Rules for puppet revolutionaries
It’s amazing to see the amount of puppetry work that’s emerging through the `net. I have no doubt that the artform’s next Jim Henson or Bill Baird is going to emerge right here on the world wide web.
For those who are looking to be the next puppetry revolutionary, here’s some “rules” and food for thought:
#1 Dare to Mess with the Status Quo
All revolutionaries challenge the status quo and rarely accept things the way they are. Tony Sarg broke the secretive, centuries-old guild system by publishing the first serious, publicly available “how-to” book on puppetry. Jim Henson reinvented the way puppetry was staged and filmed on TV. Folkmanis dared to create a better plush puppet. What are you going to do that’s new, different or radical?#2 Go with Your Gut
Rely on your intuition, even if your ideas don’t catch fire right away. When Diane Dupuy wanted to start a black light puppetry troupe made of developmentally handicapped adults in 1974 that would some day perform in Las Vegas all the experts she consulted told her that she was crazy and that it was going to be a “freak show”. Three decades, two Broadway shows and thousands of performances around the world later the Famous PEOPLE Players have smashed stereotypes about the capabilities of the disabled and helped to change the world in the process.#3 Design For Yourself
Create the kind of puppetry you’d like to see. The puppeteers and enthusiasts who bemoan the quality of the puppetry on Wonder Showzen (see previous post) are missing the point. Love it or hate it, with WonderShowzen Vernon Chatman and John Lee created the kind of show they wanted to see on TV. As it turns out, there are a lot of other people out there that wanted to see it too.#4 Shake and Bake
Don’t wait for the greenlight from Hollywood to make a million-dollar epic. Grab a puppet and a webcam and do something for YouTube. Try to create a fantastic, funny, entertaining viral video and put it out there. Make lots of mistakes, learn from them and then make your next project even better.
#5 Get on Base, Leave the Home Runs to Chance
I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve seen ads online that read something like “Puppeteer seeks Frank Oz to his Jim Henson to revolutionize puppetry”. These people almost never revolutionize anything. Even if revolutionary work is your goal, just focus on doing good stuff (getting on base) and let success follow naturally (eventually you’ll hit one out of the park!). The most widely seen puppet video on the Internet wasn’t intended to be seen by millions around the world, it was just a clever segment on Sesamstraat in Holland that happened to hit big on the web.#6 Ignore the Haters
There will always be haters telling you why your ideas won’t work. In fact, the more successful (and revolutionary) you are, the more there will be. While it’s always important to consider constructive criticism, you have to ignore those who are always being negative and down on you and your ideas. Surround yourself with positive people instead!
*Adapted from Guy Kawasaki’s excellent book Rules for Revolutionaries.
15/05/06 Update: For more on the “Get on base” principle, check out this great post in the blog of marketing guru Seth Godin.
