From: Ed Atkeson <edatkeson-AT-earthlink.net>
Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2008 12:31:16 -0500
To: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] pricing your work


James W. Wojtal Jr.>>> Their are so many Hobbyists out their who  
under sell themselves and their
work that it makes it more and more difficult to educate clients  
about how much it really costs to use professional quality (i.e.  
Film,Theatre,and TV quality), the less you value your time, and  
skills, the less you are going to be paid, and it continues the  
perception among  potential clients that puppets are cheap to produce.

Puppets are not cheap to produce.they are in effect Kinetic  
sculptures, object that can with a killed hand come to life, and  
express ideas, and  emotions, and convey messages that a  
painting .illustration, and sculpture never  will, the work we puppet  
builders do is worth just as much as any illustrator or sculpture,  
and we should be compensated as such, no hand crafted high quality  
puppet is worth just $500.00, and we should not be ashamed to ask for  
what our work is really worth.
------------------------
James,
I completely agree.

Thanks for giving me the benefit of the doubt on the value of my  
puppet. There are puppets and there are puppets. Let's just say these  
were worth more than $500 ...to me. I would have regretted selling them.

Competent hobbyists who undercharge do hurt the whole field of  
puppetry. If I were you I wouldn't worry though, few hobbyists can do  
what you do, your work is pretty amazing.

Also don't worry about me. I may sell a puppet or two some day, but  
for me the play is the thing, and my puppets are sometimes so crappy  
no one would want them. I actually prefer puppets that look like they  
were found in the street.

-------------------------

This brings up a different subject -- when you say "puppetry" you  
haven't really said much. There are so many different approaches.

Where can I find a further categorization of the term? Types of  
puppet and uses of puppets would have to be taken into account.

My puppetry so far has partaken of the Eastern European tradition for  
the most part, with adult content only, and has been shown in art  
galleries and cabarets. What would you call that? Is there a taxonomy  
for puppetry?
best,
Ed



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