Thanks! Hopefully have some stuff soon. I've made up a small 'screen' using my scale ruler, some scrap polypropylene sheet, and some scrap foam board. I've got a base plate, I'm just going to add some wings using some more foam board (it's black) to hide the sides of my scenery pieces. Then I can start building the scale scenery itself.

I LOVE building models for my shows!  I'm working on one now for a new play I'm designing set in 1915 Armenia and it's so easy to get lost in the details.  Every time I build one, I feel like Mister Rogers when he would bring out the models of The Neighborhood of Make Believe that he had on shelves in his kitchen.  Yeah, I'm a nerd.

I'm afraid my models aren't as good as yours - when you're just building for yourself, there's no need to make sure everything is as perfect as you would do for show/other people. In my case my model is a bit haphazard. (See below)

I've never actually seen Mister Rogers - not even sure if it's ever been available here. Maybe on our local community TV station, which incidentally we never managed to receive until digital came along a few years ago. I'll have to see if it's on...

As for the model...

I have just added some wings, and a black piece along the top - even though I probably won't be able to have a completely-surrounded screen - plus legs. The legs are just so that I can place the model a little higher to eye-height, and/or tilt the model while it's on my table. It might also help if I end up having to make things move up and down behind the screen which will mean added space under the base plate. (The base plate is the possible 'table top', but if I need to bring scenery pieces up and down, I'll just cut slits into the foam core as a representation of any other mechanism I'll use instead)

I have hit a problem which is that my printer has run out of ink, so printing out a scale puppet is problematic; and I've lost one item necessary for testing my super-secret effect.

Nevertheless I can work without those things, but it does make it annoying as I wanted to test my super-secret stuff while I was here.

I'll have a new proper update soon, but in the meantime...

I've semi-built my prototype, it's really just a screen with a foam core base around it to hide all the bits and pieces. I've not made any scenery or anything, because I hit a slight snag: holding up some print-outs of images to be used as example scenery I noticed that it quickly 'fades' the more distant you put it from the screen. This is pretty much 'shadow puppets 101', but the point with the scenery is that there will be different layers, foreground, mid and background. I'm hoping that scaling up will make the layers work but for the moment have been continuing with the storyboarding.

I've finished the 2nd third of the storyboards, and am up to the bit with the rising planet...

So far everything is fairly simple in construction/methodology, although to get it done I have no idea if it'll bring out the best of my super-secret effect. Fingers crossed.

My latest update:
http://www.puppetsinmelbourne.com.au/blog.php/2012/04/04/clear-screens-and-kelvin-was

And a pic (more on my blog)

Interesting questions:
1. I'm thinking the best thing for me to do is to work with a small screen of about 50cm x 50cm (about 20 inches). The venue is about 20-30 seats, so going small isn't so much of a big deal. But I'm still worried that's too small. Anyone got experience working that size? Keep in mind that's the size of the screen itself, the puppets will have to be *much* smaller.

2. I've decided I'm going to use a slightly opaque clear plastic as my screen material as it increases the visibility of my scenery - which is at different distances from the screen. Anyone have any experience trying this?


IMG_7515 by puppetsinmelb, on Flickr

A slight delay while I work on something for another project. I will hopefully have some more updates this week when I begin designing my screen.

I've been thinking about your problem of doing a one person show with several characters. It has been something I thought of often with hand puppets but I was wondering wether shadow puppets give you a unique oportunity to put the puppet on a stand while manipulating other characters or elements? if they need to keep "life in them" they could be mounted on small guage wire so as you put them in the stand any gentle vibration of the stand would make them "breathe" while other elements move.
While most of us would prefer each character to stay alive and in the moment when in view of the audience it was just a thought for quick change overs.
I've never really thought about shadow puppetry a great deal, (not through disrespect, it just hasn't been on my radar) but could you use a digital projector as your light source and animate elements on the screen that way? Sorry if I've repeated something old hat, I've only just happened on this thread and not really read back through it...
Scoob

Two ideas I'm already working into the script:

1. For the man, he will appear as though he is walking even though it's the landscape moving around him. Obviously with more hands this would not be necessary. In order to achieve this 'stoppage', I'm using a foam block at the bottom of the screen where the rod can be inserted. This is a common practice for shadow puppeteers - traditional Asian shadow puppetry uses sand-filled bamboo husks instead of modern foam.

2. Where I need to put down the bird or something else, I'm designing a specific 'holder' which will allow me to keep the puppet on screen whilst letting go of the rod. Instead of slotting it into a foam block, it will need to be held from above the screen. This will be sort of a hanging holder, think of it like an eye-hook where I just slide the rod in place.

3. For the bird or whatever, I do hope to have a little spring in the rod/wire, so that the puppet can move of its own accord. I need to put the puppet down only for a few seconds, not long enough for the movement from my hand to dissipate.

A digital projector is an interesting idea, but not one I'll be using. For a start, there's no way to rehearse since I don't have access to one (nor the funds for rental). What I'll be doing can be mostly made from scrap materials minus whatever I need to create my super-secret effect.

Also, part of why I'm doing it 'traditional' is because the super-secret effect is more impressive if I can combine it with what people normally expect of shadow puppets. I'm taking what Richard Bradshaw normally does and giving it a whole new spin.

To be honest, half the fun is going "oh, I don't have enough hands for this. Now how do I get around that problem?" And what's interesting is that there are always really simple solutions to be found. Changing one character into another can be done simple by disappearing one and appearing another; or making the scenery move, dumping the first character and grabbing the second; etc.

PS. No offense taken. I never thought about it much either before doing a workshop on it; purely because it was one of the few puppetry types I hadn't tried yet. Hopefully with this idea of mine it will increase the exposure shadow puppets get as a modern art form.

Fun watching the progress you are making. It is nice of you to record everything because it helps the rest of us understand how to avaid making mistakes we may have otherwise made. Thanks!! Can't wait to see meore!!

  It's fun sharing it. I think documenting the process is always so helpful. I've learned an immense amount already, and I can't *wait* to get stuck into building so I can truly see whether or not my super-secret effect actually works.

It's also helpful because I hope to write up a 'how to' on scriptwriting for puppets, so this is really helpful to keep track of various ideas, methods and thoughts.

Unfortunately (or fortunately) I'm also working on something else at the moment, part of which has a deadline on Wednesday. I hope to update more on that later.