"It's wonderful, and there's tutorials online of how to make hand shadow puppets."Īnother option is to use your hands to make shadow puppets. "Hand shadow puppetry is its own art form." said Ziner. If you'd prefer not to craft puppets, you can find a light source and use your body to make shapes instead. "And you can even just use your cellphone flashlight." "If you have an idea, grab some materials like, honestly, cereal box, cardboard - maybe you have a cool plastic bag that when you hold it up, light can shine through it, and it's an interesting colour," they said. Ziner recommended using materials that have a bit of weight to them and are sturdy enough to keep their shape, but also thin and supple enough to work with, such as paperboard you might have around.Īnd it's likely you already have what you need to get started. Mind of a Snail has detailed suggestions online for making frames, landscapes and the moving parts like the puppet's jaw. And you have a puppet stage and you can decorate the outside."Ĭrafting shadow puppets can be as simple or elaborate as you like. "You can take an old shoebox and cut out the bottom of it and put just regular office printer paper over it and then prop up your cellphone flashlight behind to shine the light. "Maybe do a Zoom show for your friends or family," they said. In a forest!) With pandemic restrictions, they moved the events online, and during the interactive Shadowjam every Sunday, community members can type commands in the chat to trigger sounds and lighting effects in real time. (Fun fact: their first gig was at a rave. Ziner and their partner Jessica Gabriel have been hosting community jams for years, where people craft puppets around a theme and make up stories together. It's also a novel activity to do with friends, and it can even be a way to meet new people. "Craft the thing, try it out, and then the magic happens." "I think my favourite part of the process is those moments of discovery: the 'aha moments' where you have an idea. In fact, shadow puppetry can be seen as an opportunity to work with different media and exercise your creative muscles. It's also an inexpensive hobby to try out since you can use recycled materials and things you have around the house. ![]() "It's a very diverse and sophisticated art form that people dedicate their lives to," they said. While shadow puppetry may be popular with kids, Ziner said there's a misconception that it's just for kids. To learn more about how to get into shadow puppetry at home, we chatted with Chloé Ziner, one half of Vancouver-based shadow-puppetry duo Mind of a Snail. And because the light source can be anything bright, from the sun to a flashlight, it's an extremely accessible trick to pick up. Contemporary shadow puppets can be made from virtually anything, and can be 2D or 3D too. Traditional shadow puppets are flat and made from leather or paper, with details cut into them to resemble facial features and clothing. It's also an ancient storytelling method - with roots as far back as the third century BC in India - and popular worldwide. Why not go on a shadow hunt to collect ideas for your own show.Shadow puppetry is an art form that requires nothing more than a light source, a surface to project that light onto, and a shadow-casting object that moves between the two. Because you have the flat, glass surface which things can be placed on to create backgrounds, and you have the vertical space for your puppets to move in and cast shadows from the light, using an over-head projector is a great way to combine your shadow puppets with simple shadow scenery and settings.Īnd don’t forget the biggest light of all… the sun! On the right day you can create a wonderful outdoor shadow show using the bright light of the sun to cast your shadows. The Light: You can use regular lamps or torches (if your room is dark enough!) Or, if you have one, an over-head projector. ![]() If the light is in the right place, you could even use a plain wall or the floor as your screen.ģ. It could be floating free to create ripple effects or held by hand and moved about the space to ‘catch’ the shadows. You could make a very small screen and attach it to the front of a cardboard box. The screen can be large and fixed to a large frame, to lighting stands, or an easel. ![]() Your screen can be hung up or simply held by two people. The Screen (or something to ‘catch’ the shadow on): This could be a sheet made of fabric or paper. Or you could use yourself! A group of people working together could make some strange and wonderful creatures in shadow…Ģ. You could also use an interesting shaped object like a doll, a sieve, or a twig. The Puppet – or something to cast the shadow: This can be a simple black silhouette or very colourful and intricate. You need three things to do shadow puppetry:ġ.
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