Hobbies And Interests
Your Hand and Arm Positions
The way that you move your hands and arms is crucial to the movement of the puppet. When making a puppet speak, move only your thumb inside of the puppet. You thumb will open the lower jaw of the puppet, making it look like it's talking. If you move both your fingers and your thumb the entire head will move, rather than just the mouth. The Ironwood Youth Leaders Retreat suggests crossing your middle finger over your index finger in the puppet. This will help your thumb make isolated movemets. You arm should be straight up in the air, slightly resting on the side of your head. Angle your hand inside the puppet just slightly downward. This way, you puppet will be making eye contact with a sitting audience.
Talking
Practice makes perfect when it comes to learning how to talk with your puppet. If you're below the stage, you can talk as normal. To make the speaking puppet look more life-like, make sure you start each word with the mouth of the puppet closed. If you are performing with the puppet, you may want to practice lip synchronization. Keep your mouth slightly open, and practice saying short words and counting to 50. Continue to do this until you feel comfortable lip syncing. When your puppet is done talking and it's your turn, over exaggerate your mouth and words.
Puppet Movement
The way a puppet moves can truly bring it to life. When walking, gently bounce the puppet to the spot on stage where it needs to be. When running, make your puppet bounce quickly to the spot. Always keep the puppet's back straight and its head looking forward. Remember to not overdo the movements or make movements too sharp.