- posted on 16/05/08 at 05:43:34 pm in category Store news
All seems to be fixed and ok to use - please let me know if you experience any difficulties in using the new Puppets in Melbourne online store.
Even though there are only four products, I will be adding more over the next few weeks. I'm also spending some time next week updating the puppet generator and putting it back online: apologies for the inconvenience, but there are some issues that need to be fixed so that it works properly within this new platform. There will be new accessories, more eyes, etc.
You can also now subscribe to the Store news, separate to the rest of the blog, so if you want to receive only product news, do sign up to that.
Please also keep in mind that I am going to update the site's template in the next few weeks: I know it;s horribly messy right now. Do be patient while I work on that. It will mean that there will be some downtime of both the blog and the store at some point - probably only a few hours of each - while I upgrade to the new skin. I will add a notification message when that will be done: I'm aiming for a weekend, which is when I receive less visitors to the site.
Ok, so enjoy - and please let me know what you think of the new store, especially if you have any problems using it.
- posted on 16/05/08 at 01:03:09 pm in category Blog stuff, Store news
I have one final issue that's cropped up that I need to fix before the launch. An automatic email is not being sent to the customer. Although it's not one of the major ones (it's a order cancellation email), it's just important enough to fix before going live. From there, it is literally a couple of clicks of the button, and it'll all be online.
I'm heading out to the shops for a while, so hopefully by the time I get back I'll have an email or two from support at Cubecart (the platform that I'm using for the store), and I can get it solved quickly. If not, it's up to me to hunt around in the files to find the correct file and the correct line to fix... which might take a while.
Fingers crossed!
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Hi Graeme,
Yes, probably a very blunt review. It's hard - I haven't seen an amateur show in about 10 years or so... I guess I'm just now used to how pro shows turn out (or is that another brutal truth?).
Oh no, gladly leaving adjudicating to you - but I'm glad I went anyway, it was nice to see some of the work that I hear so much about via Theatre Australia.
I did enjoy my stay, and to be honest, somewhat missing it... Now I'm back with parents, sister, and a very noisy house! :)
Have a good night,
Na
Hi Andy,
Thanks for reading my review - I'm glad it could come in handy for other flea circus enthusiasts. As it happens, I have a friend in America who is also interested in flea circus performance, and so I forwarded your site on to her. I haven't had a chance to browse it properly, but it looks like you've got a great resource for the topic.
Cheers,
Naomi
Hi Heiko,
I haven't used anything like Plastidip before to cover handles, but it might work. So long as the substance is matte and black, and fully covers any reflective or light surface of the rods, of course. Why not try it out and see if it works?
Cheers,
Naomi
Hi Tom,
Yes, I had a go. I've been looking for a way to improve my blinking eye technique, as the first time I did it, I sort of made it up from my own ideas.
I do agree with you: there seems to be something amiss in the way your technique is being used. In my case:
I didn't glue the back of the eyes to the foam head, I simply inserted the trigger through the material/foam, and then glued the eyelids over the top. That's not something that was mentioned in the tutorial, so you should probably update the video in that respect.
This is probably also answering 2), because I don't think the wire is catching on the eyelid itself, but it's hard to tell as the whole eye/eyelid moves together.
For 3), I did leave a gap between the eyes and the lid, but perhaps not enough space. The balls did move freely on the wire though; there was perhaps 0.5cm between the two.
As for 4), it's a magic trick! I did glue the material onto the wire going across the eyes, but not the eyes themselves. I've just done it very neatly apparently, because other people have suggested that too.
I didn't know it came from Terry Angus - I'll be sure to update my posts - although you're right, there's heaps of people out there who'd love to be able to do blinking eyes.
You know, I have to say that since getting into puppetry I've found a wonderful new network of people who are willing to share. It's amazing how closed off acting and technical people can be; and I too love to see what everyone else is doing as well as share my own stuff. (Thank you for the compliment on my first blinking eye muppet... she's a little evil if you turn her on profile, but looking straight on, she's fantastic)
Yes, please feel free to use my vid as an example, anything to help!
Cheers,
Naomi
Hi Kelvin,
I agree; my first attempt at blinking eyes was much smoother in terms of movement, and she really did 'come to life' when she opened her eyes. Some good news: I've since been contacted by Tom at Puppeteers Unite, and he suggests that my attempt with his tutorial has made him consider some problems with both the video and the design. You can see the comments he made on the blog post (the link is included below for your reference).
Perhaps there'll be attempt number two in the future!
Cheers,
Naomi