Mult-track puppetry

Abstract

A method of creating a video of a puppet character comprising filming a scene including a first portion of a puppet character on a first recorded track, filming the same scene including a second portion of the puppet character on a second recorded track, and combining the first portion of the puppet character from the first recorded track and the second portion of the puppet character from the second recorded track together onto a single video recording of the scene with an assembled puppet character.

Wherefore, I/We claim: 
     
         1 . A method of creating a video of a puppet character comprising
 filming a scene including a first portion of a puppet character on a first recorded track;   filming the same scene including a second portion of the puppet character on a second recorded track; and   combining the first portion of the puppet character from the first recorded track and the second portion of the puppet character from the second recorded track together onto a single video recording of the scene with an assembled puppet character.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising combining multiple single video recordings to create a combined video recording lasting longer than 20 minutes. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the filming of the first portion of the puppet character and the second portion of the puppet character are conducted one of in separate time, in separate space, with separate cameras, and some combination thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first portion of the puppet character and the second portion of the puppet character are of different scales. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein a first puppeteer puppets the first portion of the puppet character and a second puppeteer puppets the second portion of the puppet character. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein a first puppeteer puppets both the first portion of the puppet character and the second portion of the puppet character. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising filming the same scene including a third portion of the puppet character on a third recording track and combining the third portion of the puppet character from the third recorded track together with first portion of the puppet character from the first recorded track and the second portion of the puppet character from the second recorded track onto the single video recording of the scene with the assembled puppet character. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein two of the three portions of the puppet character are of the same scale and one of the three portions of the puppet character is of a different scale. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7  wherein each of the three portions of the puppet character are of different scales. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first portion of the puppet character has a first tracking marker and the second portion of the puppet character has a second tracking marker. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the first tracking marker is located adjacent to a location where the second portion of the puppet character will connect with the first portion of the puppet character after the assembling step, and the second tracking marker is located adjacent to a location where the first portion of the puppet character will connect with the second portion of the puppet character after the combining step. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising filming the same scene including a third portion of the puppet character on a third recording track and combining the third portion of the puppet character from the third recorded track together with first portion of the puppet character from the first recorded track and the second portion of the puppet character from the second recorded track onto the single video recording of the scene with the assembled puppet character, wherein the portion of the puppet character has a third tracking marker. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the third tracking marker is located adjacent to a location where one of the first and the second portions of the puppet character will connect with the third portion of the puppet character after the assembling step. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the tracking marker is mounted on an extension that extends away from the first or the second portion of the puppet character. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10  wherein
 the tracking marker is one of a three dimensional regular polygon, a sphere, and a two dimensional shape; and 
 the tracking marker is substantially monochromatic. 
 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the tracking marker one of reflects and emits a non-visual electromagnetic signal that is detected by a detector. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the tracking marker detects its own three dimensional location. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the tracking marker one of records and transmits its three dimensional location during filming of the scene. 
     
     
         19 . A puppet character kit comprising
 a first portion of the puppet character;   a second portion of the puppet character disconnected from the first portion;   a tracking marker on one of the first portion of the puppet character and the second portion of the puppet character adjacent to a connection location between the first portion and the second portion.   
     
     
         20 . The puppet character kit of  claim 19  wherein the first portion of the puppet character is of a different scale than the second portion of the puppet character.