Making the Character in Puppet Form

As discussed in the 'Character Development' post, I've decided to create my character in the form of a wooden puppet [as opposed to the guideline of placing yourself in the set-design. This is going to be very challenging [especially in such a short span of time], but this is something I've wanted to try for quite a while and I think if I put in the effort, the outcome will be great.

Above: Rough design work for the character.

Today I went to the college's library to find some books on puppet making in wood. Unfortunately, I couldn't find anything particularly useful [that I could also borrow] so I've just been using some online resources - including a PDF of John C.Faustman's 'How to Make and Operate Marionettes' [1934].

There are 3 classes of puppets, the type I will be creating falls under 'Marionette' due to its operation being made through strings or threads. Most marionettes are carved from wood [such as pine], but this material and the tools required can be quite expensive; I might need to consider some other possibilities.

Below I've created a few more diagrams to illustrate which parts I will need to make separately and how these will attach together through joint work.

Above: More planning for the puppet.

After looking at my timetable, I realised that my wood-work induction wouldn't be until after the filming. I had been quite nervous about creating a wooden puppet in such a short space of time; my friend Rasid took months to create his marionettes and they were much more complicated. It's because of this that I've decided to create the puppet through slightly different means. The plan is to create a basic wire frame and then wrap newspaper/wadding around it to create the desired shapes. i will then coat these with milliput to create a hard shell. This will allow me to create much more detail on the characters skin

The easiest means of creating a marionette is through taped rolled up paper with a simple wire running through and out of each end. These can be turned into a linking joint. The control strings should be attached to the end of each limb as the main point of control. I can achieve this by piercing a hole while the milliput is still malleable. Plastic thread can be needled through later on.

I've created a few test samples first before attempting the actual thing and I've just ordered 2 more packs of milliput [making a total of 3 and a bit] just in case.

Above: Quick test joint using all the planned materials.

Something to note at this point is my mistake in not folding the paper wadding tightly enough; this brought about difficulties when it came to adding the milliput with constant breakages. When I make the real puppet I'll make sure to make the basic shape much denser for the sculpting stage.

I also think that a good way to do this would be to create quite a thin body with all the joints and then build up on the form once this has hardened. Once that thicker layer has solidified, I can then work on smaller details like folds in the skin and lumps.

After looking online at some free tutorials, I've also decided to make the wires run all the way through each component to be manipulated out of each end - this will make sure the metal joints don't fall out at a later stage and increase the strength of the mechanisms.

The operation of the puppet will be made simply by adding rings to the end of each plastic thread. These will go around the five fingers of my right hand and be manipulated through my finger movements - as opposed to creating a cross where the strings are attached to the end of each beam. This will allow for more organic movements made by the puppet.

Making the Puppet

Painting the Puppet

The Final Outcome

It took about 4 days to complete this puppet and for a first attempt, I'm fairly happy. The movement of the puppet and the paintwork aren't exactly how I expected them to turn out - but overall I think I've achieved the look of an ill and neglected being. From here I just need to practice the manipulation of the puppet in preparation for filming.