Dan's Puppet- Past Work:

Here is another fun build we did a while ago:

This one was a unique challenge.  We ended up tailoring a sweatshirt into a live-hand arm for this character.  Which at the time, was the first time we had done something like that.

This character turned out to be several firsts for us.  This was the first time we shipped a puppet internationally, (though this didn't influence the build at all).  This was also marked the first attempt of our technology-assisted pattern making process, to create the skull for the puppet.  To get the shape we wanted, we modeled the head in a 3D software, and through some computer magic, we ended up with a pattern that made the head you see.

It turned out exactly like we wanted.
In retrospect, this method may have been better suited for a more complex shape.  However, we learned that we could use that process if we ever needed to make something particularly intricate.
(For example, we would likely use it for a particularly involved Full-Custom style request.)

Here is some footage we shot of him in action:

Small: a little puppet

This character was a custom order from quite a while ago.

These sketches are variations of the character based on a written description of him.

The sketches were based mostly on an explanation of the character's personality.  This description only gave a few specific physical traits, so much of it was open for interpretation.  I wanted to have a variety of options to choose between while still keeping maintaining the essence of the character's personality.

We settled on this for the final design:

We used this illustration as a guide while we built the character.

Here is how the little guy turned out:

Quick video in the works

Ages ago, I felt like it had been too long since I'd tried to make some kind of video, so I started on something.  Just a simple lip-sync.

I took the four blank puppets I had, quickly dressed them up, then attempted to perform a 4-part musical number with the aid of a green screen and some computer magic.

The cast:

He eventually gets eyes.

I wish I had some hair to give her...  oh well.

There's a reason for the wonky eyes.  You'll see..

Very fun one to perform.

The preview:

This is a very rough work in progress shot...  the background is basically a test-pattern.  (an arbitrary photo I had)  

Puppet Rack & Photos

Now they have a place where I can display them...  and they're out of the way.




I didn't realize until I put all this up that I have as many blank characters as finished characters.  sweet.

Floyd, now with 100% more tongue.

Staniel... posing, apparently.

Gertie is too close.

Erma wants you off her lawn. 

Staniel is up to something.

Chef Character Ideas

I've had this idea brewing for a while now.

Two chef characters with some sort of cooking show.  One would be the old, wise, master chef, and the other would be a bumbling apprentice that despite their enthusiasm, can't seem to get things right.

After thinking it over for a bit, I realized that it would play out much like a combination between a Muppet-Labs and Swedish Chef sketch.

At first I was a bit disappointed in my apparent lack of originality.  The more I thought about it though, I thought it sounded like a whole lot of fun anyway.






Thinking about it now, I think it might be fun to work in a little bit of Mythbusters, as well, since Adam and Jamie's personalities fit so well into the dynamic of these characters.

Puppet Building Process

These photos are quite old, and don't really reflect how I build puppets now, but they show the basic process I followed when I started building puppets.

I thought it may be helpful for anyone out there getting started building puppets of their own.


Building the head
This puppet's head was originally a "failed attempt" at building something else.  It didn't turn out like I'd pictured it, but I was able to recycle it as something else.

Lesson 1:  Mistakes aren't bad.  If something doesn't come out quite right, you've just learned something.  Plus, in this case, you are left with an extra puppet head.

The mouth-plate:
One of the most important features of a puppet, it's mouth plate.  You don't need to start with the mouth, but I did.  Doing so makes sure that the characters mouth fits your hand, and grows comfortably from there.
This is just one way to do it, however.  There's no wrong way to build a puppet.

I used craft foam for the mouth itself, and the hinge, layering it to make it sturdy, yet flexible.

I added a foam cuffs to the top and bottom to hold the puppeteer's fingers in place.













(This could have made an interesting character if I had stopped here.)












The skull:

I found a basic sphere pattern online, made up of wedges.












I fiddled with it and modified it a bit, and used this to make the top of the head.

Then, I put the skull-cap, and mouth together.

Unfortunately, I didn't document the rest of the head's build after this point, since it happened much later.
Not pictured:
Putting fabric "skin" onto the head
Making and attaching a neck-sleeve

Luckily though, there isn't a whole lot to say about those steps.  I figured them out by trial and error, and you can get a pretty good idea of how it works from the following pictures.


The Body:

The body pattern was made with a similar wedge-based idea as the head was.  However, I altered it quite a bit.
That process is a bit too tedious and technical to address here.
A simplified way to approach it would be to start with a cylinder, then adding and subtracting wedge-shaped "darts" until it is shaped right.






Hands & Arms

I decided to make both live-hand and rod-hand arms for this puppet (to be able to have either, as needed).

The short version of this is to draw a hand shape, and sew it.  It's not all that complicated.


Live hands must be big enough to work as gloves.  The puppet's arm has an extra sleeve between the wrist and elbow, where the puppeteer's hand enters.

Finishing up

The puppet is not on my head, but it's fun to pretend.

Then I put skin on everything.  I don't have these steps documented, but if I did, it would be a lot of similar not-very-interesting-or-helpful pictures.  Also, at the time of building this one, it was a lot of trial-and-error on my part.


I designed this puppet so that its arms, head and body would be interchangeable (I made two sets of arms, and had planned on making different heads and bodies, too).  This would allow for a great deal of combinations of shapes and characters from just one puppet.  (I wanted to have a versatile "extra" that could play a mailman, someone's aunt, secret agent, livestock, etc.  as the need arose.)