PuppetryLab.com

Puppetry. The art of manipulating an inanimate object to create the illusion of life.

Lab. Not the dog breed nor the region on the easternmost coast of Canada. Nor is it the river in Serbia nor the people group in southern Albania. Lab. Not to be confused with the acronyms for such things as lactic acid bacteria nor the League of American Bicyclists. Rather, Lab in this context is short for laboratory. A place to study, learn new techniques, and experiment with new ideas.

PuppetryLab.com is here to provide beyond-the-basics training and practical helps for puppeteers, puppet teams, and team directors.

One great reason we play these silly drama games is simply to warm up our muscles. But don’t think that physical tension is the only thing that will hold you back in performance… we need to do things that help us break through some of our inhibitions and be free to flow.

This group game can be used as a fun warm up, but it also will force the players to be silly. It’s great fun as well as a challenge to think and respond creatively. Get your muscles moving and have fun!

Set up. This is not a standing-still kind of game. This is a wander-about-the-room game. You’ll need an open area free from obstructions. Instruct the players to silently mill around the room and listen for instructions. Read the rest of this article »

There are different ways to make a puppet look like he’s swimming. In this puppeteer training video, Amy shows one way to do the front crawl–a difficult but impressive puppetry technique. This advanced puppetry move requires a basic working knowledge of double-rod manipulation.

Watch Now:

 Podcast Video [1:24m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
 Podcast Video [1:24m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
 Flash Video [1:24m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This week’s drama game is one that frequently shows up at youth camps as well as drama classes. It is a fun group game that encourages team building, unity and trusting others. Use it as a warm-up then take the opportunity to talk about the importance of a team working together–if one person is out of synch, the whole group suffers.

Set up. For this group game, gather into a very tight circle facing the center. (Here’s hoping everybody used toothpaste and deodorant!) Now have everyone turn to their left and take a step towards the middle of the circle. Your team members should be really close to each other now… if they’re not, this won’t work. Remember, this is a team building exercise… ya’ can’t be afraid to get close! Read the rest of this article »

From their web site, “The Vent Haven ConVENTion is the world’s oldest and largest continuing gathering of ventriloquists. It is THE place to be if you want to better yourself as a ventriloquist or if you wish to learn more about the art of ventriloquism. ”

More info @ venthaven.com:
Vent Haven ConVENTion - Fort Mitchell, KY - July 18-21, 2007

While there are some nifty things here at PuppetryLab.com from which beginner puppeteers can certainly benefit, this site is here specifically to challenge advanced puppeteers with beyond-the-basics information and techniques. So, if you’re just getting started in puppetry, you’re welcome to look around but you might want to check out these great resources for beginners: Read the rest of this article »

Focus: Harrumph Harrumph

This exercise takes the last game to the next level. Now that you’ve got the basic action down, let’s add some more characterization and attitude. And instead of a tight shot and simple head movements, this game utilizes a wider shot and the movement of the entire puppet body. You’ll know you’ve “got it” when you can be anywhere on screen and snap right back to focus in a split-second. This one is definitely worth it to master! Read the rest of this article »

Focus: Harrumph

OK. So we know that focus is important for any performance, but it’s an especially valuable tool in video performance. (If you don’t know this, you must have missed the last lesson. Go back and do your homework!) This simple exercise is designed to allow the puppeteer to get used to how it feels to focus right at the camera. Take your time with this one. Remember, you’re training your brain and that takes time. Just as a musician will practice scales over and over, puppeteers need to practice the basics as well. Read the rest of this article »

“Study the eye movements of human comedy greats like Lucy and then study great puppet performers like the Muppets and watch the eye directions. You’ll learn one of the secrets to puppet excellence.” Developing Excellence in Puppet Manipulation, article by Steve Axtell at Axtell.com. Read the rest of this article »

Reversed Image: Lean Off Me

It is important for a puppeteer to be able to think quickly, react and act appropriately. This game is another image reversal challenge, but it involves the interaction of two players. In this exercise, one puppeteer leads and the other must follow. By this time, you should be feeling a bit more comfortable with the image reversal concept, but keep playing until it’s second nature. And don’t forget to keep your puppet characters alive as long as they are on screen! Read the rest of this article »