hello

im in a deep hole and need a ladder to get out.

ok im in my last year at uni and am doing a animation of marionettes vs CGI marionettes the computer stuff i can do its the marionette im having trouble with i have some questions

1 i have looked around at leg joints what is the best one to use.

2. what size is best for a marionette

3. do the feet have to be heavy for the marionette to walk like a human

hope someone can help

jovack

4. what would i make the marionette out of.

Is it a requirement that you make the marionette? The reason I ask is it may be better to purchase one already made for the project.

I normally use a fabric tube for legs that has a "joint" sewn at the knee. The top of the leg/fabric tube goes over a "rod" that is built into the hips.

Size is simply determined by your needs. I would think that something around 1.5 to 2 feet would work well for what you are doing. Sorry I don't know the conversion to cm.

Yes you need weight in your feet for the puppet to work well.  The thing is you need to place that weight in the heel of the foot so that it well hang with just a slight drop in the toe. You all need some weight in the hips of the puppet to give a a center of balance.


Here is a thread that well give you an idea of how to create a very simple marionette. The images are of prefabricated parts that Hazelle Rollins used from here factory but they are simple enough to reproduce on your own really. http://puppetsandstuff.com/community/index.php/topic,221.msg595.html#msg595  That link is to a specific message, you can browse through the entire thread for other hints.

thanks shawn and yes it is a requirement that i make the marionette but hey it would not be fun otherwise.  i have browsed through the thread and there is a lot of info there, but as im making it from the start i mite have more questions if that's ok.  ow and what happened to the rest of the photos from the thread. 

Which images are you not seeing?  I don't detect any missing images.

P.S. Never Mind.... I think I know what you are talking about... Let me see if I can correct that.

P.P.S.  No you should be seeing all the images in the thread.  I had thought maybe it was the original images of the puppet that where attached but things are set correct that you should be seeing those.

This might help:

http://puppetsinmelbourne.com.au/index.php/faq/2007/10/01/how_to_make_a_marionette

http://puppetsinmelbourne.com.au/index.php/faq/2008/04/09/how_to_string_a_marionette

My tutorial on making a marionette is extremely basic (no weights in feet, etc.), but it's based on my first marionette, which was mainly about learning how to do the stringing. (The second link is a youtube video on stringing as well)

good morning

Shawn the photos were of the finished thing that you had done and of the new legs that you put on.

thanks na i will watch them later

i start my marionette today

How many joints do you need your marionette to have?

With a nine string control bar you can move a marionette with moving head (left-right), shoulders, elbow, wrist, vertebral spine (navel) hip and knees.

Before beginning the marionette, think carefully the joints you want it to move, and the movements you want it to make.

I was never able to get photos of the finished project or the process of the legs since at the time I did not have access to my digital camera.  Sorry.

This is an old book, but free to download. You can get some ideas
http://cdm.browardlibrary.org/wpa/image/72815161542004_pupeteershandbook.pdf

Hope it helps

thanks na i will watch them later

You're welcome - hope it helps.