DominicCobb said:

Anyway, adding puppet Yoda to the PT would probably be a job for a second unit crew. Are there fans out there with movie accurate Yoda puppets? Just wondering if they even exist.

They exist, but it's a very difficult job. Not to say that it's impossible, because it IS most certainly achievable......but with a LOT of work.

I'm firmly in the camp that Yoda should be "heard of, and not seen" in the PT. His image being used in promotional material for ESB still gave no absolute confirmation that he was Yoda. PR material is not made by the same people who write the story anyways....and the scene where he reveals himself as Yoda WAS clearly meant to be a surprise in the film.

BUT.....if one wanted to replace the CG version with a better looking puppet, it would almost necessitate cutting out every layer on the screen, painting in the bits that Yoda moves over and then integrating the new footage of puppet Yoda......as it would be next to impossible to perfectly match the new puppet to the old movements. There would need to be more freedom to make all new movements. For example...if Yoda is conversing with another Jedi you would need to cut out the background....fill in the hole created by Yoda's absence....if Yoda's movements passed OVER the Jedi he was talking to the Jedi's robes would need to be recreated (either from just before or just after Yoda overlapped him/her)....and THEN you drop the new puppet footage in. This gets even more complicated if Yoda was a middle layer.....with things behind him AND in front of him. Do-able, but a lot of work.

Definitely easier just to cut him entirely ;)