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S A F
E T Y
The
practical work involved in devising celebrations requires the occupational health
and safety practices associated with the visual and performing arts. Always
put safety first.
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Shadow
puppets
[You
may also be interested in puppets]
Materials:
Strong cardboard (puppet construction)
Wicker, wire, brass paper fasteners (for joints to allow movement)
Bamboo, light cane (rods to hold puppets and limbs)
Masking tape, staples, transparent tape
Coloured cellophane
Stanley knife/scissors. Never leave stanley knives open or on the floor.
Light source (e.g. spotlight, floodlight, desklight, candles, lanterns,
fire). If using fire, have a fire safety officer present at all times.
Have a wet blanket, fire extinguisher and sand at hand to extinguish any
fire. Make sure all performers are wearing non-flammable clothing (ie
cotton or wool), hair is tied up, and all aterials are fire retarded with
fire retardant spray.
Screen (e.g. cotton sheet, tracing paper, calico, side of tent - from inside or
outside)
Cardboard, blanket, plywood (placed below screen to hide the performers)
Polystyrene foam, sand buckets (can be used to hold puppets and props in place)
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- Draw your design on strong cardboard. Use a stanley knife and
scissors to cut out the shape.
- You can cut windows in the shape and tape coloured cellophane
over them to create a stained glass effect. Use transparent tape
to avoid unwanted shadows in the windows.
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- You can create flexible joints or pivot points with wire, wicker,
tape or brass paper fasteners.
- You can have any number of joints, but remember that each performer
can only handle a couple at a time.
- Attach rods to the main shape and to moving parts to allow movement
and manipulation.
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- Use simple musical instruments (e.g. chimes) or sound effects
to accompany your piece. Dialogue may not be necessary because
the image can be so strong.
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- Use a strong light source to provide the backlight. In a darkened
environment, your light source need not be electric - e.g. lanterns
or naked flame (safety allowing).
- If possible, angle the light source to shine over the performers'
heads to reduce unnecessary shadows.
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- Use an opaque base (such as cardboard) below the screen to
hide the performer and provide storage space for puppets and props.
- In some settings the screen can be held by performers using
wood or bamboo to stretch the material.
- Strips of polystyrene foam can be used to hold props or puppets
in place - just poke the puppet rods into the foam.
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Movie:
In this video clip, Sean describes
the need to plan ahead for pivot points when creating your cardboard
puppets.
[You will need Quicktime
3 or better to view this clip]
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Notes:
Always put the safety of crew, performers and spectators first
- no exceptions.
Think about entrances. Puppets may appear from left and right,
up from below. They can approach the screen from a distance (coming
into focus), or approach end-on to the light (they look like a thin
line until they are turned to reveal the shape). Striking the puppets
against the screen adds sound and a fresh dynamic.
The screen can be cotton sheet, tracing paper, calico,the side
of tent (inside or outside), built into a larger puppet (e.g. screen
for a stomach, bird wings), big lanterns, covered windows.
Buckets of sand or the ground can be used to hold larger puppets
or props in place.
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