Best puppetry websites of 2010

(Note: this list was actually 5 puppetry websites I gave kudos to over 2010, but individually. As the awards were initially given on the ‘old’ website, Puppets in Melbourne, in the transfer to this site I’ve just conglomerated them together - the list is therefore chronological rather than best-worst. Future awards will be given in one go, at the end of the year…)

I thought it would be a good idea to recognise and celebrate the best puppetry sites out there in the world. There’s plenty of them, and here I’ve picked five of my favourites; and explained why they were chosen. These are sites that you should not just be bookmarking, but visiting on a regular basis. The criteria aren’t set in stone, but basically the sites have to: post regularly and recently; be full of useful or interesting information; or are fabulous for other reasons.

There’s no prize: just a little award icon people can put on their websites. Those people who get an award: feel free to download it and use it on your website. I’d appreciate it if you could link the image back to this website.

#1 Best Puppetry Site for 2010, PuppetVision

Andrew gets a big thumbs up from me. His posts are always thoughtful and interesting, covering topics as broad as business and replicas to precise descriptions of creative processes. His site is one of the many reasons I kept coming back to puppetry on the net, and I was disappointed last year to learn of him closing down Puppetbuilding.com for personal reasons. Although Andrew’s updates have become less regular, his site is still one of the best places to go for breaking news in puppetry, and really unusual or beautifully-made puppet videos that he’s found. I sincerely hope 2010 allows him to have fun and celebrate the passion of his work. Some of my PuppetVision favourites (there’s way too many to list, so check out the new stuff and the archives for more gems):

Linear vs passive income (what started my new take on puppet selling for 2010)
Rules for puppet revolutionaries (my personal bible from now on)
Six more things for puppeteers to think about
Twelve questions for puppeteers
Puppet film composition tips
Using puppets to pay bills
The case against bad puppetry
On heroes

#2 Best Puppetry Site for 2010, Puppet Kaos

Kelvin’s site appeared in my bookmarks long before I actually got around to reading it. And I’m really glad I actually started to, because he’s introduced me to a lot of great stuff over the past year or two. It’s not just the friendly sharing of puppetry and its concepts: he’s introduced me to a whole new area of puppetry that I’d never even known existed… Taiwanese puppets. I’d never seen these puppets before, and though I’m not a fan of glove puppets, I have to say that the Taiwanese TV shows using them are pretty damn astounding. Thanks Kelvin for your friendship and great puppetry!

Some of my Puppet Kaos favourites:

Summarising his participation in puppetry-for-TV workshops, starting here (anyone wanting some ideas for good workshop activities or wants to find out what they’re like, these are very recommended)
And his continuation with posts on an intermediate class, starting here
All of the really great posts on Taiwanese puppets. Too many to list, so here’s the whole category for them
Kelvin’s very cute Christmas video, which you can watch at the bottom of this post…

#3 Best Puppetry Site for 2010, Spirits Dancing

One of my favourite blogs is Hilary Talbot’s (Spirits Dancing). She often finds really great Aussie puppetry news, and has recently started doing an Aussie news twitter: http://twitter.com/OzPuppetry. More than that, she often has updates of obscure things, such as the Wayang Obama listed below, or giant animatronics. Plus, I’m a big fan of Hilary’s work; not just in puppetry, but sculpture too. She often posts pics of her work either in progress, or finished and it’s a fascinating look behind-the-scenes of the building process. I’ve only been reading her site for a few years, but have not kept as up-to-date as I’d like, so at some point this weekend I’ll be trawling her backlogs and reading all those great gems that I’m sure are hidden.

Some of my Spirits Dancing favourites:

Wayang Obama
The inspirational examples of table-top puppets, for which I have always intended on trying myself
Her list of links to Aussie puppetry, which rivals mine
Some of her sculpture here, here, and here, and shadow puppets here
Les Machines de l’île de Nantes (animatronic theme park)
Hil’s wrap up of Nori Sawa’s masterclass

It’s hard to believe that Hilary and I only really met about 2 years ago, during the Sawa masterclass. Her site is worth exploring, not just for the weird and wonderful updates on puppetry around the world, but for the curious look at the way sculpture can often overlap puppetry. Hilary has always been somewhat of an inspiration to me; her work is amazing and her attitude combines fun-loving childlike enjoyment and a seriousness set to task.

#4 Best Puppetry Site for 2010, Theatrical Dolls (aka All Puppets)

This time around I thought it would be a good idea to highlight a little known website (ie. nothing you’d accuse me of awarding to a friend, since most people would realise I’m big followers of the previous sites; and nothing you’ve already seen such as The Muppet Newsflash [a site that’s no longer available])… the problem is, I’m not sure what to call the site. It’s in Russian you see. So hopefully I can get a relatively decent translation happening via google.

This has been sitting in my bookmarks list for a long long time, but I never get around to posting about it. The site is a Livejournal community collection of well-photographed puppetry from around the world (mostly Europe though), and decent sized pics too. For the most part, descriptions and text are in Russian, but that’s ok: the photos are so diverse and detailed that one can get lost in the images for hours. There’s not just photos of puppets, but photos of puppets interacting with audiences, ephemera (photos, paintings, etc of puppetry from the past), puppets in rehearsal, puppets on the street… etc etc. The site is updated almost as regularly as mine, so there’s plenty of things to see. This is definitely one of those sites you come back to for a breather, for inspiration, for comparison, or just for curiousity. PS. Not just photos, but videos too!

I’d like to say that I’ve been keeping up-to-date reading this site, but I haven’t. So most of my favourite posts will come from the latest entries on the site. Also, just from the first three pages, it’s too hard to pick just a few, so these are my favs of the favs (in no particular order). :grin:

Theatercontact’s scared man sitting next to a huge crocodile (the expression on the man’s face is hilarious!)
Jutta Schubert’s man on a cross (I love the way the lighting catches the angular carving of the puppet)
Blind Summit Theatre’s rehearsal with lifesize male puppet
Fitz! Caterpilla puppet (indescribable… just check it out!)
Michael Chavel’s Evolution (actual painting here)
Theater1’s kitchen set and whale puppet prop
Institut für Theater’s (Stuttgart) royal puppet
And the last one: Aussie theatre company Strange Fruit, doing what they’re known for. Street theatre in period costumes on top of very large and wobbly poles! (Er, see it to understand the explanation better) It’s not quite puppetry, but it sure is cool!

#5 Best Puppetry Site for 2010, Puppet101

Technically this award should go to Swazzle, since this is just one of their blogs. I’m a big fan of the company’s work (the colour scheme on their Audrey puppets are amazing), but I highlight this one blog in particular for a number of reasons: a couple of their blogs seem to have been rerouted to non-existent pages; most are not updated very often (even in the past couple of years); and there is some awesome posts on the blog. Sean Johnson is the guy who updates Puppet101.

My favourite posts are below. Many of you, I expect, will have seen these already, but they’re worth revisiting.

A ‘how to’ (more like behind-the-scenes of building) on making a muppet-type cat, Ratchet. It’s quite long and in-depth, with each step laid out and pictures to go with it. For those just starting out in puppet making, this is a great example of how puppets are designed, right through to the end product and the finished details. (There’s also a snowman tutorial to check out) In fact, it’s a great post for anyone of any skill to read and enjoy,
The Peas; another how to, this one on making peas-in-a-pod. This fun little tutorial was posted on Puppetbuilding.com (back when it was online), so if you have been looking for it, look no more!
A tutorial on making rods for muppet-type puppets using piano wire. This is one of those posts that if I had the right tools, I’d try myself. This is a very professional way of making rods, and another one ideal for those just beginning in puppet making.
Their demo reel. I think I want to hate these people, they just look like they’re having so much fun doing what they love. Hard not to be jealous! (If you’re curious, check out the behind-the-scenes pics of the green screen video showcased in the demo reel)
There’s much more to be found, including posts on eyes and what materials to use; safety tips; other tips; book recommendations; and a lot of inspiring images of their puppets. Do dig back into the archives, it’s worth a look!

… These are my five top ten sites for 2010. There are plenty more out there than that of course, but I’d have a very long list if I did post about them all. But if you’re at all interested in puppetry, whether as a hobbyist or a professional, these are the sites you should be subscribing to or bookmarking for reference. Andrew’s site in particular is a favourite for every puppeteer I know, and Swazzle’s tutorials are referenced constantly over the years. Be sure to visit - and come back here next year for the 2011 list! UPPDATE: The 2011 list is here!