Having had a tutorial in which the ideas I had outlined in my rationale were discussed, I felt encouraged and inspired by the feedback. While I had focused only on the possibility of creating a number of characters which inhabit the same world and the same story, it was suggested that instead I might create a variety of characters, from different worlds. This would be beneficial as it would allow me to demonstrate a range of styles which I am capable of working in, and potentially use different skills, techniques and materials, creating a more diverse portfolio of work.
It is an interesting prospect. Consequently I may end up constructing a puppet of Richard III, appropriately clad in Medieval finery, a wolf or even a raven (I am intrigued by the example set by Barry Purves' Plume, in which a pair of texidermy duck wings are animated beautifully) from Firebringer, and perhaps even continue with the Golden Dragon, for which I undertook a number of material tests in last year's PPP module.This range of characters presents a spectrum of different armature structures, from bipeds and quadrupeds, to the winged dragon, whose wings may potentially act as replacement forelegs. It would also require a long, articulate neck and tail. Each would also have a different surface texture: the humans would need skin, made from cast foam, latex or silicone, the wolf fur, the bird feathers, and the dragon scales. Each would have different properties and present different challenges, providing invaluable experience and knowledge. In short, this is an excellent opportunity to learn and make the most of my remaining time with the resources available in college.
The possibility of working on multiple projects does however present the risk of taking on too much work, so if I did decide to embark down this track my tutor recommended that I work on no more that three projects, as each will require their own research and development work before I can begin work on the puppets themselves. Another suggestion which was raised was whether I would be interested in taking the opportunity to gain more experience in digital modelling, in either Maya or Mudbox (which I am told is like digital clay). These skills would be useful to me as aside from the ever increasing popularity of 3D CG animation, and the potential to branch out into creature effects, digital modelling has applications within the world of stop motion. Laika's rapid prototyping makes use of digitally modelled facial expressions which are then printed using a 3D printer. Similarly a 3D print can be mad of a full character, and then used to create a mold, as opposed to creating a clay or plasticine maquette. However, I feel that on top of multiple puppets, it may be too much pressure for me to undertake as part of this project, particularly as using Mudbox would necessitate learning a new piece of software. But I could do this as part of PPP.
Other points which were raised included the option of searching for a competition or live brief which could form the basis of my self written brief. Although it may not be easy to find a brief which specifically relates to modelling and puppet making, some competitions may be flexible, meaning I could adapt the brief to my purpose.
I also need to bear in mind the cost of this project. Working on three or four puppets, each with their own armature could quickly lead to escalating costs. It may be worth contacting Animation Toolkit and inquiring as to whether there is any way I might reduce this expense. Perhaps my puppets would work just as well with less expensive wire armatures. I also need to take into account the availability and accessibility of any workshops I may need to use, in order to avoid delays and obstacles in completing my work.
Finally, although I do not intend to create a full animation, it would be wise to record some animation tests (as well as record some well posed stills), or even find another student who has a greater aptitude for the actual animation process, and entrust them with the puppets. This would enable me to see how successfully the puppets moved and whether they were capable of a vibrant performance.
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