Hi guys, did you miss me? I suppose not lol but I surely missed you guys. Tonight, the puppet bug got me, hard and I was wondering if any of you guys had any experience in making a bunraku puppet. Since I do not have any foam under hand, I was thinking that it's ok, I wanted to try recycling my old marionnette that I had started way back then when Shawn was doing a tutorial on making a marionnette and using it for a bunraku puppet project. So I am wondering if some of you have tried making one before and what tips and tricks you recommended or maybe point me to some posts that refer to the subject.

Many thanks and huge puppet hug!

I just found some good videos made by Emily DeCola on the Expert Village youtube channel, so they are cool. Too bad they are not numbered or in order, but oh well, better than nothing. Here is the link:
http://www.youtube.com/user/expertvillage/videos?query=bunraku

Are you talking about the Japanese bunraku, or the Westernised rod puppet? These two often get mixed up, but they're not the same thing building-wise.

I've seen the videos too, I I enjoyed them very much. But those puppets are very complex and use 3 puppeteers each so I decided not to go too deep into that matter. As Fettig once stated (I try to translate from memory): "Bunraku is the most technically advanced and artistically sophisticated form of puppetry. But the effort is too much for the ordinary western puppeteer, especially for those who work -like myself- alone."
That's we I went for more western rodpuppets you can manage alone. Bruce Schwartz (he was in the Muppetshow twice) made great puppets and played them very well- now I only find him as a joga teacher... )

Very interresting Rikka, care to elaborate further. I think I would like to know more about the western type of bunraku. I am still new to this form of puppetry so any info is more than welcomed. I decided to look back at the tutorial Shawn did way back then and redoo a new head. I had one that I had started, but the neck did not have a ball joint, making it one piece so I am thinking of maybe using that head for a future project. This time I want to try to add a ball joint to the neck. So I am starting from scratch.

Na has some great articles on her site you might want to check out.
http://www.schoolofpuppetry.com.au/tutorials.php/what-is-bunraku-puppetry
http://www.schoolofpuppetry.com.au/tutorials.php/what-is-table-top-puppetry

Sorry, I didn't get what you meant- elaborate what?

Sorry, I didn't get what you meant- elaborate what?

Ok, let me see if I can ask a more clear question, what is a western rod puppet. Since I work alone, I think it would be the best thing for me. Thanks

Thank you Shawn, I will check them out really closely :D

I can tell you where I want to go... I have seen Bruce Schwartz (he was on the Muppets, too!)
Jim Henson Presents: Bruce Schwartz Part 1 of 5
This is the link to the first part of the Bruce Schwartz Episode of HEnsons "Puppeteers of the World"- bit more info, the quality is not too great, I am afraid.
And of course Richard Teschner (and Austrian artist from the early- mid 20th century)
Christmas
I saw Mr. Teschner discussed in Fettigs book, too. His puppets are a bit more like I wanted: Table top figures is -I think- one of the terms commonly used for them.
As Cody said Schwartzes puppets have cloth bodys. Teschner carved his (body and all) from wood. They have a rod going up inside of them, in the body this rod is replaced by a spring. The arms move in joints, each arm has its own rod and the legs are operated by strings that run inside the thigh, come up to the torso and run inside the rod (rather a tube, I guess) to be manipulated by rings that hang down near the handle.
I would like to see how I could combine both: I really like the idea of being able to even show the puppet nude (as Teschner did), on the other hand I don't like the middle tube so much (Schwartz seems to be able to do without. I also LOVE the way he manipulates the legs! Makes the build so much more easy).
Right now I am working on ball jointed dolls
I started from this: http://www2d.biglobe.ne.jp/~dhnoah/make_00.htm
But I am still working on the details, having thrashed about a dozen dolls. (Especially since I don't use the clay mentioned there- I go for FIMO. So I have to adapt)
After I succeded in the dolls I want to give them a handle in the back of the head and hoops to the arms so that I can attach rods. This should then work like a black theatre- which is very much like Bunraku...
But as I said: still processing...