This term gets bandied about a fair bit on the internet. But the fact of the matter is, there’s really no definition as to what a ‘professional’ puppet is. It’s mainly used by puppet makers and sellers to suggest to a perhaps unknowledgeable buyer that their puppets are of good quality. That isn’t necessarily true.

Likewise, people wanting to make ‘professional’ puppets are usually beginners and won’t have a chance in hell at doing so. Why? Not because they’re bad at it, but because it takes a lot of hard work, practice, experimentation, learning, and time to get something of ‘professional’ quality. Beginners will never make something that looks like it came straight out of the Henson workshop. So it’s a HUGE myth that you can just find one blog post, article, tutorial or video that will teach you how to make something of professional quality. You don’t expect a medical student to be as good as the surgeon of 20 years - why do you think it’s any different with puppetry?

You may have your own ideas, but this is a short list of what I believe defines a ‘professional’ puppet:

• The puppet is made by a company that manufactures toys or puppets, and is their sole business. This pretty much refers to factory-made items, like Folkmanis puppets
• The puppet is handmade by a professional puppet maker or designer. That is to say, the item is made by someone who works consistently and continuously in the puppetry industry, and sees such work as a career and not a hobby, and therefore expects to receive payment for that work. They have a range of experience creating puppets, and endeavour to widen that experience in their work
• The puppet is made with materials that are durable, and have well-made features that are expressive and defined, (personally, I would also add having a character design that is engaging), and a method of operation which is simple to use and sturdy.
• The workmanship of the puppet is done well; tidy features, precise detailing, materials attached strongly together. Something that you would call a ‘refined’ appearance. Although I’m talking about how well the puppet is actually put together, there’s also an aesthetic thing: you know what a lemon of a car looks like by seeing the rust, doors coming off and general junkyard appearance… would you buy a puppet that looks sloppy, half-assed, or unrefined?

Here’s an example of what I would consider a non-professional puppet (left) and what I would consider a professional puppet to the right (click on images for larger view):

Despite the fact that the photo of the finger puppet is blurry, you can tell that it is not what I would consider ‘professional’ quality. I made this finger puppet as an example for this blog - and I’m humble enough to say it’s not that great. You can tell the legs and arms aren’t made well, because you can see the threads starting to come off from the material. The limbs therefore, won’t last very long in a performance setting. The facial features aren’t that well-defined, or expressive, and though the finger puppet material is sewn well, it was made out of a stretchy material that might not hold its shape after some use.

Compare this to Amy, my muppet-type puppet. She has well-defined features, is made using a strong and sturdy set of materials (foam, felt, etc.), and has lots of detail (the ribbons in her hair, the ribbon on her dress, etc.). Her neck has an inner lining, to ensure less stretching of the outer materials, and her rods are made of a strong wire which does not bend after long periods of use. The mouth is made of a strong illustrator board (cardboard) and is covered with some strong black material, ensuring durability from extended periods of use.

I would personally feel uncomfortable selling the finger puppet, since it’s not great quality workmanship; whereas I would happily sell the muppet-type (no, she’s not for sale ).

Now, you may be at this point trying to factor in the price of puppets, and how to judge professional puppets versus non-professional by their price tag. The fact of the matter is that materials for puppets are expensive; especially if the maker is using materials that are made just for building puppets. More expensive materials also tend to be more durable. Average prices for puppets depends on the puppet type, as well as how it is made and the materials used; of course, time and effort is also factored in. Time is another qualification for ‘professionalism’, as a good puppet should look like it has been made without rushing. A good quality muppet-type for instance, will cost you anywhere from $AUS 500 to several thousands. However, a higher price does not equate higher quality or better workmanship.

Having said all of this, my blog focuses more on the creation and use of puppets for performance in theatre, and not for hobby, children’s play, or collecting. And so for those puppet directors, producers and performers out there, I say this: don’t buy puppets. It is very rare that you will find a puppet that will suit your needs, performance style, script, budget, or a range of other factors. More than that, it’s really not that hard to learn to create your own puppets - which look professional - or to find a willing puppet maker who will collaborate with you. In fact, most professional puppet makers will relish the chance to work on a new project and explore new designs and concepts. And with the above information, you now know what to look for in hiring a puppet maker - a good sense of style, design, experience, and puppets that are expressive, well-defined, and made with appropriate materials.

You may also want to read this interesting comment on the concept of TV-quality puppets, as well as read my post on puppet design, which will help you learn what factors professional puppet makers consider when designing and building. UPDATE: And here’s an excellent thread over at Muppet Central, which is a good read on how the use of the word ‘professional’ is simply a marketing ploy… Here’s my post on where to buy and hire puppets.

Please find more specific how to’s for different puppet types by using the menu to the right. There are all sorts of relevant information that you can use to make your own puppet, and make it as well as a professional puppet maker. You might want to read about placement of eyes, as the eyes of a puppet are extremely important to making professional puppets and excellent puppet characters.

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