How to Change String Placement on Marionettes

Video Transcript

"On behalf of Expert Village. I am Emily DeCola. I am here at the Puppet Kitchen in New York City and we're going to talk about marionettes. So clearly were starting to move into more really serious precision string puppetry. Now this guy is able, were able to control where he's looking. His focus meaning where this puppet gaze is directed is continuously forward toward the camera as I rock the two strings to create that pitch and yawl that I talked about. Or as I move him laterally, horizontally or vertically in space. How did we do that? Simply by moving the attachment points of the two strings above the equator on the puppet. So the puppet is heavier below that axis that I've described. Then it is above it. I also, as just so you folks know I did not change where the two strings are relative to each other so that just on opposite sides of the puppet. The axis still goes all the way through. And what that allows us to do is manipulate the focus and set it. If I want this puppet to be looking up a little bit I can move my attachment points forward. Which will bring his focus up. Or if I want him to be looking down I can do the reverse. Which allows him to look down."