Bringing characters to life with puppet maker Zack Buchman
In our new regular feature – Galaxia’s Star Maker – we’re stepping into the world of a maker we truly admire and getting to know the story behind their craft.
We couldn’t think of a more magical place to begin than with our first Star Maker: Zack Buchman, founder and creative director of Furry Puppet Studio, a New York based puppet maker who designs and builds custom puppets – creatures, animals and original characters – for the music industry, TV, advertising and live productions. All made entirely by hand, in the heart of the city.
Zack shares his influences, creative process, some insider tips and aspirations – as well as advice on how to get started in puppet making.
Tell us a little about yourself — who are you, and where are you based?
My name is Zack Buchman and I am the founder and Creative Director of Furry Puppet Studio, a custom-puppet design studio in SoHo, New York. I moved to New York when I was twenty with no formal training and figured things out as I went. I am still figuring things out, honestly. I run the studio alongside a small team of people I genuinely admire, and through our sister company Uncute Inc. we also design original plush characters and toys.
How would you describe what you make to someone who has never heard of you before?
We make hand-built characters: puppets, creatures, and mascots, mostly for television, advertising, and the music industry. Every puppet starts as a block of upholstery foam that gets carved by hand. Then our engineer works out the internal mechanics, the costume designer patterns and sews the fabric, and near the very end we set the eyes. It is quite an involved process for something that mostly ends up… just working.
How did you first discover puppet making? Was there a particular moment or person that sparked it?
I think I always had an instinct for it before I had a name for it. As a child I was constantly assembling things into faces, any two round objects placed next to each other would become eyes to me. I grew up watching Sesame Street and the Muppets, and there was something about seeing a simple foam and fabric character communicate real emotion that felt almost like a secret. Jim Henson’s work showed me that the less you spell out, the more the viewer brings to the character. That idea has never left me.
I tried animation early in my creative life, and while it didn’t last long, it taught me how to think about character design. What I kept craving was the physical side, being able to feel a character, hand it to someone, watch their face change. Once I started making actual puppets, that was it.
What was your first ever puppet?
I honestly couldn’t tell you exactly. I was cobbling things together from whatever I could find long before I knew what I was doing. There were quite a few experiments that probably shouldn’t be remembered. The ones I am proud of came much later, once I had learned how to collaborate.
How long have you been making, and how has your style evolved over time?
We launched Furry Puppet Studio’s website about fifteen years ago, from a Starbucks in New York, which probably tells you something about how it started.
The style has evolved a lot. Early on everything was a bit of a scramble. Over time I think I have gotten better at simplifying. The more you strip away, the more alive a character tends to feel. I am also much more comfortable now letting a material or a happy accident steer the character somewhere unexpected. The best results often come when I stop insisting on a plan and just listen to what the material is telling us.
Walk us through how a new puppet comes to life — from first idea to finished creation.
It usually starts with a lot of sketching, a small group of us just drawing loosely together. I find that when you are drawing for the pleasure of it, you make unexpectedly clever choices. The throwaway scribbles, the ones you almost crumple up, tend to be the ones we keep coming back to weeks later. Sometimes your brain knows before you do.
Once a direction feels right, we carve a rough version out of foam. That is when the character starts becoming real. Unlike a drawing, you cannot cheat the 3D structure. It has to work from every angle, and the mouth has to actually function. There is a lot of research and development at this stage, testing materials, testing proportions.
After the foam, our engineer designs the internal mechanism, and our costume designer patterns and constructs the clothing with real attention to seaming and fit, as if these are actual garments the character chose to wear.
Then near the very end we set the eyes. I always save that for last because it can completely change who the character turns out to be. Moving them just a tiny bit, a few millimetres in any direction, transforms the personality. It still surprises me every time.
Where do you find your inspiration?
Faces, mostly. I see faces in everything: the front grille of a car, a plug socket, fruit in a bowl. My brain is always scanning for expressions. That obsession is probably the core of it.
Beyond that, I find a lot of inspiration in early computer games. Designers working at extremely low resolutions had to get a whole personality across with just a handful of pixels. That extreme economy, keeping only what is truly essential, is something I think about constantly. I also read a lot of graphic novels and comics.
What is the most challenging part of puppet making, and how do you work through it?
I think the hardest part is knowing when to stop. There is always something you could add: more detail, finer texture. But the characters that actually land tend to be the ones where the viewer’s brain has the opportunity to add some of those details themselves.
Do you have a favourite piece you have ever made? Tell us why it’s your favourite.
I have a few, but one I keep coming back to is the work we did with Apple’s team in Japan. We spent two years designing and fabricating characters for their iPhone campaign. I cannot say much about the specifics, but the collaboration was genuinely wonderful.
What does a typical making day look like in the studio?
I usually start by looking at whatever is on the bench from the day before. Fresh eyes change everything. Something I was convinced was working overnight often looks different in the morning, and occasionally something I had written off suddenly makes sense.
A lot of the actual day is physical. Foam carving, fabric work, glue, adjustments. The studio in SoHo is quite small and tends to be quiet. Puppets at various stages sitting around. Someone at the bench, someone else sketching nearby.
I try to get out for a walk by the Hudson in the evening. That is genuinely when a lot of the thinking happens. The brain needs room that it does not get while you are staring at a character for the eighth hour in a row.
What is something about puppet making that most people would not know or expect?
I think people underestimate how much the puppeteer is part of the character. In my mind the performer is as important as the puppet. I like to have someone in mind while I am still designing, and I try to be involved in the casting and rehearsals early. Sometimes the vibe of the performer is so close to the vibe of the puppet that you genuinely cannot separate them. The character lives at the intersection of the two.
Also, the eyes. People assume the big moment is carving the head, and it is important, but the placement of the eyes at the very end can overrule everything that came before it. It is a small, quiet step with an enormous effect.
What are you working on right now that excites you?
A few things. We have new custom puppet projects in the works that I cannot talk about yet, and through Uncute we are working on new original toy designs. We have also had some really interesting conversations about a long-form project. That one has been on the horizon for a while and I am hoping it finds its moment soon.
Who would you most like to make a puppet version of?
I find I get most excited by people with a very strong point of view, a particular way of carrying themselves that is immediately recognizable. The characters I admire most in real life tend to be people who are a little unconventional. I think I’d enjoy making a puppet of someone like writer David Sedaris. There’s just so much character there.
What advice would you give who is just starting out in puppet making (as a hobby and/or career)?
Make something. Today, with whatever is within reach. A scrap of foam, a sock, two buttons. The materials do not need to be right, and the first result does not need to be good. What matters is that the physical process teaches you things a drawing or a video tutorial simply cannot. You hold it, you turn it around, you move the eyes, and you start to understand the character in a completely different way.
I think the key is to design for characters you genuinely love. If you are already fascinated by dolls and soft toys and miniatures, you have the most important part.
“Make something. Today, with whatever is within reach. A scrap of foam, a sock, two buttons. The materials do not need to be right, and the first result does not need to be good.”
Zack
Tea or coffee in the studio?
Tea. I drink coffee first thing in the morning, and only once a day.
Music, podcast, or silence while you work?
It depends on what the work needs. When I am sketching and trying to find a character, silence or something ambient is better. My brain needs space. But when a build is going well and it is just about putting in the hours, music helps. I used to listen to podcasts when going on walks, but lately I prefer to just be with my thoughts.
What is the most unexpected item that is always on your making table?
A tiny Muji sharpener. They’re really cheap but they’re literally the best compact sharpener out there and they work perfectly fine with Blackwing 602.
See more from Zack and the Furry Puppet Studio at www.furrypuppet.com
Galaxia’s Puppet Making Tips
Have fun making – follow Zack’s advice about just giving it a go with whatever materials are to available.
Find puppet makers like the Furry Puppet Studio to follow on social media. You’ll get plenty of inspiration and ideas, and usually some peeks behind the scenes so you can see their making process.
Look out for puppet making books in second hand bookshops – we’ve found several over the years with details for joints and other puppet making basics. Doll making books sometimes have glove puppets in too – an easy way to start puppet making.
If you want to give making puppets a go then the late Adam Kreutinger’s YouTube channel ‘Puppet Nerd‘ has a lots of resources available to get you started, including links to free puppet patterns.
A big thank you to Zack for being our first Star Maker – it was the perfect place to begin. Watch this space for more talented makers.
Claire and the Galaxia Dolls crew x
