Great Puppet Making Book

I plucked this one off the stacks at Sheridan's library a few months ago, just at random. It's not for making stop motion puppets, but rather various hand puppets. The book very much impressed me for a number of reasons.

First, it's a very cute, tidy, "pocketbook" size. Charming. An easy read/reference.

Second, it's filled with very clear and well explained puppet "stuff". This includes not just hand puppets, but also stages for puppet shows. Some are very simple, some are complex, but all are explained very clearly.

Third, the book has a great tone. It's witty, and reads as though the writer had fun putting it all together.

Fourth, the actual puppets that the book shows how to make are clever and charming, and encourage the imagination of the reader to envision variations on designs and methods.

Fifth (and finally)- the book is DIRT cheap. Amazon.ca has it for approx. $10 (Can).


For all these reasons, I ordered myself a copy.

I highly recommend this little gem.

Pepper's Ghost

I'm a sucker for physical effects. If it can be done "on-set", or "in-camera," it just gives me such a kick.

One such tried and true effect is Pepper's Ghost. It essentially hinges on the transmission and reflection of light. Wikipedia does a better job of explaining, so for that you can click here.

It's simple, elegant, and when done well- beautifully effective. You just can't beat an effect that literally happens before your eyes. It feels real... because it IS. Real beams of light, being directed and controlled, for effect.

The effect has been used by many large amusement park shows (Disney's, for example), but I think its use in low budget traveling sideshows is more interesting. I love the idea of something so mystifying and effective happening in an otherwise rag-tag setting.

A classic example is the "Girl To Gorilla" attraction.

I've embedded a video below that is a charming home made version of the "Girl To Gorilla" trick.

It's wonderfully effective, and the creepy night-vision quality only heightens the excitement!

It warms my heart to see physical effects still wowing the crowds (and freaking out little kids)...

Potter Puppet Pals

These clips are all pretty killer. I don't know much about who is making them, and posting them. But I love how they are essentially puppet shows, that use some camera editing to make it a bit more punchy.

They are all darn funny. This one really tickles me.

And I don't really even like Harry Potter.