Sample Outline for Halloween Show

Just sending a little outline of the show to you. This is my understanding of how we worked

out the show together, so far. Of course changes can be made or things added, but it gives our ideas some structure and we can clearly see what still needs to be done to complete the show.

Halloween Kiddie Puppet Show

OPENING

1. WITCH welcomes kids and introduces show

[ voice already taped]

2. GHOST flys over puppet theater

[NEEDS MUSIC AND SOUND EFFECTS TAPED to set the mood]

ACT I

MUSICAL SKELETONS 

1. DANCING MUSICAL SKELETON

[ own music]

2. BANJO SKELETON

[ own music]

ACT 2

1.THE FIVE LITTLE PUMPKINS SONG

(Raffi CD music; could add music and sound effects)

2. Witch on broom flys over pumpkins (sound effect)

3. Ghost flys over puppet over puppet show (sound effect)

4. Lone skeleton doing a dance to song Dry Bones (need song)

CLOSING

WITCH come back to close the show

Pass out puppets for kids to have (mom to buy new ones)

Couple of puppets lead the kids; everyone dance with puppets to the monster mash music (need song)

We are planning to schedule the show for sunday the 30th for 4:30 and you come at 3:30 to set and we can practice before the kids get here.

Love Mom

Headset

This item will make things hopefully go a little smoother.

Velcro

Velcro is essential to use during a Puppet Production. I use Velcro make things to hold together, just not permanently, only temporary. There are different grades of Velcro for different uses.

Check out all the choices!

http://textol1-px.rtrk.com/t_table_clips.asp

15 Minute Show

Today I set up in 20 minutes and had a 15 minute show.

I had ten chairs and about 20 people. I had just repaired the broken puppet show and was excited to use it. The only problem was that I got there at 5pm and it was really getting cold. I grabbed a few kids and put on the boom box.

I introduced myself right a 5 and explained what I was trying to do. We performed to Komeda's "It's Alright Baby " and some other random unplanned song! Next time choose songs before . . . just as important as having a stage and boom box.

Later I play live accordion with songbook and handed out instruments. It was pretty lame but I got through it. I said one last song and then told everyone it was over. No one clapped but I did get a lot of people watching. Kind of ridiculous but can't say I did not try!

DV - In order to "Import" need to "Convert"

Hour 4 - Day 6

1) Open all movies in "Quicktime 7"

2) choose: "Export"

3) pick "DV" and save to Desktop

4) Then choose "iMovie" and "Import"

5) your newly saved "DV Stream" movie.

Takes about 7 seconds

Here are a few of the things we did during the puppet show.

This video was very hard to make so enjoy it.

Memory Stick - Automatically "IMPORT" direct to "iMovie"

Problem:

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Try to import a "test movie" from camera

What Happened?

It allowed me to play it as iMovie

was automatically downloading to computer. Lesson, before downloading new movies:

1) First OPEN iMovie

2) Then insert Memory Stick Cybor Shot card into Printer Photo Port.

It said "Error" after importing . . . Awkward

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Answers:
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iMovie 6 is a DV editor -- period. It doesn't support other codecs such as H.264, mp4 etc. Your clips need to be converted to DV.

Carl

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Witch Room (Model Sheet)

A pleasing image can do so much for a world spinning out of your control. Always have a dream in your heart, if it's not your's find someone else's dream and believe in it.

Puppet Show Repairs

Fix the Set to the "Puppet Show"

A main piece that holds together the top of the backstage has torn. To replace the part and make it stronger I got a piece of cardboard (hard as matte board) and cut put the shapes that hold together the back of the stage.

Also there needs to be a thick piece of foam with Velcro to hold the front facial board cover. But where is the extra annoying piece of foam core when you need it?

In the photo above, (not a great picture) there were two wooden support beams added, to make the "frame around the stage" stronger. Unfortunately the side "Puppet Panels" did not close as well after they were added and actually caused them to disconnect with the center piece. New tape or Velcro needs to be added.

Some one had the simple idea of hanging the bats on strings from above. There is a hidden wooden rod that could support something like that or a hanging spider. Wonderful ideas after the fact.

Halloween Puppet Show

Today's Puppet Show was great. My Mother and I had planned days ahead to work out each section of the Halloween Show. It felt to be the most organized and focused show yet.

We had the Witch introduce different Halloween acts and with a slight delay on my mother's voice, she was the perfect Witch.

The Set of Songs and Characters are as follows:

1) Oriental Japanese Puppet ("Haunted Mansion Japan")

2) The Ghost Puppet ("Grim Grinning Ghosts")

3) Three Different Skeleton Songs

4) "The Five Pumpkins" (Raffi)

5) Dance to 1930's Scary Orchestral Music

6) "The Monster Mash" ("Suspended Snake")

7) "Ghostbusters" Ending

Afterwards we let kids try other monster puppets and we had gotten a kick out of seeing them Improv to "This Is Halloween" from "The Nightmare Before Christmas" (1993).

Live "Improv" Halloween Puppet Show (10-28-2011)

First time with "LIVE Accordion" and "Puppet Show" today! I get there just before 5 and we went through the Disney Set. Having forgotten the radio, I was forced to play live.

The first 15 minutes were a little rough as everyone was staring and I was playing "Once Upon A Dream". One kid helped with the skeleton and snake. Later I told everyone they could come get an instrument if they wanted to play along.

I few kids did not understand they were suppose to hide with the puppets and heads and arms were coming through. That spoiled it a bit, but not as much as the woman who took her 2o minute phone call during my performance.

A singer came by and sang a few children's songs which made it special. She knew all words and hand motions to "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "Open and Close your Fingers".

Puppet Show

Today the Puppet Show went event even smoother. More people came and seemed to enjoy themselves with the handmade puppets and music. My job has turned from puppeteer to puppet repair. I don't really mind because I really enjoy making things.

I did perform the 30 second "5 Pumpkin skit". The puppets sit up there on their own and I can operate each one as the words are spoken. Really pretty simple. The "Hovering Snake" works great for the song previous.

I had the list what to do sitting next to me but it turned into a Free-For-All. Clearly the "Monster Mash" works best with "The Witch" and "Skeleton". Need to invite more people and make it an event.

Halloween Puppet Show Progress

Tested the new puppet show at the park, had several kids who tried helping but worked better one on one with each child ... "The Snake" left over from the Japanese Puppets worked out great! Could not see the sticks so it looked like it was "hovering" or "floating".

Ran out of "Thick Rubber Bands" that are needed to hold together the mouth gear on new Pumpkins Puppets. I should be able to fix that at home. "The Skeleton" looked great too, but too bad we could not have floating parts with him, or can we?

Getting two people together and having them perform a song by "lip-syncing" and "dancing" with the puppet is the most you can really ask for out of anyone. Reading from a prepared skit is another option I still need to explore. . .

Pumpkin Puppets

Today I sat down after three days of hunting in shops and made Pumpkin Puppets. They were made like the the Egg Heads but with these plastic candy holders I finally found at the 1 dollar store. It would have taken too much time to make them by hand.

Puppets

Witch Designs Reference

As crappy as they may be they have some valid realism

You can just make this stuff up, or at least I CAN'T!

Nice one here

Horse Man

Why are Cowboys called "Cow" "Boys"? They are not "Boys" and they don't ride "Cows". We think of them as "Men on a Horse". . . Horse Men. Same for Cowgirls . . . Horse Women. Anyways this thought seem to make sense to me earlier today.

I have a horse mask that I bought recently and was trying to work a skit around it. Also, when I wear it, I become sort of a Horse Man.

Puppet Information

Here is some information on two new puppets my mother gave me.

Piggy and Lamb. I will be more likely to sit down and read this information

at night on a computer.

Old Mac Donald

1) Duck "Quack Quack"

2) Pig "Oink Oink"

3) Sheep "Ba Ba"

4) Chicken "Cluck Cluck"

5) Horse "Na Na"

Old Mac Donald worked really good the other day

because I could see which animal to name off.

We passed out masks and it gave the kids something

to hold up while they marched in a circle around me.

Oh yeah know what, the horse mask will make it hard

to see out of when marching maybe the paper plates and

paint stick would be more realistic.

Chinese Puppets

Continued work restoration some old Chinese puppets recently. Fixed the mechanics inside head with new rubber bands and wire but still having trouble getting eyes to work smoothly. I thought there was plently of room in the bamboo stick handle. I had help making new clothes from my mother. We sat down and she showed me how to take apart the original and make a pattern for the new one.

The one above was painted but needs some work on the neck to seal crack. We need to use wood glue and buy special clamps in order to hold together repair properly suggest my Father. The arms are a tricky to work but she hand stitched them tightly closed around the neck and we used wood glue to secure them without using a staple like they had originally done. I added a red piece of tape for tongue which hid moving parts in the mouth.

There are a few books with stories I was considering trying to act out like the story of "The Seven Chinese Brothers". Each brother is put to some horrible death but the survive through each brothers special powers. This story is great but would involve making a long legged one, a big mouth one and some other remodeling. My other thought was just to have one tell the story while a scroll from within the wall of the puppet show turns pages with sound effects and music.

Another story was about a woman marrying someone her father forbid her to marry. Then they go out to sea and die. The father regrets doing this. I like it but would need to make a girl puppet. I was really repairing these only to study and understand how they made them but this project is growing larger than I expected.

My Father and I spent 6 hours making a new light weight puppet show yesterday. It was just a large mock up but I think it can be used to perform with. It folds up and is easy to carry and is built around the same design I had done earlier this year with a few modifications.

07-07-2011 Designed by Dad

We made the two sides shorter and thinner to allow younger performers to fit there size. Two feet in the center hold most the front weight while additional side panels fold back for support on the rear. . . no clumsy sticks to hold it together! Thanks Dad!

Above is the 6 hour puppet theatre made out of light weight 1/2 foam

my father found at Home Depot. Beside the top being a little flimsy

like a "Walt Disney animation cel" it would work for my need to perform

for others.

What I thought was a Chinese Dragon turns out to be a Chinese Lion and the famous parade you've heard about is called the "Chinese Lion Dance". I was searching for several days for a simple 2-D silhouette for my Chinese Puppets but no luck. I am going to China Town this morning to see if I can find one down there. I need to make one these!

Just add a silent "h"and "et" at the end to the word "silhouette" and you probably will still have to look the word up again.

"Puppet Show" - Creative Writing Skit

The puppet show I have been working on is very simple. I think that this the key to most great things. I actually had a vision while waiting in line for STAR WARS in Concert. If only everyone could see that they hold the key that unlocks their freedom.

Too many sad faces I see everyday. If only they could free themselves. I pictured a t-shirt design to illustrate my point. The image has a person with a large keyhole on their stomach. As they picked up the key and turn it within themselves suddenly a ghost of themselves was set free.

This actually is more like an foreign animated short film.

Of course this has nothing to with my puppets how but it's the stream of consciences writing (without editing) that is what gets my creative flow going.

Puppet Show process that has worked in the past:

1. Introduce the characters before they come out.
2. Music with character singing and dancing.
3. A short simple skit of a character doing something.
4. Make Puppets with children.
5. Invite them to come try doing a puppet.

This was fun, took the pressure off me and everyone gets to join in. Trying to do a scripted act involving rehearsals with other people is a lot harder and a lot more work.