The influence of puppetry could be seen to reach into the realms of cinematic special effects. After all, like a theatre puppet, a CGI creature is an artificial, articulated human construct designed for manipulation and performance. The only difference is that while theatre puppets are free to exploit their artifice, cinematic puppetry is burdened with the task of replicating reality, or at least giving the impression of being 'real' within their own world, of fitting in seamlessly alongside live action footage.
I began researching Star Wars and Jurassic Park, both long lived franchises which rely on visula effects to tell their stories, and which have both encompassed a range of techniques, from on set puppets and animatronics to cutting edge CGI. While the 'making of documentaries' which I watched did not provide a particularly detailed account of the processes used, aimed as they are at the general public rather than specialist interest, some intersting points were made upon the skills and methods which are transferrable between the analogue and digital techniques, mainly the importance of a strong performance, and placing yourself in the mindset of the character you aim to bring to life.
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