From: =?iso-8859-1?Q?Mathieu_Ren=E9?= <creaturiste-AT-magma.ca>
To: <puptcrit-driftline.org-AT-lists.driftline.org>,
Date: Mon, 11 Jul 2005 15:34:31 -0400
Cc: 
Subject: [Puptcrit] First entertainment gig with own puppet


Hi all.
Yesterday I finished my first contract of roaming entertainment with my own puppet.
Id did that kind of act before, but with other types of puppets, and they were from a company.

This time we were two puppeteers manipulating my 6 foot puppet called Jorge. The hot summer heat was hard to tolerate with our black costumes and hood, but it was requested from our customer, who prefers not seeing the puppeteers.

Jorge has a moving mouth (like a Muppet), two human arms(his arms and hands are a long glove), and articulated legs,manipulated by one puppeteer's own feet.
He sure can move!

It was at the Montreal Jazz festival, for the last 3 days of it.
I only received great comments on the puppet and our performance. I believe we have a good chance of coming back next year.
I hope to receive some of the many pictures that were taken during the event, so I can post them and show you.

I learned a lot from the building and performing of this puppet.
I designed, finally, an efficient way to attach the puppet's feet  to the puppeteer's.
Consists of a cardboard slipper which opens like a book(hinge at the toe), has a heel to prevent sideways movement, with padding inside. Holds tight around most sizes of adult shoes with adjustable velcro. Comfortable and stable. Thick and sturdy wires are attached on both sides of each slipper to connect the puppet's feet (closed-cell foam covered in paper mache). Tell me if you want to see pics or drawings of it. There probably is a simpler way of doing it, but I have had no luck locating one in time.


After three days of performing, I found what needs to be modified on the puppet.

Hence my still hot search for better knee movements.
This first attempt at a full bodied lightweight puppet is  temporary at best, although the movement was great. Were it not for the existence of good quality duct tape, the whole puppet would not have been possible.

I need to get some actual training in puppet building. I never had any for articulations. Right now, on my own, I am progressing at snail-speed.
One or two days of instruction would catapult me at a new speeds for a long time.



I really want more of these walking-dancing puppets to be out and about. They are so much fun to perform and interact with.







Mathieu René Créaturiste
Marionnettes, Masques, Etcetera...
Puppets, Masks, Etcetera...
creaturiste-AT-magma.ca
www.creaturiste.com
(514) 274-8027
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