Tempest build, Day One

5 Comments / Journal, Puppetry / By

You guys are getting this on time-delay, because I’m using these posts to communicate with Emily DeCola, the designer, who is on a trip to China at the moment. So, once she reads and we catch up, I’ll post the pictures of the build.

Just because it is interesting, I’ll also share the commentary that we have going. Feel free to join in, just know that we are three days farther along in the process than you.

Monday, December 10th, 2007

We started the day at 10:00 today, shopping from home and organizing plans. Around eleven, Rob and I headed down to the shop and met up with Jane at noon. While Jane and I worked, Rob did the shopping for us. Gotta love husbands.

Here’re the fruits of our labor today.

Boat mockupI mocked the boat up in heavy paper to get a general pattern and to sort out construction plans of attack. When Rob brought the plastic back, I decided to go ahead and try building the rehearsal mockup from that rather than cardboard. Largely because I also needed to play with the materials, and this gave me an opportunity to do both.

Boat mockup with lightI couldn’t find a clip light, so I stuck two maglights under the boat to check out it’s qualities as a lamp.

Overall my conclusions were:

  1. I think want the material to be more opaque, or I want to put a diffusion gel on the lamp.
  2. You can’t score this stuff, or it will crack. But, you can bend it and it will hold the crease without breaking
  3. Easiest way to have the boat fit under the playboard is to lay it on its side. Having the pieces collapse works, but makes the boat jiggly.
Bubblewrap coil
If the El wire isn’t in the equation, Jane and I both prefer the bubblewrap. She’s wrapping it with the bubbles on the exterior, which looks really great.
Bubblewrap coil on table
This is one of the short coils. We are tappering the spiral, which is different from the way you approached the McCarter harpy.

Batting coilWe tried cling wrap to hold the batting in. Not a good plan. It’s easy, because it sticks to itself. Which is bad when you try to move the puppet.
Batting coil on tableWe didn’t finish putting the batting on this one. Jane suggests trying the small bubble wrap on top of the batting as a compromise. Really, we won’t know anything until we get the EL wire in there.
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5 thoughts on “Tempest build, Day One”

  3. Emily DeCola

    Hi Mary!

    That looks great! Thank you!

    I love the tapered coils.

    Do you think that segments inside the boat that hinge and sort of snap or lock at the center (a la ping pong table) could help stabilize the wiggles and provide a hanging point?

    yes clearly the cling wrap will not work. But an interesting idea.

    What about just wrapping the coils in packing tape? would that look cheesy?

    Is there translucent heat shrink tubing at the right size? Could that work, or would it melt the polyfil?

    let me know if you have any other questions! Thank you!!!!

    love,
    Em

  4. Mary Robinette Kowal

    Hi Emily,

    The hanging point on the boat is no problem and the easiest of things to solve. I’m so not worried about that.

    Do you think that segments inside the boat that hinge and sort of snap or lock at the center (a la ping pong table) could help stabilize the wiggles and provide a hanging point?

    I’m not picturing exactly what you mean about the snapping, locking segments, but my suspicion is that the boat won’t have enough weight for that to work. The wiggly wasn’t from the material; it was from the material hanging from strings, which it has to do to collapse like a chandelier.

    What about just wrapping the coils in packing tape?

    I think packing tape will be too rigid. I’ll take a photo of the bubble wrap and batting combo tomorrow. I think it is our favorite option.

    I’ll have Rob look at shrink wrap tubing options.

    Have fun in China!

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