Making Puppets Come Alive
Until the appropriate gestures and voices are added, a puppet
is just a wiggling lump of cloth. The way you hold and move your puppet is very
important.
Hint #1: Puppet Anatomy
Your arm has four puppet duties. They are the movement of your fingers, wrist,
elbow and shoulder.
Your fingers form the puppet's upper jaw. If you pull them back
your puppet scrunches its face. If you open and close them, your puppet talks.
If you combine the movements of your fingers and wrist, the puppet can cock
his head, answer yes or no, or do neck exercises. Add your elbow and shoulders
movements and your puppet is ready to do almost anything. It can walk, run,
fall, laugh, cry, do double takes, sleep or sneeze.
Hint #2: Lip Sync
Everytime your mouth moves, your puppet's mouth moves too. Sounds easy but lip
and hand coordination isn't as natural as one might think. To practice, have
your puppet say the ABC's, recite Jack and Jill, sing your favorite song. Practice
in front of a mirror. Watch your puppet carefully. Are you convinced it is really
talking?
Hint #3: Puppet Posture
When using a stage, watch your puppets height.
Hint #4: Natural Position
Find your puppet's "natural position". In other words, how does
the puppet need to stand so it is looking straight ahead? Most mouth puppets
require a slight forward bend of the wrist.
Try these exercises: have your puppet look out the window, at
the floor, out the door. Have it read a book, take a second look.
Hint# 5: Don't Sleep On the Job
Keep your puppet awake at all times. If another puppet is talking, make sure
your puppet responds with slight gestures.
If you let your arm go limp it will look as if your puppet has
died on stage. On the other hand, don't go overboard and upstage.
--Ad Infinitum--
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at Puppet-U
