In regards to the effect you have come up with.  Does it help tell the story? Often when I watch I movie I can tell that it was not written by an author but by the special effects department. While I love a good action special effect movie, the ones I really remember are the ones where the story was solid and the effects simply helped to portray that story.

It doesn't help to tell the story, it's just a neat idea I'd like to try out. And since I need to try it in front of an audience to see if it works, I have to come up with a script.

Having said that, the effects as I said above, are more than likely going to be in the scenery.... It's more a way of creating a setting than of making the puppets do or look a certain way.

But your point is well taken and refers back to what I was saying about not overdoing it. If I do, it certainly will come off as doing something just because you can.

.... Actually I just remembered that I thought of an additional way to use the effect today and it may provide a way to move the action in a unique way. Shadow puppets are flat, which means the world they inhabit are flat (ok, not all of them are flat, but the shadow they give off ends up being flat). This idea if I can make it work means the focus of the action turns around you, much like how a camera pans. The camera brings the action to you, instead of moving the action into camera view. This little idea to combine the effect and the scenery may work, but as yet have no concept of how to do it in a relevant way.

However, I have plotted out most of the first scene and will most likely only do that much for the July summit... and so once I've finalised the script for that bit I'll start figuring out the designs and puppets and placements of everything and begin building.

And 2 more new shadow puppet bodies cut out today

Next update can be found here:
http://puppetsandstuff.com/community/index.php/topic,7191.msg64211.html#msg64211

The research mentioned is about the script I hope to use for this project, and the use of a text that might be in public domain; and how I found info about public domain copyrights.

Next update is here:
http://puppetsandstuff.com/community/index.php/topic,7191.msg64211.html#msg64211

Further research on my script. It looks like I mostly likely would have to apply for permission to use what I want, and since I'd only have a couple of months to do that in, I think I'll be finding a Plan B.

Another update:
http://www.puppetsinmelbourne.com.au/blog.php/2012/03/15/are-you-public-domain-no

I was right, I'd have to find out who to apply to for rights. There's not enough time to do that before now and July, so it looks like I'll be writing my own script.

Or not...

I did some rethinking of how to approach this based on an idea for Plan B, and have actually gotten written permission to use some music for the basis of the performance.

More news on that later as I gather up some more info.

My latest update:
http://www.puppetsinmelbourne.com.au/blog.php/2012/03/21/a-symphony-of-puppetry

There's more info there, but the short of it is that I've gotten permission to use the following song for the performance. I'll be making a shadow puppet music video!

" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>
https://youtu.be/XGK84Poeynk

Very cool video and song. I like how they took the words of scientist and turned them into song.  Looking forward to see how you take it a step further.

Vast emptyness of space... this is wonderful! And the video, too! Can't wait to see what you make out of it! I think we are so very used to our scale. But make it much smaller or bigger and you see that the whole world is just packed with beauty.

This looks like a great project and I look forward to seeing your progress!
Chris