V&A Success !

Thanks to everyone who came to see us perform our shadow puppet shows at the V&A museum on Friday night for Halloween. The night was a great success, I had my films on a constant loop downstairs (see picture) and upstairs we performed The live version of Suck-A-Thumb and Dr. Fox. Both shows went down a treat. Cath Connolly and I did the puppeteering and Daniel Marlowe narrated. All performances were packed out and I reckon we had over 500 people throughout the night. Fantastic fun!

She's so on Trend! Silhouette shadow short

Here's my entry in E4's yearly Estings competition to get your work on TV. Here's mine called 'She's so on Trend'

In the shadows : New Silhouette film

Just finished last night! Made from footage I shot in Ghent in Belgium last year and now a new silhouette abstract film.

Mucky Toons: Bulimia makes me sick

Here's my first ever cartoon!

Diamonds and Deceit : THE MOVIE !!!

Originally released in 2006, Mucky Puppets' soap opera Diamonds and Deceit is now available as Diamonds and Deceit : The Movie !

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Indusdream : The new version

A while back I posted a film with no puppets called Indusdream using abstract footage. Now I've added so silhouette footage which I had originally planned but never got round to till now. Click below to play.

WOLFSKIN: Making new marionettes

Here are pictures of me making a couple of Anubis puppets for the upcoming 'Wolfskin'.

The Mist on the Water - Mucky Puppets New film!

Here's the new film! Narrated by Daniel Marlowe, Titles Puppeteer Cath Connolly. Written and directed by Richard Mansfield.

WOLFSKIN: Painting the Sculpey Marionette

Here he/she is! Painted and ready to be costumed and strung. I'm really pleased with the puppet and I'll be making all my smaller marionettes for the film this way. It's qick and costs around £4 per puppet (for sculpey and wire)

WOLFSKIN: Sculpey test marionette

Here's a pic of the first test marionette for Wolfskin. It's sculpted in Super Sculpey on a articulated wire frame padded out with foil.
1) Make the frame using garden wire
2) Pad out bulky areas with Foil and wrap thinner wire around the arms, legs, neck to help the sculpey grip to the wire
3) Sculpt directly onto the wire frame and bake as directed on the packet
4) Hey presto, a puppet ready to paint and costume and string.

The plan is to have these smaller marionettes so I can create bigger scenes in the small space I use to film. Double size (2 foot high) puppets will be for close ups and more detailed scenes.

Time will tell how hard wearing the puppet is but I'll post a finished pic of him/her soon.

Frau Tude: A Grimm new film from Mucky Puppets

Frau Trude is now online!

By Richard Mansfield
Puppeteers:
Anthony Best
Cath Connolly

Enjoy!

When it rains. 60 Second Shadow film

Inspired by the recent torrential rain on Monday the 7th July I shot some footage and made this shadow quickie!

Frau Trude: Scorching pics from the set!

Now all the filming and editing are done I'm doing the trickiest part: the soundtrack! Hopefully I'll have the film finished really soon.

Frau Trude: Filming completed

Well another week another film from Mucky Puppets (could be the last for a while) Thanks to Cath and Anthony for their brilliant puppetry, I've just seen the footage and it's going to be a good one!

3 Metres starring Caroline Partridge

Is there no end to the new films? Well yes actually, this will be the last until I finish the next project 'Frau Trude' and an as yet untitled Bunny film which will also act as a wrap around story for a new film editing all the previous Bad Bunny films together into a longer film of artistic merit..Phew!
Starring Caroline Partridge
Puppeteer Cath Connolly
and introducing Leonard the Rat

All the other stuff Richard Mansfield


Starring Caroline Partridge
Puppeteer Cath Collolly
Written, Directed, puppets, music etc..by Richard Mansfield

FINGERS- Do your hands dream?

If so then this would be their nightmare


Click below to play


Thanks to Cath Connolly for her puppeteering on the film.

Here I am making Fingers!

Shadow of Crows- first film of 2008!

Here's the poster for my new film 'Shadow of Crows' an abstract film show in Brockwell park, South London on a very, very cold day! It's the first film for 2008, next planned is 'Fingers' currently in production. Click on video below to play.

Flight - A shadow puppet dream

Scroll down to play the video

John Robert's Marionette Carving Course

Two weeks ago I attended a Marionette Carving Course at The Little Angel Marionette Theatre in Islington. Thanks to John Roberts for the amazing week and to everone at the Little Angel Theatre.

The Corridor of POWER!

Hot of the press: New Bunty Starlet film 'The Corridor of Power' based on a true story
Starring Cath Connolly as Bunty
Artwork by Janina Langton
Narrated by Mark Stewart
Written, directed and made by Richard Mansfield

The Tale of Mr Fox

Click on video below to play

Loka Music video

Video for the track: Safe Self Tester by Loka, the making of Squirrel Nutkin Below!