The shadow puppeteer's tool and supply kit
1. Cardboard box, box lid (about 13"x16" or
bigger), or 2'x3' cardboard/foam display board for presentations (bought at
craft and office supply store)
2. Parchment (wax) paper, tracing paper, architectural
vellum (from office supply store), or thin white plastic disposable table cloth
found in party stores
3. Masking tape (ducktape too when using parchment paper)
4. Black poster board (or, if not available: card stock or
cardboard from cereal box)
5. Scissors
6. Hole punchers: standard size for eyes, 1/16" for the
connecting holes (optional)
7. Brass paper fasteners (smallest size: 0.5" to
1")
8. Bendable straws
9. Wooden barbeque skewers
10. Velcro sticky back fasteners (optional)
11. White or light colored pencil for sketching on poster
board
12. Bright desk lamp (preferably 75Watt, more for bigger
screens)
13. Photo copy transparencies and permanent markers for
sceneries (optional)
Pick your story
If you think of shadow puppetry like a cartoon, you can act
out anything: a story that you come up yourself, or a familiar story such as
fairy tale, an ancient myth, or a story from a favorite picture book. You can
even make caricatures of yourself, your family members, and friends! )
Making the screen
A desk top theatre is made of an upright cardbroard frame,
supported by two sides, with a screen taped on the inside. Ready made display
boards from a craft or office supply store are easiest to use, as you only need
to cut out a rectangle at the top half. If you use a large cardboard box, you
need to make the supporting sides yourself, which can be square or triangular
as the frame shown below at light behind the screen. If you use a box lid you
can keep it upright by taping it to the table with masking tape or by using
small heavy objects to keep it in place.
To cut out the screen you need a box cutter or knife and the
help of an adult. Make sure that the rectangle that you cut is out is not
bigger than the screen material that you have available. You can choose
parchment or tracing paper, vellum for architectural drawings (available in
large office supply stores), or a piece of thin white disposable plastic table
cloth (available in a party store). Cut it to a size at least 1/2 inch larger
than the rectangle in your frame and tape it on the inside with masking tape.
Making the puppets
Design your puppets and props first on white paper before
you trace them on the poster board (or card stock, or cereal box). If you find
it difficult to get it right, don't be afraid to look at books or websites for
inspiration (Jack, for instance, the puppet on this page, was inspired by
Quentin Blake's illustrations of the story of Jack and the beanstalk, retold by
Roald Dalh).
Size and proportions:
Make sure the puppets are not too small, between 8 and 11
inch tall. To get an idea about size and proportions I have examples and
cutouts online that you can print out. To the right: Jack in letter size format
(less than half the size of the puppet photographed on this site).
Faces sideways:
Shadow puppets work best if you watch their face from the
side, so that you can make the nose stick out and have the mouth a little open.
Eyes should be cut out with very small pointed scissors (you may need some
help). You can also use a hole puncher for that. To make an eye ball like
Jack's, tape a small oval piece over the eye hole.
Moveable body parts:
To let a body part move (such as an arm or a leg), you have
to cut it out separately, because it overlaps with the body. Make a little hole
where the body and the arm or leg connect (Use the 1/16" hole puncher or
the pointed end of your scissors). You attach the parts with a paper fastener.
It is usually enough to have only one part that can move.
Rods to hold and move the puppets:
For rods to hold and move the puppet you can use sticks or
bendable straws, or a combination of both. To make a sharp shadow you need to
keep your puppet as close to the screen as as possible. For desk top size
puppets this means that the rods should be attached at the backs of the puppets
at right angles, using bendable straws. Tape the smaller end to the back of
each puppet and bend the straw in an angle. You do the same for the moveable
body parts (cut the flexible part shorter if necessary). You can straighten the
rods again if you want to store the puppets.
For larger puppets and screens you will have a light behind
you, so you need to stay below the screen and hold the puppets up. Use a
straight straw or (if you can handle the pointed edge) barbeque skewer for
parts that do not move. This is the 'holding' rod (in the example attached to
the puppet's back). For parts that move you use a bended straw, attaching the
short end to the body part (in the example the arm). If you prefer a thinner
rod, use the 'Wisniewski invention' (left): Cut off the bendable part of the
straw, leaving 1" on each side of the bending part. Put this part over the
pointed edge of a barbequeskewer and wrap with a piece of masking tape where
they connect.
Props
If you want to use other objects than puppets (the so called
'props') be careful in deciding what you need. If you don't have a big screen,
you should not have too many props: there is little space and you only have two
hands to hold or move the puppets. Use a piece of rolled up scotch or masking
stick a prop to the screen, so that it won't be visible on the other side of
the screen. If you use plastic disposable table cloth in your doorway, you can
draw on it with permanent marker instead of using props.
Light behind the screen
Choose a light source that is convenient and bright enough
for the screen that you use. For desk top size screens a desk lamp is best but
if you use parchment paper or vellum a flash light or even day light from your
window will do.
For bigger screens, for instance in your door opening, ask a
parent for the brightest light source in the house. The darker you can make the
room, the better. If you do shadow puppetry in the classroom it would be best
for your teacher to use an overhead projector. This provides the best light and
can also be used for very cool background scenery on transparencies (see
Teaching with shadow puppetry).
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