Stuff I learned costuming for Puppets and People
This random stream of though came into my head while working on the clothing for the puppets and working on the Friday Night Workmanship contest as the same time.
Puppets don’t care about what fabric you put next to their “skin”. Puppeteers and actors do care very much. If it is itchy or hot or uncomfortable you will hear about it from the humans.
Puppets don’t care if their seams are pressed. Workmanship judges do.
For me, I try to get as exact as I can when recreating a character but I have learned that I can “cheat” for things that can’t be seen on puppets. I look at the character and figure out what HAS to be there and what would be nice to be there. For humans I try for as close as I can to the original influence.
Unless the puppet needs to be redressed, they don’t need button holes. They don’t need working pockets. Humans need these things especially pockets.
Building shoes for puppets is a pain.
Trying to find the right fabric one has to make a choice between what one sees on the screen or what the color really was (see the 8th Doctor’s frock coat debate).
It is much easier to recreate things these days than it was even 7 years ago. We have a whole set of new materials to use including 3-D printers but let us not forget the old materials that we used. Sometimes the old ways are best. I have to remember to not over think it and not always go for the shiny new.
The longer I have been doing this, the faster I have gotten. However I have hit the wall of limitations because there is no way to go faster that this point.
Today is suit jackets and winged lions and monsters not necessarily in that order.
I am grateful that I have learned so much over the years.
Puppets don’t care about what fabric you put next to their “skin”. Puppeteers and actors do care very much. If it is itchy or hot or uncomfortable you will hear about it from the humans.
Puppets don’t care if their seams are pressed. Workmanship judges do.
For me, I try to get as exact as I can when recreating a character but I have learned that I can “cheat” for things that can’t be seen on puppets. I look at the character and figure out what HAS to be there and what would be nice to be there. For humans I try for as close as I can to the original influence.
Unless the puppet needs to be redressed, they don’t need button holes. They don’t need working pockets. Humans need these things especially pockets.
Building shoes for puppets is a pain.
Trying to find the right fabric one has to make a choice between what one sees on the screen or what the color really was (see the 8th Doctor’s frock coat debate).
It is much easier to recreate things these days than it was even 7 years ago. We have a whole set of new materials to use including 3-D printers but let us not forget the old materials that we used. Sometimes the old ways are best. I have to remember to not over think it and not always go for the shiny new.
The longer I have been doing this, the faster I have gotten. However I have hit the wall of limitations because there is no way to go faster that this point.
Today is suit jackets and winged lions and monsters not necessarily in that order.
I am grateful that I have learned so much over the years.