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.