Na, you're correct - I don't think I articulated my initial post well. I can see my puppets in action but just have no idea how to visualise their voice, what their discussions would entail, how they would interact with others etc. One of the things Na and I have discussed - and I'm paraphrasing here, please correct me Na if I've misinterpreted your angle - is the difference between building a puppet with a clear intent for performance and building a puppet for the simple joy of creating a moveable character. For me, the appeal of puppetry has been to move away from the motionlessness (and now seemingly lifeless) creatures I was making before to characters that can freely move, have expression and appear to have life. I suppose that's what sets me apart from other puppet builders here and makes me very much an amateur.  I haven't really followed the art form through to it's real intention - being performance - but have instead focused solely on the look. Therefore, I haven't developed any true characteristics in puppets aside from the physical traits. Since starting mid last year, I have filled my home with puppets that I adore and am thinking 'now what?'. Perhaps as Na has suggested, the trick is to develop the story behind the puppet and their context for being prior to actually constructing it. Im finding it really too difficult the other way around - although all my puppets are fabulous lip synchers to some truly horrendous music!

Having said that, Poorfishy, thank you! That was a brilliantly fabulous and very concise guide to constructing a script and I will definitely make use of that new found knowledge. Thank you for taking the time to break the process down so clearly and having seen some of your work, I really value your input. I just need to adjust my approach and have the creative juices flow so I can make use of it!

Thanks again

Lizzie

Na, you're correct - I don't think I articulated my initial post well. I can see my puppets in action but just have no idea how to visualise their voice, what their discussions would entail, how they would interact with others etc. One of the things Na and I have discussed - and I'm paraphrasing here, please correct me Na if I've misinterpreted your angle - is the difference between building a puppet with a clear intent for performance and building a puppet for the simple joy of creating a moveable character.

It's sort of what I meant. Some people might find that creating a puppet and then finding a script for it is easier, and vice versa. I think we share a common problem of finding the script second harder, which is why I suggested attempting a reversal of the usual method.

Of course, there's nothing wrong with building first - you have some wonderful characters! - it just becomes a problem when you want to use them and don't know what to do

Part of the issue for me at the moment is also knowing that I want to create a certain effect with my puppets, and having to work that effect into a script. It means that I have to think carefully about what characters will look like, instead of just creating the characters and then deciding how to use them later. I've been thinking also about scenery as the effect will (sorry for the double use) affect the way in which the characters will interact with stage props/scenery.

Maybe the trick is to simply plan all three at once... ?

I completely misread the entire thing.  Sorry.  But hopefully that will be helpful to you (or someone) at some point.  As for Celtx, as an aside, it's great except that it doesn't recognize page breaks so there are some formatting issues to be aware of.

As for performing versus building - I did the same thing.  I just decided I was going to learn how to build puppets with no real idea what I was going to do with them.  I find that after I build them I just play with them, find a voice and personality.  (As a 40 year old man, you can probably imagine what my friends and family think of me when I do this...). 

My Cousin Zeke puppet was the first to really find a personality and I used him in a couple of shorts, and George Zombieman is the only other one who has developed into a 'character'.  However, I still don't know what to really 'do' with them.

Finally, I had the idea to make an original film with puppets, but the idea didn't fit the puppets I had, so I wrote first and am now building the characters to fit the story. 

Bottom line, it's a process that needs to be allowed to happen rather than made to happen.  In my experience, the inspiration will come when it's time to come.  As a writer, I often tell people that the stories have to want to be told before I can write them.  It sounds pretentious and stereotypical but I find it to be true. 

So play with your puppets.  Make a few of those videos of your puppets singing those terrible songs and put them on YouTube.  Let people enjoy what you are enjoying and let others inspire you as well.  One of my Zombieman videos is a direct response to someone's comment on the puppet himself.  I had one of those *aha* moments and made a two minute short that has now been seen by tens of people on YouTube.

Cousin Zeke


George R. Zombieman

We find that a puppet personality evolves as we use it in plays.  We have to start with what the puppeeter feels comfortable with, what voice can they make,(we use movie characters, and foreign voices a lot) what things would they enjoy having the puppet do.  We do shows every week instead of one time plays so we want constant characters. Then little things get added as we go along,if somethings works we keep it, or if it doesn't we toss it. Eventually the puppet character is fully fleshed out.  At that point you "know" puppet and when you go to write a story for them you know what they would say, how they would act. It is similar to getting to know a new person. Each person has certain catch phrases they use alot, just like you do, and certain activities they like best. The beauty of a puppet is you can make them really off the wall.  We work as group and play around with voices, movements and get feed back from other puppeteers before we add it to the script. Get a group of your friends together and put puppets on their hands and spend the evening taking with the puppets and they will begin to come alive. 

As far as the story contents, I start with the message, point I need to get across, think about the audience you want to reach, what is somthing they can relate to.  Start writing, get feed back, and rewrite, it will evolve.  We have a basic outline for our scripts that we have developed thru time that seems to work well for our preschoolers.  We start with warm up to audience, transition to the main story with change ups often to keep their attention, and alway, always build to big finish, save your best for last.

Many puppeteers use fairy or folk tales as their inspiration for writing scripts.  If you think about it even movie makers often use stories that have been told for ages in the same way.

It may be that your not so interested in writing stories/scripts for your puppets as finding their personal story so it could be used in a routine much like Jeff Dunham would with his puppets. Again this is more then likely built on something that is already long established. Perhaps a relative or someone you know. It could also be a well know figure.

The concept of "playing" with the puppet is one I often use.  Set in front of a mirror and watch yourself manipulate the puppet. Perhaps choose an emotion and see what you can do to express that emotion with the puppet. Does it seem right that that always laugh? Does it seem as if they are always sad? Most likely a book on character development would work well for this.  Once you get a basic emotion you could then build on that to write a back story for the puppet of why they express that emotion.

Oh wow, thanks so much for the responses! I've been feeling like a fraud but your comments and experiences have totally validated my random playing. I will keep up mirror work and continue to film the shameful lip synching routines. Hopefully in time things will click for me as they have for each of you. I love your idea Snail of getting a group of mates together and giving them each a puppet. It would be fascinating to see what characteristics other people would give my motley crew.

Thanks again for sharing your advice and experiences. I look forward to sharing the first footage of when things finally 'click'! 

Here are some tips.
1. Give your puppet a personality and stick with that personality in every skit.  Give him (or her) a voice. It also helps to give the puppet an age. We have a puppet (a boy), his name is Reggie. He is very mischievous, and is always in the middle of everything.  He usually hears what he wants to hear, so he misquotes a lot. The children in our church know Reggie by this personality and voice.  One Sunday we had a puppet scheduled to be in a show and the person that does that puppet had to work at the last minute.  Instead of cancelling the puppet appearance, someone else manipulated that puppet (and did the voice).  Immediately the kids said "that's not Murk." They knew his voice, and knew he had the wrong voice that week!

In script writing (I've taught a few classes on this), any main point (anything you want remembered) should be approached 3 times.  You can do it in three different ways, or you can repeat it, but in some way you should present it 3 times. If you notice, radio commercials (maybe TV too, but we don't have one, so I don't know about this)tend to do this.  Phone numbers are always repeated 3 times.

There is a lot more to script writing, and I can pull some old notes (I think I still have them) if you are interested. Basically, you decide on a situation, sometimes a setting (place), etc.

Everything should be believable. Some things puppets cannot do.  When dealing with children, they know this.  Adults do too, but they aren't as
concrete as the children.

My opinion for puppets is the same as used in clowning. Props seems to be more effective if over or undersized.  Sound effects are very effective. They take things into another dimension (vs using just a prop with no sound).

Hope this helps.

Everybody has great tips - but what about those of us who don't perform?

I don't, so I don't invent characters or voices just by playing around. I guess this is why I find myself having a hard time writing for puppets, that and being 'classically' trained in scriptwriting where you lay the characters and plot down first, and then 'build' from there with actors and rehearsal. Even though I've done a lot of improv, picking up a puppet and finding a voice for it doesn't work for me. I can pick up the puppet, play with it, find interesting movements; but this doesn't translate into a character nor a script. I don't have that 'performer' instinct I guess.

Additionally, most of the comments seem to refer to puppets that talk: what about the ones that don't? And are there any tips for scripts for adult shows?

Anyone who's spent 5 seconds around me - even virtually - will figure out I have no problem writing and inspiration is no trouble. So let me distill my question even further:

When you write for puppets, whether you're playing first or writing first, do you create a plotline; a storyboard; write rough scenes and then hone them with improv; write complete dialogue with action; etc? From what I'm reading and heard before, the common thread seems to be a rough idea which is then fleshed out in rehearsal, rather than an actual 'script' as such. In which case, where does that leave us non-performers?

If I'm repeating what Lizzie said, ignore me, but the reason for asking was that she (and I) are building puppets for which there is no actual use for: rather we're creating characters for which we now have to find a purpose for.

...Having thought about it, I think for me the best thing to do is to stick to what I know, which is 'write first, build later'. Even then, I struggle because I'm too used to writing for humans (ie. all dialogue, no action).

Actually, that brings another question: since puppetry is all about visuals/movement, is it necessary to ensure that the script has a certain amount of action, and less dialogue than normal? I'm thinking of Ronnie Burkett's shows, and his is amazingly verbal, but there's a lot more action than I put in my scripts. Is the trick for puppetry just about getting the characters to do, rather than speak?

Everything should be believable. Some things puppets cannot do.  When dealing with children, they know this.  Adults do too, but they aren't as concrete as the children.

I disagree with this: I think it depends on context. If you're doing a realistic play, yes the puppets should do things that are believable. But the fun thing about puppetry is you can do anything, so if you have a flying blue box that's bigger on the inside for instance, that's just as believable within the context of sci fi. On the other hand, I totally agree that a character should always be loyal to its personality (again, within context of the script), because otherwise it's not believable.

Have to bring him up again. I did a search and there is a new video out, but I don't think it does him justice. This is for adults and without speaking.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3635345497947695973

I think it's all very personal and what works for one may not work for others.  Typically, I write scripts for humans, but the few that I have written for puppets are largely the same in style and content.  The only tricky part I found was the limitation of movements in some scenes.  So I wrote first and got the idea down on paper, then read what I wrote and imagined puppets doing it.  I have one scene where a puppet has to answer an old fashioned phone and another where we see a puppet holding a gun.  I imagined how the logistics of the scene would work, made a few tweaks to the script to allow for the manipulation of the puppet, and then it will all come down to the performer making it happen.

Now I'm making a film, so I have the luxury of making careful adjustments, camera angles, off-camera action, etc to create the effect.  A live performance may not be quite so easy so that's something else to keep in mind.

Again, I think it boils down to what works for you.  For me, I just write, then consider how it will play out with puppets, and then make any necessary adjustments to allow for the limitations.  I don't know that there's really an 'answer' for your question.  It'll work itself out through trial and error I think.