Learning how the Sesame Street puppets are operated behind the scenes is pretty interesting. Some of what you would expect is easy enough to figure out, but hearing just what goes into it is still enough to make your eyes widen in amazement. For instance, some of the puppets are costumes combined with interior mechanisms that hep to work the eyes, the limbs, and the mouths. Others are operated using metal poles for their arms and by hand since they’re small enough that they can be worked in a more traditional method. If that sounds too simple however then take into account the fact that it’s the most basic explanation of how the puppets work.
For instance, Snuffleupugus takes two people to operate and while the guy in the back has to lean backward the guy in the front has to lean forward so that it won’t appear that the character has a sway in their back. The person in front then has to operate the mouth with one hand, the trunk, the eyes, and remember to coordinate his movements with the person in the back to make it all work as a cohesive unit. This could possibly be one of the hardest if not the hardest puppets in Sesame Street, and it likely weighs quite a bit so it’s not bound to be an easy task.
Big Bird would be the next difficult in line since the actor has to wear the big floppy feet attached to the bright orange pants and then wear the Big Bird costume that goes down to his knees and is apparently quite heavy. It’s kind of interesting to learn that the costume is adorned with turkey feathers that have been painstakingly colored and fashioned together in order to make the entire thing work. But then learning that the actor has to have one hand up to operate the eyes and mouth while his other hand is working one of the arms and, by extension, the other arm, makes this seem like a job that not a lot of people would actively seek out. In other words it sounds like a lot of work for a kids’ show, but it still seems like the actors enjoy what they do.
For puppets like Elmo and Ernie and Gabby the actors seat themselves out of sight of the camera and operate their puppets with one hand while using the metal rods affixed to the puppets’ hands to simulate movement. It’s taken each one of the cast a long time to perfect their acting skills with their puppets and obviously they’ve become quite intimate with how each one works and how best to present them on camera. The only limitation with the smaller puppets seems to be that their expressions are more fixed and don’t allow for a greater range like the larger characters. Elmo for instance has a wooden dowel that connects his eyes and allows for only a vague amount of emotional range.
The hope is that this clip and the article don’t dampen anyone’s love for the show, but it is intriguing to learn just how one of the greatest kid shows operates.
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