Back Blink Up here, this is how all muppet are are worked on cam, never have i been on set when they would flip the image to be like a mirror,

the standard left goes right, and rigt goes left effect is the way evry single muppet production has been done since the very beging,

now why would you quite just because something is more challenging, ???you wont get far in life with that attitude.

 

[Melonpool]

My real preference is to learn how to do it without being mirrored. That's the whole point. I just want to spend about $100 on a cam for the computer and not $500 on a video camera. My question was really if a cam would meet my needs.

Steve

 

[Blink]

My real preference is to learn how to do it without being mirrored. That's the whole point. I just want to spend about $100 on a cam for the computer and not $500 on a video camera. My question was really if a cam would meet my needs.

Steve

Hi Steve,

If you just want an inexpensive way to practice, then why not just purchase an old used VHS camera (or dust off one you already have...or even borrow one from a friend/family member, etc.) and hook it up to an old computer monitor? That's what I did years ago when I started out and I just spent hours practicing in front of it.

I bought the video camera and the monitor for almost nothing at a second hand store. It wouldn't be something that you would want to use in a demo reel, but it would do the trick.

 

[Melonpool]

I think it was the ease of having it already set up and not taking up too much space that appealed to me. Also, I thought it'd be a pretty cool feature on my website if people could interact with the puppet once a week or something.

Having never had a webcam, I wasn't sure how easy this would be to set up. I guess my best option would be to borrow back my video camera from the friend that's had it almost constantly for the last two years.

Steve

 

[Ryan]

I'm jumping in to say that monitor experience is necessary in this business. If you're not committed to learning how to work on the monitor, frankly, it's not likley you'll get a job in the profession. It takes years to master, and it needs to be automatic before you can perform really well. Invest in a video camera, it is
absolutley necessary. Lip synch to a song while watching a monitor and record it, then watch the playback to see what you need to improve on. It's the only way you can learn to do it.