Have you ever dreamed of becoming a puppeteer? Maybe you were raised on Sesame Street or The Labyrinth got your mind racing and that was it.
Or maybe as an adult, you have a newfound appreciation for what might be a dying art. Most of the children’s television was puppets before CGI, but now they are in decline.
So why start now? Because you want to – it’s really simple.
Buy The Right Puppet
When you are just starting, it is easy to feel silly putting on a voice and creating a character if you’re not used to it. That is why you need to have the right puppet to guide you on your way.
Even though it is tempting to buy something cheap and not waste money on a hobby, choosing a handmade puppet will make all the difference. Because it is bespoke, it will already have more personality and character to it.
It is far easier to anthropomorphize something that is carefully made and isn’t mass-produced. Take your time to pick the puppet that speaks to you and in turn, you will feel happy speaking through.
Professional Story Telling
Most people assume you need to spend a lot of time practicing how to make the puppet move. They get so caught up in the physicality that they need to make it move realistically to be successful.
However, this is not the case. Just mastering some simple movements like a head-turn is enough to make the audience believe in the character.
Any more is unnecessary and can stop you from progressing onto what is important – being a good storyteller. This is the key element of any puppet show and the skill you should focus on.
Once you have picked a character for your puppet, it’s time for a backstory. Even though those details might never come up in your show, it is important in helping decide how it will interact.
Take the time to sketch out little scenarios and decide how the character will react to them. It will help develop your acting, writing, and puppetry all at the same time as well as giving you some material.
When you have enough then you can think about entering an open mic night and trying it out!
Work With Children
Children love puppets. They are drawn into the bright colors and like the physicality.
Puppets can also be a very useful tool when teaching them about life. Puppets can represent social interaction and act as role models.
A story told by a puppet will be a lot easier for a child to take in then an adult telling them how to react in a situation. They learn by watching the show and internalize the message.
You can take an education puppet show into schools and the children will benefit from it.