 We'll
cross that bridge when we come to it |
Manipulation
tactics
 The "airplane
control" is the mechanism that marionette puppeteers use
to manipulate the strings. The shorter, horizontal portion of
the control (i.e. the "wings") generally controls the
feet and is easily removable from the longer, vertical bar. With
an articulated marionette (one whose mouth and/or eyes move),
the mouth movements are generally controlled with one finger
tapping a flap under the vertical bar. |
Not
So Quiet on the Set
 Marionettes, unlike
most hand puppets, have feet and can navigate vertical space
(like climbing stairs) in ways that hand puppets cannot. The
sounds of the "foot falls" (the feet hitting the ground)
are added during the editing. This process is called "foley,"
and the "thuds" create a sense of weight that the marionettes
otherwise do not have. Some weigh about two pounds and some even
less. |
The
performance will floor you
 In DAVY JONES' LOCKER
you notice how the camera can look down from the top of the stairs
and see the marionette approaching with the floor beneath and
behind him. If this were tried on a hand puppet set, you would
see the puppeteers because there is no floor. This is how a life-like
feeling is achieved in a marionette film that you do not quite
get from hand puppets. Also, all settings are three dimensional
(i.e. rooms have 4 walls--with each wall capable of "flying"
or being removed when necessary for camera placement). |
"Little
people" The average Baird marionette
can range anywhere from 18 to 31 inches. The strings vary in
length depending on the height of the set, with the average length
being about nine feet. All sets and props are built to scale,
so there is no way of knowing how big or small the characters
are when seen against their surroundings. The walls of the sets
are about four and one-half to five feet high with the bridge
being anywhere from 18 inches to five feet above the top of the
set. |
Operating a marionette
is tricky work. Puppeteers use a platform above the stage known
as "the bridge." There are generally 2 parallel bridges
with approximately 3 feet of space between them. This enables
the puppeteers to cross one to the other, particularly when they
want their marionette to walk in the opposite direction. It isn't
easy, so watch your step!
