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Puppet Props: an Overview

I get on kicks or fads every so often. Lately, I've been bitten by a knitting bug...and while researching those techniques brought up an old video I had watched about someone building a big sleeve dragon puppet, and it was all over from there. Now, I'm on a puppet kick.

Puppet props, not puppet costumes like fursuits. That's a post for another time. 

Design Considerations

Size and Weight
For any prop, you need to carry around or transport, you must consider how big it is and its weight. I'm not saying your puppet has to be small and lightweight...but know your limits. You don't want it to be so light that it breaks easily, either. I guess durability is another feature you'd want to consider. 

Desired motion and manipulation style

How do you want the puppet to move? Will it open and close its mouth? Wiggle its ears? Blink? Wink? Have glowing eyes? Walk!?
Once you decide how you want it to move, you need to figure out how to make that motion happen with the structure and size of the puppet. 

Wearing the Puppet
Since it is a prop, how will it be carried? And how will you conceal that it IS a puppet (if you are going to such lengths)? You may want to make it easily removable for your own sake. Also, if you are incorporating the puppet into the design of the costume, does that change your costume design as a whole? 

Keeping things SIMPLE
Ideally a simple (and hopefully economical) solution is ideal. The fewer moving parts, so to speak, the less chance of puppet failure, breaking, or creator frustration. 

Character Design

The fun visual of the puppet should incorporate all of your usual character design techniques. Whether you are making a human or a creature, you should consider the following: 
  • Intended Audience/Puppet purpose - Is this going to be for a child friendly audience? A horror film? Or just your companion to a convention?
  • Level of Realism - This may be more consideration for your sculpting skill level. 
  • Level of Anthropomorphism - How "human" will your creature character be? 
  • Personality - What's the general mood of your puppet? Cheerful? Nervous? Child-like? Aggressive?

Suggested Ideas for first puppet Plans

  • Focus on one or two motions
  • Use Pre-Made or 3D-printed materials 
  • Sculpting is often required in some fashion. But it may not be clay you sculpt! 
  • Lean into your crafting strengths

Puppet Alternatives

It can become very frustrating to design and build a puppet. If you still want a companion with you on your costume, I suggest trying to make something like: 
    • A Posable Art Doll
    • Sewn Stuffed animals
    • Amigurumi/knitted friends
    • Needle felted figures
You can then perch them on your shoulder, wear them like a backpack, or add wheels to pull them along. (Or figure out how you want to carry it around.) 

Using the Puppet

There are three levels of puppet acting/performance: 
  1. Miming 
  2. Dialog
  3. Improvisation 
Miming or Acting with movement alone will be the base of pretty much all puppet acting. This is how you make the puppet seem alive or real. 

Dialog is when you add scripted words to the act. Usually, this is a performance between you and your puppet character. The very essence of a puppet show. 

Improv is doing everything above without a script. On the spot, react and respond to external prompts. 

Start with learning to mime with the puppet: 
  • Research the motion and expression of the animal/adjacent animal that suits your creature/character (you can make your dragon act like a dog, cat, or reptile, for example.) 
  • Practice manipulating the puppet
    • First one motion at a time
    • Then combine two
    • Create a short "routine" - Such as the puppet gets startled, and you calm it down. 

Adding a Voice to your Puppet

If you're going to take your puppet acting to the next level, it needs a voice! Now you could just speak for the puppet without even trying to hide the fact that it is you who is speaking. (or you could wear a full face mask. 😉) It may not be convincing, but ventriloquism is a skill. (You can learn it!) If you're not interested in learning ventriloquism or just don't think you're all that good at voice acting. Or heck, you just need it to make animal sounds, then try one of the following.
  • Teddy Bear Voice Box/Pre-recorded sound boxes/buttons
    • These relatively inexpensive devices either have sounds on them already, or you can record a short message/sound and play it back with a button push. 
  • Modular Soundbox - Similar idea to the sound effects board, but you make it yourself. 
  • Bluetooth speaker attached to:
    • music player - have a playlist of animal sounds or lines of dialogue.
    • phone - call a friend and put them on speaker phone LOL
    • microphone - have another person voice act on the spot nearby
    • Smart Device (with appropriate app) - use a soundboard app to play sound effects or pre-recorded stuff. 

Resources for Getting Started

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