Suggestion for Animation

We have discussed in the past the importance of keeping
your character animated to make it seem to be alive. This
is an important feature in holding your audiences attention
and keeping the audience focused on you the performer.

Here is a suggestion that won’t cost more than about 5
cents. Watch this short video of one of our characters.
Pay attention to the head movement and the corresponding
movement of the characters hands.

This is quite simply clear mono-filament fishing line
doing all the movement of the characters hands. As the
head moves, bobs, jerks or whatever, the hands also move.

It is very easy to do. Start with about 30″ of thin clear
fishing line. Most of us don’t have to buy any, just cut
off about that much from your fishing pole. (Make sure
that you leave the hook with the pole.) Make a loop at one
end of the line that is big enough to slide easily over the
puppets hand. This way if you don’t want to use the
movement for some reason, you can very quickly disconnect
the line from the hand. When you slide the loop over the
hand, let it rest as close as practical to the hand, but
have it on the puppets wrist.

Then position the puppets hand in the middle of the range
you want the hand to travel and hold it in that position.
Have someone hold the puppets head straight up and with
your other hand take the line and hold it up next to the
puppets ear. This way you will be able to tell the
approximate length you need. Now tie a loop on the other
end of the line and loop it over the puppets ear. (You can
sew it into the puppets earlobe if you wish, but for now we
recommend that you just hang it off the ear).

With the line looped over both the wrist and the ear, put
your hand in the puppet and have a little conversation with
the puppet. You will see that as you move the head from
side to side that the puppets hand will also move with the
head. Since your audience cannot see the line, they just
assume that the hand is moving by itself.

If, for instance you are using a left armrod, then only
put the line on the right wrist/ear so that you can
continue to use the left armrod for more specific
movements. If you are not using an armrod, put the line on
both wrists/ears. Play around with the concept. You may
just find that we have given you an effective new tool for
animation.

Until next time,

Steve & JET