Puppeteer Exercises

Fozzie Bear

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Starting this thread here in order that I don't Muffin another thread elsewhere.

One other good therad for reference though, is this one here:
http://forum.muppetcentral.com/showthread.php?t=21416

And now, for our aspiring puppeteers, gang, those of us who DO this pretty regularly now have a chance to spread the knowledge and help out those who are interested in it!

I guess I'll start since I started this thread:

You CANNOT be a puppeteer with weak arms and weak shoulders, especially when performing live. Keep you some small weights around to exercise your arms and shoulders from time to time.

Something I do that I don't necessarily suggest doing is that I take some Advil and a diet pill before a show. That way, I don't hurt any and I have a little more energy for the show...though, sometimes that can make you come off as nervous, you have to watch that.

Do I get nervous on stage? Yes, sometimes. Mainly on live TV because there is no fixing the conversation. You mess up and you're messed up. Just be over the top and silly, shoot for the laughs and you should get 'em.

Writing and comedy: I suggest a book called "Comedy Writing Secrets by Melvin Helitzer." You can also check out a book called "The Cartoonists' Muse," and that will help you with your writing and comedy as well.

One of the first things I've given trainees as homework is this: When you get home, put on a popular CD you know the words to, get in front of a mirror, and watch your hand movement as your hand lip-synchs to the song. Keep your four upper fingers steady with VERY LITTLE MOVEMENT. Let your thumb do all the talking. One way to achieve this is my crossing your first 2 fingers and the second 2 fingers. Now they won't open as easily!

You can also practice this hand movement by putting your 4 fingers against the bottom of a table, keep your arm extended straight down, and just move your thumb. This will help your hand learn that the bottom jaw is the most necessary mouth movement you need.

To prepare for the weight of a puppet, get your heaviest sneaker and put your four fingers in that. Deodorize the sneaker first when applicable. Usually you can fit your fingers between the stings and the shoe's tongue.

Once you feel the lip synching is good enough, begin adding life to your arm: Jut your hand forward a little bit when speaking. Tilt the head a little while performing speaking parts. When singing, sway to the song a little bit. Don't just look straight ahead, but look around at your audience.

Oh, and another main point: NEVER LOSE EYE CONTACT WITH the audience or the other puppet character, and NEVER stare off into space or at the floor, or just let the puppet freeze. If you're doing an off camera voice, your puppet should still be reacting.

ENTERING AND LEAVING THE PUPPET STAGE:
Live performances you'll normally have a puppet stage. The way characters approach this (if there's no curtain) is I have my puppets "walk up the stairs" to center stage, and "walk down the stairs" when leaving. If they just rise up and down or suddenly pop up, that kills the reality of the puppets' world. If there IS a curtain, just walk straight out from behind the curtain. For TV, if you're not already in the shot, walk in from the side of the screen (hopefully you will have a monitor to see what's going on and can block your shot before the filming takes place). If it's a performance where you're walking around with the puppet in the air and you're visible, just let the puppet appear the same way you do: From the side of the stage.

It's very important that when your puppet is walking he/she has a little bounce to their walk. If not, they will look like they're floating (even if it IS floating about 4 feet over the ground).

And don't forget your arm movements add life, too. cup the ends of your arm rods in the palm of your un-used hand. That's all the adivce I have here, LOL, because you'll find ways to perform your puppet arms on your own that is most comfortable to you.

Keep movements smooth and flowing, not jerky, with your puppet.

of course, this is all basic information, and may not even be what your particular script may call for. Your script may call for you to appear like a rocket center stage, or to float. But, you get the idea here.

So, anybody else want to add advice?
 

OverUnderAround

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Well, for true rookies starting out, I suggest the alphabet.

It's very difficult to try and teach this stuff on the web, but here goes...

To speak the letter 'A' requires two movements with your hand.
An open gesture to begin to say 'A' and a closing gesture to end.

The letter 'A' has one Syllable.

The word 'Hello' has two syllables.
This should require four movements, an open and close for 'Hel' and another open and close for 'lo.'

The word 'Banana' has three syllables.
That requires six movements.

If you position your hand like Jim Henson would inside of Kermit, it's the thumb that moves downwards and not the four fingers that move upwards.

If you practice on a video camera, and you freeze the tape what should always be noticed are the puppets eyes, not the inside of it's mouth.

If the inside of the mouth is more noticeable on videotape,then you have to angle your hand more downwards.

I suggest asking a church. Many have puppet troops and I'm sure they will be willing to teach. Or look in your phone directories.

This isn't the easiest subject to try and teach in a forum.

Here's something I wrote that might be helpful too.
http://forum.muppetcentral.com/showthread.php?p=316529#post316529

Also, this is an old list of puppet performers and puppet companies,
They might offer an apprenticeship.

http://www.sagecraft.com/puppetry/performance/index.html
 

Fozzie Bear

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Cool info, man. I love spreading the word and education of such a great performance art!!
 

D'Snowth

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Y'know Foz, for once in your life, you've actually made sense!

Nah just kiddin, but thanks for posting those tips, as I will be keeping them in mind come March when it's time for another pledge-drive.
 

OverUnderAround

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Fozzie Bear said:
Cool info, man. I love spreading the word and education of such a great performance art!!
It would be a happier world if people spoke through puppets!:smile:

Frank Oz said in the making of the Muppet Show video that some of the most well adjusted people he has ever met are puppeteers. Mainly because they could take out there frustation and anxieties through their puppet.
 

Fozzie Bear

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OverUnderAround said:
Mainly because they could take out there frustation and anxieties through their puppet.
Especially when they're performing Animal! :halo:
 

wes

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Here's a site that i use when teaching new puppeteer I call it the Basic's of puppetry Here's a link

http://puppetproductions.com/5_basic_techniques_of_puppetry.htm
They have great puppet too!

PS: I always tell my student to watch TV:confused: :concern: yea, Watch
Sesame Street, Bear in the Big Blue House, fraggel Rock, The Muppet Show or whatever else Jim Henson Is Affilated with, learn by copying the general movement as well as the Mouth movement. That Helps alot!!:smile:
 

Fozzie Bear

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That's a nice link. Helpful, too.

I think I'm going to one day work up a nice little puppeteering workshop for the Continuing Ed classes at the University maybe. That would be fun to teach...AND you get paid for it! :smile:
 

robinthecrow

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Puppet exercises?

All I do is lipsynch my naked hand with songs, or with whatever conversation I am having... though to family and friends mind! Complete strangers would think Mr Bimbal lives in my hand!

My previous job allowed me to work with my puppets on a fair regular basis enough to try things out and with an audience too! So basically it was trial and error!

David.
 
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