Date: Fri, 17 Jan 1997 10:42:11 -0800 From: Steve Axtell <steve-AT-axtell.com> Subject: Re: facial expression At 08:48 AM 1/12/97 +0000, you wrote: >Hello. I'm a third year university student studying theatre design at >the Welsh College of Music and Drama. I'm hoping to specialise in >animatronics when I finish in the summer so I've chosen to write my >dissertation on "the importance of facial expression in puppets". I >already have a lot of information but I need to find out some opinions >from people like you who work with puppets. I'd be really grateful if >you could spare the time to answer all or some of these questions. > >1. What most commonly decides which facial movements are given to a >puppet? Is it the size of the budget, the time available or the demands >of the script? > In my little experience, I've had more puppet expertise than the producers who hire me so they usually ask me to review the script and recommend facial features. However some come with a laundry list of animations and no budget....we usually compromise with blinking eyelids as the single most important feature. Far more important for expressing emotion than side to side eye movement. >2. How much of the effectiveness of a puppet is due to the puppet maker >and how much to the puppeteer? Can a good puppeteer turn a bad puppet >into a good one? A good puppeteer can cause a bad puppet to be emotional and expressive and believable, but the aesthetics could still not be right for television. Stage is a different baby with a much broader allowance for harsh painting and freedom of art form. > >3. Puppet technology has improved enormously in the last ten years. Is >there still a place for the basic glove puppet? Yes. Minimal animatronics is best for a talented puppeteer. Again, I think blinking lids will do nicely as the only added feature to a glove puppet. Too many cables and servos with the support crew all trying to synch with your play can become too intense and too frustrating for a good performance. Some scenes in major motion pictures may require multiple puppeteers and animatronics to create a complicated series of realistic movements but may end up lacking a good performance. > >4. Puppets work very well on TV and film because of the ability to stop >and start the action and cut the film. Can they be as effective in live >performance? Sure, they have forever. Good luck with your work Paul. >Thanks for reading this and please don't worry if you are too busy to >help. > >-- >Paul Kimpton > >Paul-AT-littlebear.demon.co.uk > > > > --- Personal replies to: Paul Kimpton <Paul-AT-littlebear.demon.co.uk> > --- List replies to: puptcrit-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu > --- Admin commands to: majordomo-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu > > Steve Axtell, President / AXTELL EXPRESSIONS, INC. *************************************** PUPPET WEB SITE - http://www.axtell.com GOOD IDEA AUCTION - http://www.axtell.com/auction.html WHAT'S NEW - http://www.axtell.com/new.html --- Personal replies to: Steve Axtell <steve-AT-axtell.com> --- List replies to: puptcrit-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu --- Admin commands to: majordomo-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu
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