LIFE

Week #5: Only three days, however, each of them very "bloggable" (according to Robbie)

You may be asking yourself why did I give my entry that name (LIFE), and it is because everything I learnt this short week can have that as a 'center'.

We had the last session of our workshop about puppets on Monday, where the main aim was to learn about the ANIMATION of puppets.





On the other hand, I realized that we have to concentrate on giving LIFE to each scene of the school play, otherwise the use of puppets will not be worthwhile at all.
so, how do we give LIFE to a puppet?

1. Define your puppet's posture, way of walking, personality and 'axis':
When the puppet gets an specific "personality" when standing and walking, our minds start looking at it as a living thing, instead of just an object.

2.Use "smooth and continuous" movements:
If it is not part of the creative proposal for the puppet, avoid 'robotic' movements, which may take life and 'realism' away from your puppet.

3. Work on your puppet's eyes:
Be always aware of the puppet's intentions when looking and talking, and the direction of its look.

4. Manipulate your puppet with care, otherwise, it can become very easily just an object.

There are special cases and types of puppets, where for example moving the puppets mouth for every syllable you say can give LIFE easily.
However, is the puppet the starting point, or the 'mean'?
The puppeteer needs to KNOW the puppet. To explore, know how does it work and what it can do according to its structure and material.
Most of the times puppeteers end up doing what the puppet offers.
The puppet and the puppeteer complement each other (puppets can seem more alive when the puppeteer works with passion and there is a "mystique" between them).
"Limits will let you have creativity"

Connecting the idea of LIFE with the school play, I learnt that each scene NEEDS to be dynamic, include all the characters (no one should be "just standing there"), we should be ALWAYS focusing on the game, and extremely important: focusing on giving LIFE to the puppets.

Puppeteers will need to apply the 'points' I said before, and as our audience is not used to see plays of this type, we need to focus on having puppets full of life and energy.

I remember Martin and Maria Laura told us about one puppet show that didn't focus on animating and giving movement to puppets, but only on their voices and intentions, so...

Do all types of plays/theatre focus on giving LIFE to puppets in the same way?
Does this have something to be with the different plays' concept, style, or maybe a convention?

Do the flat/plain puppets used in the Black Light Theatre play "Aspects of Alice" convey as much energy and life as the other kinds of puppets?