Origin of the Puppet Shows in China - Essay Example

Puppet Show al Affiliation) Key words:puppet show, intangible cultural heritage, theatre, The Chinese Shadow puppetry dates back more than 2000 years ago. Legend has it that it was inspired by a concubine of Wu the empire of the Han Dynasty. After the death of the Empire the minister8 had noticed the children playing with the puppet and produced vivid shadows as a reflection. Inspired by that he made a puppet of a concubine and painted it therefore playing the shadows behind a curtain. This was said to be the origin of the puppet shows in China (Goodlander2012). To do a research on the production of the puppet show in China was appropriate to demonstrate the various stages. The various production, in Zhengzhou, Xiamen China the various puppet show cases brought out the theme of puppetry through the ages as the shoots from various streets were compared to that of produced at the Zhengzhou school. Through the film produced, there was a clear contrast that came about in the puppetry in the street and that in the schools by the professional. The film produced also showcased the culture of china in the process(Goodlander2012).. Introduction The genre of puppet show has in recent years been largely ignored. This may be due to the emergence of the motion picture films and animated movies. Before that however, puppet shows used to be the best source of entertainment to many people. The developments along this line of performance has grown during the 20ththrough the 21stcentury; they are done in theaters rather than in the streets during the olden times. Taking a case study of the shadow puppet show in china, the development through the years is phenomenal. In fact, it is a form of puppetry that is so unique and simple both in production and development (Fleischman et al 1990). Puppetry is defined as a form of theatre or performance that involves the manipulation of puppets. It is very ancient, and is believed to have originated 3000 years BC(Fleischman et al 1990). This form of art developed throughout the 20th century in a variety of ways. Supported by the parallel development of cinema, television and other filmed media it now reaches a larger audience than ever. Another development, starting at the beginning of the century, was the belief that puppet theatre, despite its popular and folk roots, could speak to adult audiences with an adult, and experimental voice, and reinvigorate the high art tradition of actors theatre. Puppetry is now probably more familiar through television and movies rather than through live performance, but this still flourishes throughout the world. In the world of theatre, puppetry continues to be influential, and despite its outsider status acts as an invigorating and rejuvenating influence on its mainstream relative, and feeds through object and physical theatre many of the most exciting developments in contemporary theatre. When I first visited Zhengzhou in December last year, there were a lot of posters promoting the puppet show which was to happen in Zhengzhou puppet show. I wanted to experience a different piece of art and the shadow puppet show was appealing. In the Zhengzhou puppet theatre, I was not disappointed with the performance I experience; I enjoyed every minute of the art. Zhengzhou puppet show is a combination of puppet theater performances, Puppet Theater, music, puppet making, costumes, props, scenery, etc. made of a comprehensive art collection features all kinds of art, rich, modification, reflecting bag puppet connotations. From the Song Dynasty, Punch and Judy show has survived for thousands of years, it honest artistic style, dexterous manipulation techniques, vivid puppet style, at home and abroad enjoy a high reputation in the art world. I saw another puppet show inside Hong Kong horror film. It recounts a puppet show by a family subsistence, supernatural events. Inside the old man said: "The Puppet has a spirit, not living with a house, you need another place." But had nothing and it was, it was a puppet killed. Because of this movie, I have been on this puppet industry due curiosity. Being an art that has not been discussed for long and even maybe ignored at in recent years, I saw it fit to do a research of the same. China attaches great importance to the protection of intangible cultural heritage, May 20, 2006, Zhengzhou puppet show included the State Council approved the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage A couple of days after that, I had seen several other puppet shows around the region. From the street puppet shows to the theatre puppet shows. I had to show case what the other people have missed out. This include the mastery, the contents and the developments ever since its evolution. I used the camera to photograph the performers before the show. AfterwardsI scaffold and prepared screen. Also photographed every learning puppetry students, teachers and performers workers, they learn and practice hard every day, I was to let the audience know that each performer before the show made much preparation and effort. I hope that through this film, let everyone know Chinese history and culture, which over a billion people in China, there are people still love puppetry. In fact, there are still a lot of the younger generation interested in this traditional performances, there are many people who want to learn the heritage and performance, and want it to flourish (Kuo-Huang, 2009). All over the world, this form of art is past the original content. The fact that the pieces of art currently showcased is just but a mixtures of different arts such as music and drama. In this research, we were embarking on a mission to compare the golden age and the new age puppet show. In addition to that, it was our purpose to show the various challenges facing the puppet show and also the limitations in its production. “Watching the action played out by the shadowy imagery builds a new appreciation of puppetry’ the Oakland Tribune. Such are statements that follow the act in the Chinese shadow puppet show. Its uniqueness has been able to bring out something different to the audience. Other people such as the QVP report suggested that shadow puppet show was “…the perfect introduction to the ancient form of entertainment.”(Morse 2013) Research This research was carried out by four people, I included. We had set the research area at Zhengzhou, Xiamen in the republic of china. My job was being a Second cameraman. The research was based at the region but specifically in the Zhengzhou puppet show. Preparation. Before shooting the video of the puppet show, we divided responsibilities among ourselves. These responsibilities included the First cameraman, the second cameraman and the interviewers. We then discussed the shooting location since it was a large room with many people. Zhengzhou Puppet show had a podium that could be shot well using a standby camera since it was spacious and the lighting was good. Before the show which was to happen at on December 25th. This was necessary so that the time for the shooting could be at par with the performance time. In addition to that, the method of shooting had to be agreed upon as different adjustments had to be made. In the first place, the puppeteers had to focus their workplace towards the camera at a slightly inclined angle. Secondly, the first 3chairs of the first row were to be left without an audience since we, the camera men, were going to use it. Our supervisor was aiding in, any regions and giving us the directions to place the cameras and also the regions that will be receiving the best view during the shooting. The timetable was inclusive of the performances at the school during the morning ours and the performances at the kindergarten in the afternoon. Collection of Data. We were also going to collect relevant information the next day. In this method, we were going to use our cameras to collect do the shooting: the first and the second cameraman. Interviews were to be carried out by the two remaining compatriots. They would also give out questionnaires to the children and the staff during the show. This four methods of data collection were the most appropriate at the time and the most convenient. Production On December 21st, we took shots of some old streets in Xiamen. These were selective shoots from different locations to demonstrate the contrast between the new and the old style of puppetry in the different streets. We started the shooting in ZhongshanPark during the morning hours. These were the old street styles of the puppet show. The different artist demonstrating their skills in the park. Next on, we took shoots of the Hong Kong Street and Taiwan in the same region. These advanced puppet shows in the region were a contrast of the other places. We carried on with the shooting for the rest of the day shifting from location to location at random. In December 22nd, we set our cameras in the Puppet School where we had been doing a bit if rehearsals. In this location, we studied how the children were taught. Additionally, the students were taught on different performances and interviews were taken of the same. In this juncture the students (audience) were giving their views in the questionnaires as others conducted the verbal interview. Later on, there was an interview with Mr. Hung who was talking of the evolution of times and how the puppet show has changed over time. He also talked of the differences between the past years and the current puppet show. In the afternoon, we left with the staff and set our shooting at the kindergarten where the actual puppet show was going to take place.The screen was being erected and the puppets were in place. There light was put in place by the puppeteers and the stage ready for viewing. We were then able filming the entire puppet show as it unfolded live in the stage. Editing After returning to school from the trip on 27th December, we consulted our mentor and weekly tutor. During this time, we managed to cut the entire shooting into a 14 minute movie clip. To do that, we read the comments and views from the students at the puppet show and the kindergarten. We shifted-out the parts that were not done well and emphasized on the parts that received a positive feedback. Various adjustments to sound so as to match with the film had to be done. We were also able to develop a story structure for the film and creating subtitles in English and German. After editing, the Puppet film I was able to express a change from the previous to the present, through what makes Puppetry to be continued and why it has been preserved. Discussion Choosing puppet show as a film is not harder to shoot than the ordinary film. This is because, the puppeteer is responsible for most of the act and the crew is comprised of not more than four people. The staff at Zhengzhou were masters of the puppet and hence the flow of the act in stage was excellent. Challenges in the film production However there were challenges that we faced during the production. During the pre-production, we were limited to the walking through the inaccessible streets to check at the street puppeteers. Since they could not be accessed by our large car, it limited our mobility and we missed out on several other artist and Chinese culture. In the filming of the show, one problem was the quality of sound was low at one point and high at another point. The microphone was not able to capture the contents clearly. Some point in the show, one artist was speaking in a speeding accent which was difficult to interpret for an ordinary translator. To resolve this issue, we called the puppeteers at points where the quality was low to repeat the sounds. In addition to that, we had to cut pieces where there was a lot of noise from the crowed and the train passing by. Lastly, we wasted quite a large portion of the film on that was shot outside because of a number of reason but most commonly is the orientation of the artists. Some angles were difficult to shoot and the audience was great therefore making it hard to shoot sensible amount of time. As demonstrated in the film however, the puppet show in China is developed more than in many other countries. Therefore choosing china as the research location was appropriate as it aided in bringing out the theme of the project and the various advancement of puppet show in the area. When talking to Mr. Hong, he explained to us that the production of puppet show in the Chinese culture dated back into the olden days. He explained the origin of the shadow puppets and how they had evolved. During the filming of the interview, he pointed at the changes found in today’s puppet shows such as the animation which were absent at the past years. The various street shots taken have been able to demonstrate the change from the past productions and small scale production to the commercial and specialized ones in the schools such as one played in the kindergarten. The background the flow of the story was differently done and the professionalism was clear in the one performed in the school contrary to that that was produced in the streets. Until recently, the language barrier has been a major limitation in the distribution of the puppet shows in this region to the world. Sometimes this language barrier has led to aspects of production such as humor to be ignored since the audience outside china are not able to get it Recommendations. One of the areas that needs improvement in the production of the puppet show is the location setting. During the day, the shadows are not very clear especially when the weather is cloudy. This hinders the street puppeteers from carrying out their shows and therefore using candles and other small lighting devices. When such adjustments are done, it will be possible to shoot lengthy films and even do a mass production of this art. The are many people out there that are interested in studying the In our current film industry, the popular culture infusion is lacking. The films are not cutting into our lives the way they ought to. This problem can be overcome by such productions like the shadow puppet show. The originality and its background is one thing that is going to be changed. Such changes issues have had a negative effect and the production of such films may be essential in reviving interest in the puppetry art. Another area is the risk aversion where the producers of these era are producing films from without a soul. The productions are therefore not able to meet the catch the audience. Most of it is a recycle from the past that is being reproduced. At a point in the theatres, one can predict the play as it unfolds which really makes the whole act boring. By incorporating the act of shadow puppet show, we will be able to come up with original films in the theatre that are not only interesting but also fun to watch. Lastly, the effects heavy productions are so incorporated into our films to appoint that the producers are losing the ability to work with actors. They become light in subtext to a point that makes it boring for the producers and the audience. The shadow puppet show has simple productions that are not complex nor effect heavy. This simplicity makes the shows wonderful for the eye and interesting to follow up. With these recommendations in place, it is possible to rejuvenate the film industry such that a new dimension to the filming industry is born. The originality and simplicity that follows the shadow puppet show cannot be ignored. It has to be incorporated into our system for the audience and the producers alike (Morse 2013). Conclusion By doing the film of the shadow puppet show in China, the various culture is demonstrated. The film produced will show how the puppet show varies from the street to the ones in the theatre. The one produced by the professionals and that which is produced by the amateurs in the streets. All in all, the simplicity accompanying the production of such a piece if adopted to the animated industries it might bring in another dimension to the production of films in the world. The film will be able to promote the culture of the Chinese people and also its roots. It will be able to let the world understand that there is more to puppetry than is known trough out the world. Reference Fleischman, P., &Beddows, E. (1990).Shadow play: story. New York, NY: Harper & Row. Seagrave, S., &Seagrave, P. (1992).Dragon lady: the life and legend of the last empress of China. New York: Knopf. Yau, K. S. (2011). East Asian cinema and cultural heritage from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan to Japan and South Korea. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Morse, L. (2013). The Shadow Puppet Theatre of Malaysia: A Study of WayangKulit with Performance Scripts and Puppet Designs by Beth Osnes (review). Theatre Journal, 65(1), 137-138. Goodlander, J. (2012). The Shadow Puppet Theatre of Malaysia: A Study of WayangKulit with Performance Scripts and Puppet Designs (review). Asian Theatre Journal, 29(1), 327-330. Kuo-Huang, H. (2009). Chinese Shadows: The Amazing World of Shadow Puppetry in Rural Northwest China.Ethnomusicology Forum, 18(1), 173-174. Read More