How to make a shadow puppet screen
(Are you looking for the article on making a shadow puppet? You can find that here AND here)
So you’ve got yourself a shadow puppet, but need something to perform on; what do you do? The common suggestion is just to get a white sheet and hang it from a door frame or some chairs. That’s great, but I wanted something better than that. A) Because I need something to do videos with, and B) because I wanted something I could easily pack up and transport to craft shows, etc.
A shadow puppet screen is generally a white cloth, or something that is opaque, allowing for the light to be dispersed through the material, and is attached to a wooden frame. Some people use perspex, others use silk or muslin cotton, and others use shower curtains; a good explanation of the screen can be found here (scroll down) and here. These links also have good paragraphs on light sources. This discussion has some good tips for using overhead projectors for shadow puppetry, and the second page has some good comments on using PVC piping. UPDATE: I answer some questions about material alternatives for screens here.
Additionally, shadow puppet screens are usually angled slightly, with the top of the screen tilted towards the audience. This not only aids visibility of the puppets, but also allows the puppeteer to easily rest the puppets against the screen. I intended on adding an angle to my screen, but changed my mind once I had a little play with the prototype. I would probably add in an angle if my screen was going to be used in live performance.
We’re making a small, table-top version of a screen, but you can make something of a larger size: what size screen should you be making? Well, that all depends on your set design, the size of your venue, the action of your puppets, and the size of your puppets. There’s no rule, but I recommend a good metre high and wide for average sized puppets.
(Free shadow puppet patterns are here; how are shadow puppets different to silhouettes; making the joints of the shadow puppet; making a shadow puppet or two; materials is discussed here. More patterns and shadow puppet products are available here.)
Materials and Tools
- Wooden frame, size of your choice
- Silk, enough to cover the frame, plus hem allowance of several inches/five centimetres
- Wooden wall brackets (more explanation below)
- Screws and nails
- Hammer
- OPTIONAL: Masking tape
- Light source; desk lamp, reading lamp, or an adjustable work light
For myself, I decided I wanted to use a small wooden frame, with some silk attached. For a good sturdy screen, I bought myself this frame from Ikea. (Actually, I bought a couple; but that’s for later…) I’m really not one for woodworking, particularly as I have neither the space nor equipment for it. So I took the easy option and bought one of these frames. If it’s not clear to you, the frame is actually for canvas paintings. It comes with screws, the four wood pieces, and tacks. Best of all, the frame has a groove (link goes to image) on the inside, which is ideal for slotting in pieces of scenery. (If adding in an angle, I would have bought myself some long pieces of balsa wood, added a rectangular piece to the top front of the frame, then triangular pieces down the sides of the frame, and then attached the silk; see image to right for a diagram. As usual, all photos are clickable for larger views and more images can be found here)
I picked up some cheap ‘bisilk’ (turns out to be a thinner version of silk, and much cheaper at $4.95 AUD per metre) from Spotlight, and used the tacks provided with the frame to nail the silk in place. Make sure the groove on the frame is on the same side as you’re attaching the silk. This makes the groove in the best place possible to use for scenery. It’s also very important to get the fabric as taut as 
possible (this makes sure that the shadows are not distorted, and also makes it easier for the puppeteer to move the puppet without it getting stuck on the fabric), so I tacked one side of the silk, then did the side adjacent to that; then the side opposite the second side, and then the last one. I miscalculated the dimensions of the silk, so I did a bad job there. Luckily it’s not too bad.
To help make sure the silk was taut, I temporarily used masking tape to keep the silk inline while I hammered the tacks in place. Another thing - you probably want to hem the silk before attaching it. I didn’t, and it doesn’t matter too much, but it might make things a little prettier. Additionally, make sure you’re doing this on a nice clean (ie. wiped down) table. You want to be very careful not to pierce the silk with anything or scratch the fabric.
Once my frame was completed, I dusted it off, and put it to one side. I bought two of these wooden wall brackets from Ikea. Funnily enough, if you rotate the bracket 90° to the right (see link above), it makes a great brace for the screen. Place one on either side of the screen, with the foot of the bracket just underneath the 
screen (see image to right). Using some screws, you can attach the bracket to the screen, making it stable and easy to sit on your table. - Note that I haven’t attached the brackets, purely because this is actually only a part of my screen. I’m making a couple of these, somewhat modified, to make a large screen that’s still portable and easy to store. Additionally, you could grab some sandbags and put them on top of the brace in order to weight the whole thing down more. Do see the rest of the photos (linked above) for clarity.
Ok, so now to get to the setup of how I do my videos. I go into my dining room, which has a large clear space. Luckily, someone’s set up the ironing board in there, and that’s where I put my screen: by facing the board and screen towards the dining room table, I can place my camera down onto the table (you can use a tripod; I don’t have one) in order to do the filming. The ironing board is a good height to operate from, and the padding makes it easy to rest rods on, while you’re grabbing another puppet or simply need an extra hand for something else.
Behind the screen, I’ve brought in a large reading lamp (see video below). It’s adjustable and tall, making it ideal for a light source; the only problem is I find it’s not opaque enough and the light doesn’t bleed through the silk very well. I’ve added a filter (just some acetate: I don’t recommend putting acetate in front of hot globes, just in case of fire!) to help, but I’m going to look into finding a better light. EDIT: I’ve since found a better light. It’s a portable fluoro striplight, purchased at Bunnings for about $30. Placing the striplight about 10cm or so behind the screen (on the ironing board for example) gives off a much better lighting effect, and is also very good at ‘hiding’ the rods from sight.
The video also shows how the puppets are performed from the puppeteer’s point of view; also note that to move each part of the puppet, I actually rotate the rod, but then when I want to move the whole puppet, I move and rotate the rods. By the way, this single screen cost me $26 AUD to make (frame, fabric and braces)! … You may want to watch the video full screen so you can see everything properly.
… This post AKA How to make a shadow puppet theatre, AKA make shadow puppet theatre, AKA design a shadow puppet theatre, AKA shadow puppets stage, AKA how to make a shadow puppet stage, AKA shadow puppet theatre designs
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