Wizard of Oz Puppets

A few months back I was ask to create a couple of puppets for a theatrical version of Wizard of Oz. They needed a small model of Dorothy's house that could spin as if it is in a tornado, a steampunk crow for the Scarecrow scene and a hot air balloon with the wizard inside. Below are some progress shots of the crow and finished pictures of each puppet.

The Steampunk Crow Puppet

This is the beak control I built for the puppet. 

This is the wiring I did to give the crow his body shape. I used wire so it was super light and didn't add any weight to the puppet.

I used craft foam for the feathers and beak. I love craft foam because you can form it to almost any shape and it's super light. I cut a ping pong ball in half for the eyes. This is also where I rigged up the wings to flap using filament line. I didn't want to use real feathers since this is a Oz crow, and it can have a whimsical look. 

Here's the finished puppet. I added blue paint to give the illusion of feathers. I made them more prominent since it had to read from a distance. I also used screw head metal brads. It gives the added effect of screws without weight and also helps with the steampunk look.

Hot Air Balloon and Wizard Puppet

Here's the finished puppet. I used foam core to make the under frame of the balloon. I then stretched canvas over it. I found a perfect small basket and a small fabric doll at Goodwill. From the top of the balloon to the bottom of the pole was around 13.5 ft tall. I also rigged up the Wizard so he could bounce around in the basket making him look alive while it goes across the stage.

Here is the close-up of the Wizard. I used a picture of the actor in costume to match the small version.

Spinning House

Here is a quick picture of the house. I used the blue print to the actual house and scaled it down so it was correct. I added a light from inside so the windows would light up as it is spinning.