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Dan Horn is about to start his lecture here in Kentucky. The title is: Rehearsing Your Puppet Movements. Dan is an expert manipulator best known for his work with arm rods. His skills go far beyond that though. Dan uses advanced techniques with mouth movement (yes, it is more than simple open/close) and body movement to create realism.

Over the past year, I’ve been working with Dan on his Master Manipulation course. We recorded the video prior to the 2014 Vent Haven ConVENTion and have been in production ever since. This course is, without a doubt, a college education on the art of puppet manipulation. Master Manipulation will be coming out on Maher Studios soon. Enjoy this brief look below:

Today, spend some time working on your puppet/figure manipulation. Try some pantomime to get the most out of your character. Perhaps a fly is bothering it. Maybe your character smells something bad and can’t find the source. Or is angry about something you said and giving you the silent treatment. Remember, no words – you need to get the point across just through manipulation.

Have fun and we’ll see you later today!

BTW – What pantomime scenes can you imagine? Share your ideas in the comments below to help inspire others to practice their manipulation skills!