CoP3 Updated Proposal

        After presenting our initial progress to the group and receiving suggestions and feedback, we were given an opportunity to revisit our proposals and make and last minute changes before finalising our ideas with our tutor. 

        Over the summer I had become a little sidetracked, as the majority of the books I was reading focused upon puppetry in a purely theatrical context. While this is no bad thing, and I will indeed need to be aware of puppetry's theatrical history as part of my exploration of the mediums origins, it was helpful for me to revisit my initial proposal. Not only was I able to make alterations based upon how my ideas may have progressed, but also rediscover my aims and intentions for this projects, which had become a little lost…

        In short, I didn't make too many changes from my initial plan, to explore the connection between puppetry, stop motion animation and special effects. I added some additional sources to my bibliography (which will no doubt continue to grow) and slightly refined my practical proposal, although this is still quite vague.

Aim and/or objective of your proposed COP3 project:

To investigate the role of puppets and puppetry in contemporary theatre, stop motion animation, and film, perhaps even touching upon CGI. Can stop motion, CGI character and creature animation(digital puppets?) and other forms of practical effects seen in cinema (such as the creature effects created by practitioners including Phil Tippett, Jim Henson, Rick Baker and Stan Winston) be considered the next step in the evolution of puppet theatre, another method to depict the ‘theatre of the impossible’?

1What research needs to be undertaken into the general and specific contexts of your practice? Research the histories of puppetry, stop motion and cinematic effects, and whether the evolution of techniques and materials used in the realm of puppet theatre have paved the way for what we see today in film and animation. It may also be useful to investigate the reason for the enduring appeal of puppetry (War Horse’s extreme popularity) and the current resurgence in stop motion animation (led by Laika and Tim Burton) amidst the digital age, particularly given the link between puppets of all kinds and Freud’s theory of ‘the uncanny’. What is the purpose of puppetry? Is it predominantly a means of bringing to the stage and screen characters which would otherwise be impossible to portray (as seems to be the case in cinema), or is it the puppet’s innate alien quality and ‘otherness’ which gives them an enduring place in the world?

2What approach(es) will you take and what processes, methods, materials and tools are to be involved in research into your practice? I hope to experiment with some of the key puppet making materials and techniques uncovered during the course of my research, using these new methods to build upon the foundation of skills I have already gathered throughout my time on the course. It would be interesting to produce a ‘traditional’ puppet, a stop motion puppet and a digital puppet (if CGI creatures/characters can be classed as such), all of the same character and understand how different materials and methods impact upon the ‘character’ of a puppet. However, another avenue of exploration could be to investigate the similarities between traditional puppet construction, stop motion armatures and digital rigged characters.

3What preparation or investigations do you need to undertake for your creative practice to take place? I will need to investigate and understand the range of materials and techniques used to create puppets, for theatre, film and animation, particularly the techniques used to articulate joints. Also, if I do undertake a digital element within my creative practice, I will most likely require assistance in learning the basic tools and abilities of new software, such as Mudbox, and possibly some refresher workshops with Maya. Throughout my research, I will come to understand what it is that gives a puppet, theatrical or stop motion, its appeal and will be able to incorporate these features into my creative practice. Are audiences still willing to accept puppets and animatronics in cinema, or has CGI created and expectation of photorealism, confining the puppet to the theatre stage?

4What research do you need to undertake regarding who your creativity is for? My investigation could potentially be aimed towards the film and television production sector, as a reminder that in the midst of the digital revolution there remains a place for more traditional techniques. However, my audience is more likely to be those who share my interest in stop motion and puppetry, practitioners in the animation or theatre industry.  This investigation could form a part of my portfolio, to be shown to such practitioners to demonstrate my interest and knowledge. Consequently, I need to strike the right tone between formal and passionate, demonstrate that I have researched thoroughly, and have a well-informed knowledge of the subject.

Primary sources of information:

Skipton Puppet Festival

Stan Winston School Tutorials & Workshops

Interviews with practitioners?

Secondary sources of information:

Bacon, M. (1997) No Strings Attached: The Inside Story of Jim Henson’s Creature Workshop, London: Macmillan.

Bell, J. (ed) (2001) Puppets, Masks , and Performing Objects, Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press.

Bicat, Tina. (2007) Puppets and Performing Objects: A Practical Guide, Ramsbury: Crowood Press.

Blumenthal, E. (2005) Puppetry and Puppets: An Illustrated World Survey, London: Thames and Hudson.

Currell, D. (1999) Puppets and Puppet Theatre, Marlborough:  Crowood Press.

Duignan, P R. (1996) Industrial Light and Magic: Into the Digital Realm, London: Virgin Publishing.

Francis, P. (2012) Puppetry: A Reader In Theatre Practice, New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

Freud, S. (2003) The Uncanny, Harmondsworth: Penguin Books.

Gross, K. (2011) Puppet: An Essay on Uncanny Life, Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.

Latshaw, G. (2000) The Complete Book of Puppetry, New York: Dover.

Payne, C. (1996) The Encyclopedia of Modelmaking Techniques, London: Headline Book Publishing.

Purves, B. (2008) Stop Motion: Passion, Process and Performance, Oxford: Focal Press.

Purves, B. (2010) Basics Animation: Stop Motion, London: Fairchild Books AVA

Salisbury, M. and Hedgcock, A. (1994) Behind the Mask: The Secrets of Hollywood’s Monster Makers, London: Titan Books.

From Puppets to Pixels in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002) Directed by George Lucas. DVD.

The Making of Jurassic Park in Jurassic Park (1993) Directed by Steven Spielberg. DVD.

Pinewood: 80 Years of Movie Magic (6^th June 2015) BBC2

Handspring Puppet Co.: The Genius Puppetry Behind War Horse (2011) Available at: https://www.ted.com/talks/handpring_puppet_co_the_genius_puppetry_behind_war_horse?language=en#t-94310 (Accessed 1 October 2015)

http://www.warhorseonstage.com/learning/puppets/ (Various Videos)

Perceived Problems or Difficulties

The cost of the Stan Winston tutorials is quite high, particularly as there are several which look as though they would be of use. The materials required for my practical response may also prove to be quite costly. However, I perceive no ethical, legal or moral complications with my proposed area of study, and all other areas of research I currently plan to undertake are realistic, both in terms of cost and travel.