Talk

Celebrating Puppetry on Film and the Secrets Behind the Camera

Date of event: 4 Jul 2026 Event start time: 2:00pm - Event end time: 4:00pm

Venue Address: The Waverley Studio, Waverley Building, Waverley Street, Nottingham, NG7 4HF

Age range: Suitable for ages 15+

Close-up of a pinkish-orange alien with multiple eyes on thick stalks emerging from its head, wearing a dark fur-trimmed collar.

A talk and Q&A for puppetry practitioners, designers, film professionals and anyone interested in puppetry for screen.

Join Senior Lecturer Sean Myatt for an afternoon of talks and discussion exploring how puppetry works behind the camera, from large-scale film productions to robotics research and contemporary performance practice.

Hear from Martin Rezard, character and creature designer for film, whose work spans Lucasfilm, Marvel, Harry Potter and Maleficent. From practical effects to creature design, he will share insights into puppetry and character creation for major screen productions, including blockbuster work such as Project Hail Mary.  

Alongside this, specialists from the University of Nottingham will discuss human-robotic interaction, social robotics and the latest work from the Cobot Maker Space, opening up conversations between puppetry, movement, design and emerging technology.  

This is a chance to hear directly from industry professionals, ask questions and explore how puppetry continues to shape film, technology and live performance.

How it works

Book a ticket in advance to reserve your place. Tickets are £5.

Please arrive 15 minutes before the start time so we can begin promptly. This is a seated event at Nottingham Trent University.

There will be time for questions and discussion during the afternoon.

About the speakers

Sean Myatt

Sean is Senior Lecturer in Theatre Design at Nottingham Trent University. He teaches puppetry, object theatre, carnival and opera, and has worked as a practising puppeteer and performer for more than three decades. His practice spans traditional and contemporary puppetry across the UK and Europe.

Martin Rezard 

Martin Rezard is a character and creature designer for film, specialising in traditional sculpting, digital modelling and special makeup effects. His work includes projects for Lucasfilm, Marvel, Harry Potter and Maleficent, creating creatures and characters for some of the world’s biggest screen productions.