As I have already said I have just joined a new troop but what I didn't mention is I haven't preformed all that much in the past year with a few performances here and there and I noticed I have a small problem....After a 2 min. Performances my shoulder would go out of whack making doing more very painful. Is there a way to strengthen my shoulder or a way to help prevent them from giving out?

I have my puppeteers practice at home during commercials. Raise your arm above your head and lip sync to the commercials. It is important that you do not tighten the muscles in your arm and wrist. Try to maintain the correct position with the muscles somewhat relaxed. If you tighten the muscles you will tire easier and have pain. Just as with any exercise, endurance comes with correct repetition. You must have the arm extended all the way above your head, you will not strengthen the muscles if your arm is bent at the elbow. Good luck and happy practicing.

Sue

Great idea, after all you gotta know the adds after a while!

Puppeteering is just like acting, doing sports or going to the gym: it's VERY important to do warm ups beforehand, and to build endurance. Also, it's a good idea not just to look at what you're doing, but how you're doing it. Maybe there is a more ergonomically friendly way to hold the puppet, or maybe the puppet itself is too heavy, etc etc.

OH&S should never come after aesthetics!  

It's a funny image, puppeteers around the world watching TV and all there arms going up in the air during the commercials! Especially when I realised Na and I are in the same city so our add breaks are potentialy syncronised!

I totally spaced there and had no idea what you were talking about for a minute!

Funnily enough, I've not worked in TV/film, so my comments are totally geared to a theatre experience. My second puppetry show I self-produced was 30 minutes long - despite this, the puppeteers were practically falling over afterwards. Why? Because the material I had used in the muppets mouths (thick matte board) was so difficult to move that they found their hands cramping up - on top of having to hold their arms in 90 degree angles for most of the show.

If only there had been ad breaks

(Hey, is that were the "naked arm" joke comes from? Puppeteers removing the puppets to rest a while and then getting caught "with their pants down" so to speak by the camera?)

Great suggestions!

I would suggest yoga moves that focus on the entire body....they are the best exercise for our field....and no matter what your body will always have soar parts like any athlete from doing the same thing over and over again over time....puppetry is hard on the body and that is why the union for puppetry says that puppeteers for media work for 15 minutes and has a 5-10 minute break....this is to reduce a possibility of body injury during performance.  

But the exercises are very important no matter what it will have less impact on your body over time.

Daryl H