Props 5 | no-budget-films

Folkmanis Chicken Puppet

A hilarious chicken puppet made of soft plush material, featuring not only a controllable head but also two human-like hands that function as gloves. Clearly this comical character was meant to be very silly. It is a joy to operate and it's funny just to look at. It's reasonably large (larger than it looks in the pictures), approximately 18 inches tall. This puppet is extremely soft, I practically want to use it as a pillow. Great for kids. It made its No Budget Films debut in the wacky Dinosaur Attack 4: Chicken Attack (2017).

Morris Costumes Dragon Puppet

This rubber dragon comes in three pieces: a body, a cloth neck, and a head. Apparently, this multiple piece design choice was made to allow greater flexibility when puppeteering this character. The tail has a metal wire inside it for posability, and is advertised as being able to wrap around the arm of the user. It's possible that this puppet was intended as a ventriloquist figure, but who knows? The rubber material is soft enough that the puppet is able to move around well but not so soft that it's flimsy. The beard is a nice touch, although the dragon does also have hair in some uncomfortable places downstairs... other drawbacks include a lack of wings, and the fact that one of its arms is molded onto its body. However, that aside, this is a high quality, detailed, and reasonably priced puppet and a welcome addition to the No Budget Films collection.

Hearthsong Crocodile Puppet (Full Body)

This second crocodile puppet from Hearthsong was acquired by No Budget Films because I felt we'd need a full body crocodile some time down the line. Up until this puppet was bought, I'd been using an old childhood crocodile toy as the full body stand-in for the head-only croc puppet I've been using. The trouble was, the full body toy didn't exactly match up with the puppet in terms of coloration. This new puppet, however, comes pretty close. I don't think I want this puppet to fully replace the other Hearthsong croc puppet though, because I feel that one's head design is superior and also larger/more comfortable to operate. Anyway, comparisons aside, this puppet measures about 30" long, making it a decently sized prop. The material is extremely soft and flexible, causing it to be a bit floppy. Its hollow body often collapses in on itself, but with a puppeteer's hand inside, I don't see it being much of an issue. The sculpting and detail are nicely done--this is a realistic puppet.