From: =?iso-8859-1?Q?Mathieu_Ren=E9?= <creaturiste-AT-primus.ca> To: <puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org> Date: Tue, 4 Mar 2008 13:41:32 -0500 Subject: [Puptcrit] Principles of Puppetry Hi, My thirst for knowledge is infinite. And right now, as I am working on my first short puppet film, I am dreaming of a list. The list would be called: Principles Of Puppetry. Only principles that most of us can agree upon as being essential building blocks of our Art. Just like the Laws of Physics, which all Earth-dwelling elements must obey, there must be something similar applicable to Puppetry. While there are differences of opinion among any art form or any disciplines, there are also principles that most can agree on, upon which we can build and develop. Don't all trades have something like that? Although, maybe the word LAW is a bit strong for some, so I'll try with Principles. These principles should probably be categorised into sections,between Puppetbuilding and Puppeteering, cross-referencing each other, as they are, in my opinion, in a symbiotic relationship. Respected and wise Puppet Scholars with ease of access to the litterature would be more suitable for the task of compiling and editing this list. Even if none of our Elders are available at the moment, we can at least start the ball rolling. And even an "in-progress" list would be a good tool to have. I'd love to see it posted on the www.puppetbuilding.com website, and mirrored elsewhere, for safe keeping. I wouldn't suggest this if I wasn't willing to get involved. I'll work on my end as much as I can, and hope that more will do the same, so we can compile our findings together and see what comes up. YOU CAN HELP: Just share your Principles with us, or what you think might be principles, so that we can discuss them and reach conclusions. This is bound to stem long Puptcrit discussions. How fascinating! I'd like for us to think about these things we take for granted, and those we rely upon for better puppet movement and storytelling. I'd love to see a list compiled of those Principles, so that we can all refer to them in the future, saving us much troubles even before we start a new project. Instead of sorting through all that is out there everytime we meet a challenge in our creative process, that list of Principles would certainly help, every step of the way! Of course, if such lists already exist, PLEASE share them with us. There must be books out there with principles from past and current Puppet Masters and Directors? If you have made one for yourself and it is working for you, why not beat the shyness and share? We can take everyone's lists and edit/compile them into one. I can anticipate a certain resistance in front of this big workload ahead ("why not learn by doing?"), but let's keep that for another thread. Can we try? Some of them we know about, but I would like us to work on the formulation, so that each Principle can be summed very efficiently in just a few words, in an easy to remember sentence. Maybe in a later incarnation, each Principle could form a paragraph, or even a chapter. Some that come to mind at the moment (to be discussed and evaluated as possible Principles). -Puppet eye focus (with or without eyes) most conveys illusion of life. -Puppet "breathing" conveys illusion of life, especially in moments of rest or "listening". -Puppet movements must be well defined at each step, for clarity. (needs clarification) -Puppeteer transfers own essence into puppet (perhaps less esoteric terms) -Puppet that does some things very well will appear to be able to do everything (need quote here) -Puppeteers work with their bodies, which should be fit, and warmed-up before rehearsals and performances. -Puppet mechanics must be efficient in simplicity. The less complex the better, less occurence of mechanical breakdowns. -Puppet features must be emphasised to be visible by the entire audience (of the size you plan to have). -Puppets MUST be as ergonomic (weight, position, movements) as possible. A comfortable puppeteer is not an injured puppeteer. -Balance is an essential ally in puppet movements. Marionnettes are a fine example of this. (see Dwiggins) JOIN THE FUN IN LEARNING! _______________________________________________ List address: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org Admin interface: http://lists.puptcrit.org/mailman/listinfo/puptcrit Archives: http://www.driftline.org
Display software: ArchTracker © Malgosia Askanas, 2000-2005