This isn't me but what we did was make some sock puppets. My job was to take care of the electronics. this guy called matt came in and helped us we soldered the electronics together than used a programme on computer called arduino. This was to get the noise of the puppet.

Over the last few days we have been doing a work shop to produce a singing puppets "yes you got it right singing puppets"!

To start with we were put into groups and had to deign our puppets, we also had to choose a genre of music that it would sing to, this would also reflect the puppets style. My group agreed to do glam-rock , we really liked the styles of make up and clothes glam-rock people wear.

We found inspiration from a band called 'Kiss' an

d then we started to design the puppet. We based our design around the style in which Tim Burton's films are made for example The nightmare before christmas with the obviously sewn together parts and gothic, creepy look.

The whole puppet was quite complicated to put together because we had to think about combined all the separate components, I think we worked well as a group and we got everything we wanted to get done and I think it looked very much like our design and so we are all very happy with it.

When the puppets were singing along to the

backing track I think it looked really good and worked well.

It was a really interesting three day workshop and I learnt a lot about textile design and the mechanics and programing behind sound.

Puppets

This week at the Brit School, we have been making sock puppets. Not just ordinary sock puppets, though; these ones can sing along to music by being controlled by how people normally control sock puppets (opening and closing the mouth).

On the first day, we were showed the sock puppets by Matt, who had previously only done demos of these at places like concerts. We were then divided into groups and had to decide what kind of puppet we'd make, as in what genre of music it would sing to. At first we were going to do a gospel choir puppet, but later decided on reggae. We then did a mood board and chose music, and made prototype designs.

We then had a week off for work experience, and when we came back we started to make the puppets, soldered together the circuit board stuff, and make background sets. We continued this the next day, but some people also cut out parts of the boxes for the arduinos to go inside and still being able to be plugged in. We then tested them all, and gave the correct sounds to the puppets.

On the final day, each group's puppet performed a song in front of their background, and each was filmed and later edited into mini movies.

Jack

Singing Sock puppets work shop

In this work shop we had to make singing sock puppets. As complicated as it at first seemed when the whole procces was broken down and we were split into groups it became alot more easier.
We were first split into groups of genres. These were Glam-rock, dubstep, reggae and ska!! We were then put into group that would sort out one area of making the puppet, these were Electronics, Making the sock puppet and the back drop. Despite most of us not having touch electronics and soldering before it was surprisingly simple! Matt brown (our mentor) showed us what we needed to do and then we were of!
We also had to get the music of which we wanted to put with the puppet and create the sound that the puppet would make with help from a friend of Matt's named Andy. Andy has had alot of experience with music and technology so he was very helpful.
When the puppets were finished and the music done all there was left to do was to record a video. so we got the back drop and put it up on a while back ground and hit the record button!
The course was very useful and is a great experience somethings are worth doing for more than just an assessment!
By Lee, Dean, Freya, Lucas and Ted

PUPPETS PUPPETS PUPPETS

This project has been incredibly compelling and exciting. It’s a different take on art and an opportunity that we otherwise wouldn’t have. I am very grateful to matt for coming in and helping us. I enjoyed the puppets even though I didn’t make the actual puppet it was more the fun atmosphere created by them. Issy gets credit for our fabulous puppet. Thanks to everyone involved!

Making our Sock Puppets

All week we have been constructing interactive 'singing' sock puppets.

Firstly we had to choose a genre of music that would be good for making a puppet. Our group chose the Glam Rock genre, and we created mood boards, thinking KISS, metal, make-up and big tongues!

We began by creating design ideas for the puppet. We decided on creating the puppet in the style of Tim Burton's illustrations, big head and thin body, making the puppet look scary.

We allocated jobs and I thought I'd construct the body, which was great for me as it gave me valuable textiles and sewing practice, and I learnt new skills as a result.

The final out come is fantastic. The actual puppet looks very well constructed and looked great on camera when filming the video. Watching the video it's great to see everything come together: the backing track, the set, the electronics and the puppet all combined to make it sing in it's very own music video!

Brad

Day one of the workshop

Hello!

Thsi is our project to create in teams a Singing Sock Puppet, led by and based on Matt Brown's own Sock Puppet. We hope to show this off site as an interactive exhibit in the Autumn.

Here's the images from day one.

Students designed their character, learnt about the technical side of their puppet, identified their music, and listened to a presentation about Matt's design work.

This project continues on Monday 13th- Wednesday 15th July.