
Media-Puppetry
Herman


Pictured: Herman, irl.
"Computer Head"

Herman is a analog-digital shadow puppet hybrid. Based off tabletop "overhead projector" shadow puppetry techniques, a live feed of Herman's movements on an illuminated tabletop are fed into Isadora for live processing, layer separation, and special effects rending. The resulting video feed can then be sent to a digital projector in a performance space or public area, where his puppeteer can perform live interaction with his viewers and participants.
This hybridization of puppetry techniques allows Herman to retain natural, organic puppet movements, while offering a plethora of vfx control and scaling not seen in tradition shadow puppet mediums.
"Computer Head" is a tentatively named, experimental, "alpha version", multimedia, half body puppet. The goal of Computer Head is to explore a new platform and medium in puppetry, one that fully integrates the tools of digital manipulation, while still it's live, present, organic body structure and movement.
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Computer head is capable of video playback, video capture, live rendering manipulation, and much more. He is controlled via wireless keypads and controllers that link of to Isadora.