Cheap Manual Mechanism This post is going to be short, but thought I would show an inexpensive way to add functionality to a puppet that will give it more life as far as the audience is concerned. Need: Balls for eyes (ping pong balls, wooden balls, etc.) Wire (coat hanger from dry cleaners work great) Wire cutters Prep the Eyes Small holes big enough to fit the wire through needs to go through the entire ball. Right through the center. Figure out where the center of the eye

Why should my team write a blog Blogs represent authority. Its overall power comes from the evergreen interactive nature of the posts. Blogs enable you to communicate with your readers (aka potential audience members and gig creators) quickly and efficiently. The most important aspect of communicating through a blog is that it is two-way interaction if you set it up to be so. Each blog can lead off of the previous and you can make quick adjustments based on the feedback you r

Create the Professional Sometimes the first impression that you will give to prospective event planners, financial supporters and possible new recruits is going to be a video presentation that shows off your abilities. Too often, especially with ministry team videos, the ball gets dropped somewhere; there is a contentment to just throw together straight footage that looks very lackluster at best and unprofessional at worst. I always say when videotaping a performance, try to

Get Off Your Duff! OK, it is impossible to ‘learn’ puppetry and not practice. It’s not like riding a bike; it will not just “come back to you” even if you remember everything. The goal is to create an almost cellular memory of what to do, so that it becomes second nature to do it. I have been doing puppetry for so long now that when I train others and try to give examples of biting words, flipping the lid, etc. I have to consciously think about it, because I unconsciously do

Ventriloquist Intelligentsia Paul Winchell was one of the first entertainers that I connected with at young age. Born Paul Wilchinsky on December 21, 1922, was an American ventriloquist, comedian, actor, voice artist, humanitarian, and inventor whose career flourished in the 1950s and 1960s. From 1950 to 1954, he was the host of The Paul Winchell Show, which also used two other titles during its prime time run on NBC, The Speidel Show, and What's My Name?. From 1965–1968, Wi

The Power of small Habits Whether you are just starting your puppet venture or if you are a seasoned veteran looking to hone your skills, it all starts with habits. Habits are the stepping stones used to reach your goals. Too often we set lofty goals for ourselves and then we try to take big leaps to reach those goals and when we miss the mark we give up. It’s not the big leaps that get us where we want to be most of the time, it’s the little steps forward and upward that get