Tutorial 1 & Presentation Feedback

        As a way of keeping everyone informed on how our individual projects have been progressing over summer, we each prepared a brief presentation outlining our aims, intentions, initial research and any practical work we may have undertaken. This also provided an opportunity for the class to share ideas, and provide suggestions and sources to help on another advance, and for our tutors to identify any themes or common practices which could help form us into small 'research clusters' (in which we can pool resources, share knowledge, and perhaps even organise mutually beneficial workshops or inductions).

My initial aim for this project is to explore the link between puppetry, stop motion animation, practical creature effects, and possibly even CGI, and whether each of these creative arts has evolved from puppet theatre, as a means to express and depict the 'theatre of the impossible' - impossible in the sense that a flesh and blood performer would be 'constrained by the weight and frailty of their physicality and by gravity'.

My first step was to try and define what a puppet actually can be, aside from the stereotypical marionette. As noted here, the precise definition as a puppet is tricky, with many theorists and artists differing in what they deem acceptable.

In this definition, the defining attribute of a puppet is that the controller must be present, by implication influencing the performance of the puppet in real time, which would seemingly discount even stop motion puppets, as although manipulated directly by a human performer (unlike an automaton) the result is not 'real time'.

However this definition is more open, proposing that all forms of animation could be included within the realms of puppetry. The author goes on to draw similarities between CGI figures and puppets, with the creation of both involving 'the construction of a figure imbued with articulation points that is then given surface design features. Both, in short, are artificial human constructs designed for manipulation (of one sort or another) by people.   

Whether or not animation is a form of puppetry, what puppetry and animation undoubtedly have in common is animism: the belief in and attribution of life to all objects. While this belief may not be as deep rooted now as it once was, when an object looks or behaves like a living creature or entity, that belief is awakened and we are willing to suspend disbelief that a horse-shaped cane skeleton...

...or an animatronic dinosaur are real, living, breathing creatures. Aside from researching the history and theories of theatre puppetry, I have also begun to watch 'makings-of' for films which utilise both practical and digital effects. So far I have been looking at Jurassic Park (which was initially going to use stop motion animated dinosaurs), and Star Wars, both of which are franchises that illustrate the evolution of cinematic creature effects. I also aim to look at the work of Jim Henson's Creature Shop.

One aspect which stood out to me from these films was the Dinosaur Input Device, which allowed experienced stop motion animators to transition to CGI animation, manipulating a mechanical dinosaur 'puppet' to produce computer generated results.

What has become apparent from my research thus far is the emphasis placed on performance, both in puppetry and animation. Both the puppeteers and animators are likened to actors, and while their methods may differ, the success of their work depends upon their ability to enter the head space of and become the character or creature they are attempting to depict.

        Although I was slightly disappointed with the feedback I received from my presentation (everyone was positive about my ideas and development so far, but I wasn't given many suggestions or ideas on how to progress further), my first tutorial was more encouraging. I expressed my concerns regarding the practical artefact, and although not yet completely resolved, I have a clear idea of how my project needs to progress before the next tutorial in two weeks time:

• Choose a story upon which I can base my puppet character. This could be a fable or a fairytale (although ideally one which is more obscure, perhaps of Russian or Scandinavian influence). As the focus of my project is on puppetry design, construction and performance, it would be unnecessary for me to spend valuable time writing my own story.
• As I want my character to be a creature, as opposed to humanesque, my tutor suggested the possibility of anthropomorphising an inanimate object, like the magic carpet of Aladdin. However, I think I would rather produce an animal, either real or fictional (of which there are many in fables and fairytales).
• Having chosen my character and story, I can then begin to flesh out some design ideas. These need not be greatly in depth...just thumbnails to show initial ideas, direction and development. 
• To maintain a link between the different aspects of my practical artifact (stop motion, traditional and possibly CG puppets) I could consider looking at the commonalities...how they may influence each other and whether any of the skills and techniques I learn from the construction of the one could help in the creation of the others.
• There is a performance by Odd Doll (Rebekah Caputo's company) called Red Rust, which may be useful to attend, both as research and a chance to network and ask questions.