Learn all about foam for puppet building - Swazzle Shop Talk, Intro to Foam
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- Опубліковано 15 лип 2024
- What foam should you use for your puppet? What is L200?? What is Scott foam??? These questions and more are answered in this episode of Swazzle Shoptalk: Intro to Foam.
When building a puppet there are lots of foams to choose from: poly-foam, scott foam, super soft, L200...
In this episode of Swazzle Shop Talk, puppet builders Sean and Patrick Johnson break down all of the most common puppet building foams and talk about their uses.
Do you have a question about foam? Ask it in the comments below, and we'll do our best to answer it.
Swazzle Inc. is a California-based puppet company that offers a wide range of services, including custom-designed and-built puppets and rental puppets. Swazzle also produces original puppet content for stage and screen.
Swazzle’s team of professional puppet designers and builders has constructed custom puppets for film, television, new media and the stage. Some notable projects include the Netflix series Waffles and Mochi, Showtime series Kidding starring Jim Carrey, Comedy Central’s Crank Yankers and The Little Mermaid Live on ABC.
Learn more about Swazzle by visiting www.swazzle.com/
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For puppet building or puppet rental inquiries please visit www.swazzle.com, click on the Custom puppet link: www.swazzle.com/#/custom-pupp... and fill out the custom puppet request form!
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www.swazzle.com/#/puppet-gall... - Розваги
I just want to hug the foam block
Right?!
AMAZING! This is the education I wish I had received! Thank you!
Thanks!
Very information and concise! Thank you!
Glad we could help!
Oh hey guys! I'm so happy to see you here! Currently teaching props at Santa Rosa JC and your videos are helping us in our puppetry unit! Let's hang out if you come back up to the Bay!
Awesome, glad to hear it. We’re actually located in Northern California now! Drop us an email contact@swazzle.com
Great CONTENT💛💛💛
Thanks!
You mention scott foam in your description....did I miss it in the video? I recognize that SF is not a specific term outside of the puppet world, which is why I'm trying to figure out which frickin' foam it is that we used! :D We just called it scott foam!
Very good🌷
Thanks!
Ur video i s great it helps alot so u covered solid foams .what about 2 part liquid compounds
We have used 2 part foams in builds that require sculpting and casting. We don't use 2 part foams for basic patterned puppet builds.
Any recommendations on where to by super soft foam blocks?
I can drink and talk at the same time with my puppet
That’s a skill!
That king one would make a great full-bodied puppet.
Agreed! His head is large enough.
Thanks for the amazing video. For puppets over a meters in size (I’m making a dolphin) what would be the main differences between super soft and L200. Many thanks!
The main difference is super soft is squishy like a sponge and L200 is light weight but dense and less malleable.
@@SwazzleProductions thanks a lot!!
Is L200 the same thing as EVA foam? Should I use this for a puppet's head?
Do you have any recommendations on how I can get a block of Super foam like that? I've looked everywhere online and cannot find it.
As a puppeteer I want to work there.
We do have fun!
@@SwazzleProductions then you have the best job on earth.
What about memory foam? I ve made a tree that mooves Thanks to the memory sistem of the foam! If i pull it back Then the shape comes naturally back to the
starting position, did you tried that?
We don't use those foams for puppet building.
What firmness of reticulated would be best for puppet heads and bodies?
We usually use 3/4" foam.
Please add what tools are best for cutting and sculpting each type
This is covered in other videos!
Hey Swazzle! Lovin' your videos. For reticulated foam, how big is a 7ppi difference? I found a site that has it at 28ppi compared to the 35 ppi I see being used elsewhere. Would 28ppi be ok? Thanx!
You could give it a try. We prefer the 35 ppi reticulated foam though.
@@SwazzleProductions Thanx.
@@jamesray9680 Anytime. Let us know how it works out.
@Swazzle Productions could you please maybe add links of where to purchase types of foam??
Try puppet pelts!
I have a question, what if you use a block of super soft foam. What do you use to paint it? Like your frog?
Thank you!!
First we seal it with layers of Super 90 spray glue, then we apply coats of flock adhesive.
107/5000
Hi Can you make a dummy with EVA foam ... Only the head part should be able to turn left and right independent of the body.
We don’t usually use that type of foam. Most of our puppets are flexible.
Where can you get these types of foam? How much would it cost? How much would you recommend for one basic puppet?
We get our foam locally from Atlas Foam: www.atlasfoam.com/
The amount of foam you need depends on the size of the puppet you are making. I would start with one sheet of 1/2" or 3/4" polly-foam for you mock up. Once its done you'll have a better idea of how much scott foam or L200 you'll need.
We buy our foam from Atlas Foam in Sylmar CA. I would recommend one sheet of of polly foam and one sheet of 3/4 inch Scott foam. You may need to get more...but you will learn a lot about how much foam you need for your project after you've built your mock-up.
Check out www.puppetpelts.com for foam
I need help! So if I’m making a fruit puppet like an orange, that makes the puppet “head” it’s body… would I be able to use L200 for that? I have no idea where to start making it…
Sure! But I would carve it from a block of foam.
What adhesive is recommended for the foam?
We use contact cement. Usually Barge, but we’ve had success with other brands as well. Make sure to follow the safety instructions.
I had a book puppet made from scott foam, but it disintegrated over time. The company that made it used paint. This is the only puppet in 30 years I own that has not held up over time. We store them in totes in a very cool place to care for them. Does anyone have issues over long periods of time with Scott foam deteriorating? Perhaps it was the paint over time that ate into it?
All foam deteriorates over time unfortunately especially if it was exposed to air. Adding fleece over it seems to extend the life by giving it more protection from the elements. But given enough time even and covered foam puppet will start to break down.
@@SwazzleProductions I've seen the breakdowns and you are correct. Though this painted Scott foam went completely brittle. On a good note, all my puppets for 30 years are holding up great with NO wear to the foam. This is probably because we have soooo many puppets and do variety giving them less stage time. But storing them in rubbermaid totes in a cool place carefully loosely packed has preserved all of them. Even the cheap foam builds with a basic pattern we started with.
Where can I buy a block of L200 foam??
Atals Foam in Sylmar or Foam Mart in Burbank.
What about upholstery foam?
We don’t usually use that. It tends to be too dense and heavy.
I'm getting quite the puppedgucation
Glad we could help!
Where we buy the foam
Check out http:/www.puppetpelts.com
Can you make a Bernie burnt puppets from Sesame Street
We only make original characters.
Have You ever used High Density foam in your puppets?
I use High density foam a lot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes. We used high density foam like L200 for bodies.
Can you show us how to build it
Check out our other videos!