From: "Naomi Guss" <na-AT-puppetsinmelbourne.com.au>
To: <puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org>
Date: Thu, 14 Jan 2010 11:28:31 +1100
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] "Avatar" is a puppet show!


I personally would think that motion capture actors are more akin to dancers
than anything else. They would have to have an exceptional understanding of
range of motion, and the ability to precisely convey that motion so that the
cameras can clearly pick it up (as well as providing the animators with some
sort of emotional basis for facial expressions, gestures, etc.).

------- 

Naomi Guss

www.puppetsinmelbourne.com.au

Puppets in Melbourne 

-----Original Message-----
From: Hobey Ford [mailto:hobeyone-AT-gmail.com] 
Sent: Thursday, 7 January 2010 6:17 AM
To: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] "Avatar" is a puppet show!

I think it is fair to say that "Avatar" is related to puppetry, but I
wouldn't go as far as calling it puppetry or a puppet show (though it
isn't an important distinction and really is just semantics).  The
motion capture technology used here and with Golem in Lord of the
rings is based on an actors performance which is electronically
transferred to a computer graphic.  An actor in costume and make-up
isn't a puppet and they are essentially doing the same as the actors
in motion capture.  I propose that they are actors portraying a role
with electronic make-up.  They don't understand or have any skill
understanding or meaningful involvement with the art and craft of
puppetry.  They are very good actors (maybe) who are having a special
effect laid upon them digitally.  I think this an interesting topic
but I wouldn't argue the point of it being puppetry or not, as
puppetry has always evolved. The "old school" devotees have always
questioned "Is this puppetry?" And clearly the definition of puppetry
needs room to grow, but in this instance my vote is that if it is
puppetry, then that is a pretty big stretch.  I would say Motion
capture is more related to mime or mask theater, possibly body costume
digital puppetry but not puppetry.  For me that would require the
actor to be in full control of the digital figure without the aid of
cosmetic animators and the like.  To use the old analogy of monkey as
artist, a monkey could be dressed in a motion capture suit and
transformed digitally into a different creature, but I would never
call the monkey a puppeteer: if so I am a monkey's uncle.

On Wed, Jan 6, 2010 at 11:02 AM, Bell, John <john.bell-AT-uconn.edu> wrote:
> I disagree with the idea that "Avatar" is not puppetry: "Avatar" is
puppetry, motion capture is puppetry, and we should be excited about that
fact. =A0Motion capture is the movement of the human body in order to control
the movement of an image, an object in performance, and is therefore
puppetry.
>
> See for example Andy Serkis's book about his work manipulating the motion
capture figure of Gollum in "Lord of the Rings", in which the "p" word was
routinely used by the performers and tech crew to describe what they were
doing.
>
> It's important to consider this because otherwise the history of
techniques like motion capture is thought to begin about two decades ago,
when in fact the philosophy and aesthetics of motion capture go back
centuries in the global history of puppet theater.
>
> The frequent captions of "Avatar" press photos which identify the motion
capture images in the film as the performers themselves are entirely
misleading and are a misunderstanding of the form; as if a caption for a
photo of Kermit said "Jim Henson as Kermit."
>
> "Avatar" is a puppet show! =A0Not a good puppet show dramaturgically,
because its depiction of a white guy warrior saving the poor blue people is
hopelessly irrelevant in our world, and because its espousal of extreme
violence as the solution to serious problems is not such a good augury; but
a puppet show nonetheless!
>
> Dr. John T. Bell
> Director
> Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry
> University of Connecticut
> 6 Bourn Place Unit 5212
> Storrs, Connecticut=A0 06269-5212
> office: 860 486 0806
> cell: 617 599 3250
> www.bimp.uconn.edu
>
> To make a contribution to the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry,
please go to
> https://secure.ga4.org/01/uconn_foundation_giving, and select "Ballard
Puppetry Museum" from the "Purpose" list. =A0Thanks for your support!
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: puptcrit-bounces-AT-puptcrit.org [mailto:puptcrit-bounces-AT-puptcrit.org]
On Behalf Of Stephen Kaplin
> Sent: Wednesday, January 06, 2010 10:21 AM
> To: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org
> Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] Avatar go see it
>
> I think it is extraordinary the way that the new motion capture
> technologies have blurred the boundary between puppet and human
> performer. The puppet becomes more like a skin to the performer than a
> separate performing object. However, that skin is not simply a costume
> one slips on and off-- it is a =A0digital construct created at great
> expense of money and labour.
>
> But what is interesting is that the intense application of technology,
> (which for most forms of puppetry functions to extend the gap between
> the operator and the performing figure) bring the performer and
> performing object back together in tight embrace.
>
> Don't know if that is enough to make me drop $15 to see the 3-d movie.
>
> Stephen
>
>
> On Jan 6, 2010, at 12:10 AM, Puppet People wrote:
>
>> Hi critters;
>> =A0 =A0Though not techniquely puppets , I would recommend to all in the
>> puppetry world to go and see the movie Avatar. I just saw it and was
>> blown
>> away by the computer graphics and 3-D effect. Also I should add the
>> story is
>> good too.
>> =A0 =A0I know, I know, it's not puppetry but I think that animation is a
>> form
>> of puppetry and the CG stuff that can be done today is amazing. What
>> are
>> your thoughts?
>>
>> Mark
>> The Puppet People
>>
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