Sesame Street Puppeteers Explain How They Control Their Puppets | WIRED
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- čas přidán 17. 12. 2017
- Ever wonder how the puppets on Sesame Street operate? The puppeteers for some of Sesame Street's most famous characters share their insights on how they bring their iconic characters to life. The puppeteers for Elmo, Big Bird, Mr. Snuffleupagus, Abby Cadabby, and Rudy explain the various functions and features of their Muppets.
You can catch Snuffy and all his friends in the new season of Sesame Street on HBO or everyday on HBO Family or PBS Kids.
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Sesame Street Puppeteers Explain How They Control Their Puppets | WIRED - Zábava
3 year old stumbling upon this video: *say sike right now*
Jakeishere Media 😂
Jakeishere Media dude I *love* your pfp
420 likes.
😂😂😂
Haha
Imagine going on a date with one of these guys...
“So what do you do for a living?”
“Oh I’m Elmo.”
😂😂
I’m a huge yellow bird for a popular kids TV show
Working on a Jim Henson set sounds like so much fun to be honest.
That would be the greatest thing ever.
Or I'm a six year old 8 foot tall yellow bird
I never thought about how physically demanding this job must be- just holding your arm straight up in the air for long periods of time has got to be exhausting!
I just watched Randy Feltface’s entire comedy special. It’s over an hour with that hand up in the air that has to be exhausting
Added to that, voice acting, singing, character movements and moving around
I’m sure they get more used to it but I’m sure it only helps so much
I wonder if they have any techniques to help ease the demanding task
That’s why all of these puppeteers are amazing. They love the job and hold there arms up for hours for amazing shows
"If you don't dig sore arms, don't do puppets."- Richard Hunt
Really gotta love how the puppeteer for Elmo is the only one that refers to them as "muppets" instead of "puppets".
Sesame Street was started by the Jim Henson company so Elmo guy is correct lol
@@mikeylikesit525 Doesn't Disney allow Sesame Workshop to still call their characters "Muppets"?
Why did I think it said muppeteer?
@@yosefdemby8792 they don’t own the name so anyone can call them what they want lol outside of using it as a logo
@@kennypowers1945 I thought as much. On a side note, I want to say how weird it is that Fraggle Rock, as a Muppet production, is often associated with The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth, which _aren't_ .
Honestly the dude for snuffleupagus looks exactly like how I would expect him to look
He looks like Brian may
@@spikegore7280 The guy who plays Snuffy always looks sad even when he is not sad. Even when he is smiling he looks sad. Why? It's so creepy! Lol.
*Good Vibes* SAME
He looks like him
@@wrestlerx8494 I think it's because his eyebrows are slanted so it looks like a sad face
Big Bird wearing jeans is something I really didn’t need to see this morning
LOL SAME BUT AT NIGHT
😂😂
I wonder if Big Bird prefers Levis or Dickies?
Why, it has always been implied Big Bird has style.
Just like watching Sesame Street after a rough night of Guiness and Irish Whisky after a horrendous argument with my ex-wife.
“Elmo is not going to play with zoey any more.” “Wh where are you going?”
“ALASKA!” “It’s faster if you drive.” “AGHHHHHH!”
I saw a version where his scream was replaced with gangsters paradise
What did Delaware? Alaska! 🤦🏻♂️🙄😊
If Martin told me at a bar that he played Snuffleupagus, I would believe him.
fr !! its hard to describe but he just Looks like someone who would play snuffy yknow
RIP Caroll Spinney, the man who did Big Bird previously.
Carroll Spinney is a hero. I'm never lonely as long as I remember the things BigBird taught me when I was a kid!
Oh w o w i didn't know he passed, i was wondering who that new guy was the whole time bc i watched a different video a while ago about muppets
When did he stop doing Big Bird?
Rip
@@jeaniebird999 for the last time last year but full time a year ago
There's something so amusing about watching a bunch of grown people on scooters rolling around sesame street
Tap on a clip to paste it in the text box.
bank is e.jb
I would love that job!
Check.
Celeste Rug lol ikr
also exo-l ✨🙂
The fact that they scoot around on little rolling ottomans is hilarious, I never thought about how they moved
Okay but Martin Robinson looks EXACTLY how I'd imagine someone playing Snuffleupagus would look and that's the best thing in the world.
I was so satisfied.
You can tell they love their jobs, and that might be because, in a unique way, they change people's lives every day. It's just that they're little people(kids).
doing something that u love and still get paid fairly well is many people's dream, but its very hard to rise through the ranks in showbiz
Nice pfp
Don’t say kids we know u still watch it
@@jacobfitchett4484 😭😭 I'm guilty
it's exactly what i want to do
When you look at the behind the scene. Holy crap, the production value looks high.
Jfjdfjryr has been the most popular in the
MyRichard38 in the what?
Viewing With Telly I think most people just think they’re like painted backgrounds with people walking around. But seeing them on wheelies, having all the different types of puppets, etc. makes it much more involved than many think when they hear the word “puppet”.
@@fargonianproductions2767 you and don't want to be with you
Dude its bothering me that he never finished his sentence
Is it weird that it’s impossible for me to see “elmo’s voice” come out of the mouth of the puppeteer? I can’t really explain it.
It's even weirder with Kevin Clash, who has a naturally deep voice
Even when i see it happening i cant see it happening
When i was a kid , i thought Big Bird was the most scary puppet i ever seen, but not so long since I saw Snuffy... im 20, it’s still scared me...
I'm the total opposite. Snuffleupagus has always been my favorite
Same big bird scared me
Im México we have abelardo big bird cousin and hw wasn't as scary as big bird, um also 20 but holy crap thats scary 😂😂
It's okay. Loved Barney as a kid. He terrifies me now. Especially because of all the messed up rhymes kids made including Barney
It's *scariest** and *it still scares me** btw c:
2:33 “Elmo doesn’t have eyelids”
Possibly the most unnerving thing I’ve ever heard.
That's right, kids. He never stops watching. Not even to blink! He's. Always. Watching. You.
I think Elmo has removable eyes so they can use his Tired eyes and Sleeping eyes when the plot demands it
2:51 I Just like elmo's face
William Pulfer-melville, little me would be traumatized...
There are a couple of episodes where he has closed eyes....his eye lids are purple....and terrifying!
I'm so glad they found someone that actually sound like the old elmo
Kinda a letdown was looking forward to seeing Kevin clash
Thanks
Really
Do you have the other phone
Ty
When I was younger, I was so frickin’ scared of snuffleupagus...
The eyes though...!
As a former kid myself, and a mother of a toddler, Sesame Street is one of the best programs there is ❤️
My little sister walked in while I was watching this...
She was like "this must be fake cause elmo is real"
You know what? I completely understand your little sister. I'm in my late 40's, so I grew up watching Sesame Street. Even though the adult me understands the mechanics behind this, the child me still believes that these Muppets are real.
aweeee that is so cute😊😂
Lol
Ebony BubbleTea I agree with your sister
Me: “Yep. It’s completely fake.”
and I can't even hold my arm up to blowdry my hair without getting tired
go to the gym chick. That is really weak if you can't do more than that!!
I can relateee😂😂💀
Relatable as f
Pastor Mark I'm guessing you're a guy and have never had thick hair past the top of your shoulders...
Pastor Mark god isn't real
I love this. Puppeteering is such an art form. I am fascinated by the behind the scenes of it all. I want to thank them for the incredible job they do!
5:29 is that bill Nye the science guy in the center of the puppets!?
Wait...HUMANS?! Jeez, I hope Kermit and the gang don't know about this.
I have to break some news to you
+ Julius Utsey Good because I don't wanna do it. Even if Cade Rodger is joking.
*ARE YOU SERIOUS*
Kermit the kermit it’s ok
My thoughts exactly 🤣😭😭😭
“It’s very complicated”
_end scene_
😭😭 that hurt to watch
😭😭 that hurt to watch
😭😭 that hurt to watch
😭😭 that hurt to watch
😭😭 that hurt to watch
When I was younger I was sad because I had never been to a puppet show like a bunch of my friends, and watching this I realized I’ve been watching the best puppet show there is for years. 😁
Why did they cut off snuffleupagus mid sentence like that lol
Awe Elmo’s voice is adorable.didn’t know the voice actor was also the puppeteer, what a talented group!
My dad can mimic him and my grandpa can sound like Kermit ^^ I sound like Dying donkeys
Typically a lot of Muppets are voiced by their puppeteers. It helps make the Muppets feel more alive
Kevin Clash is the real Elmo. This guy replaced him after an incident...
@@spanishnavaja Scary incident...
what incident? sorry do not know about it :
I had no idea that the operation of each puppet was so complicated.
Dude the amount of practical effects is wild. I could never imagine one human hand could do so much, like move the mouth and one arm. Really fascinating behind the scenes.
Is that comment made in jest?And BTW you spelled uncultured wrong...why don't people use spell check on their computers?
It is fascinating isn't it?I had some idea of what went on with the puppeteering but had no idea it was that intricate..even after watching this I still find Sesame Street magical :)
Puppetry can be very, very technical, and it's certainly not as easy as it looks - like with anything else, it, surprisingly, can take some people several years to get the hang of - even for seasoned professionals like Frank Oz.
IKR
It’s kind of sad that with Caroll Spinney’s retirement a couple years ago, there appears now to be not a single original puppeteer left in the cast. Makes me feel old.
Bought a puppet last month to play with my kid and realized how difficult it is control it. These guys sure put in a ton of skills in making these shows.
me: *hasn’t watched sesame street in over 10 years*
*see’s rudy*
also me: yo, who TF is this?
Same LoL
Exactly
My exact reaction
WhO iS rUdY
Me: an. Alien idk
Same bro
Wait the guy's name who plays Big Bird is Matt Vogel? Vogel is German for bird XD
Vogel is dutch for bird😂
2 years later, vogel is still dutch for bird
R/whoooosh
It was DESTINED!
Wow, first (Doug) Bowser takes over Nintendo, and now I'm hearing that Big Bird is voiced by Matt "Bird"?
Belliny Productions r/foundthemobileuser
r/ihavereddit
Oh and also:
r/itswooooshwith4os
And
r/thereisonly1hinwoooosh
although I always found puppetry impressive, hearing the mechanics of these puppets and how much multitasking is involved for the puppeteers is so fascinating! And just like acting and animation, these people have to think about how the characters would move organically and expressively, super cool!
Honestly this is extremely fascinating-I never considered exactly how much focus goes into this. Getting the puppets to move is already a lot, but acting in all those voices at the same time? This is really impressive.
I can only imagine how hard that is on their bodies, having to bend and squat and lift their arms like that all day.
And they did it just for the little childern.
Hot Rod/Rodimus EXCUSE ME MISTER
I am 15 and enjoy this show very much
That's what she said!!!
@@catherinec5620
WELL EXCUSE ME. I just was saying how they did it for the little childern. God people get on my nerves. No where did I say that SS is only for little kids.
Hot Rod/Rodimus jeez man it was just a joke. I’m sorry I got on your nerves
5:35 I see myself in that old man laying on the ground
rothy Woah woah woah, child friendly now....
(Ik wHAT you really meant I’m not actually that stupid oof)
rothy don’t we all? XD
I WHEEZED
That's kinda gross
rothy rothy rothy bla bla bla
I think it’s the sweetest thing to see adults carrying on Jim Henson’s legacy through years and years of beautiful storytelling and positive messages for kids ❤️💛
4:01 the way she was stroking the wand
“This is rudy’s third season coming up so he’s still a little new”
OANDLDODB IVE NEVER SEEN RUDY IN MY LIFE. HES A BRAND NEW PUPPET TO ME
Rudy is irrelevant
SAME!
SAME!!
Rudy is Abby Cadabe's stepbrother.
SAME!
Rudy: *exists*
Me: I have never seen this man in my whole life
sorry to this man
Ikr
Also how can you over act a kids puppet smh
Nick Kiwi I wouldn’t know this man if he was walking down the street
Same never heard of this chaeacter
They deserve way tooooo much recognition and we aren’t giving them enough
It’s nice to know what happens below the frame of the screen. It kind of lessen my anxiety... let’s be real we’re not supposed to see that part. But knowing it kind of fills the curiosity in me.
Even though I knew they were puppets, this kinda hurts to watch
Yes a part of me wants them to be real idk why 😔✊
Hasenpfeffer same here
Imagine what it’d feel like for a little kid lol
Same. I’m 22 years old but the show has always felt magical to me
If you think it hurts just imagine poor Elmo. Did you see how they control him?!
Wow I didn't know how difficult it was to move the puppets.
Jennifer A And to think it takes years for puppetry to become second nature!
Jennifer A ikr
Jennifer A same
Jennifer A Well 11 year old me (which is how old I am now) still had hope that they were alive..........this video crushed my hopes and I am never showing this to any of my younger cousins
Jennifer A nniston.....? 😳
You can’t get anymore wholesome than this
Okay but snufflelaphogus used to scared me when I was little 🤣
Dude I’m 16 but watching this and other Sesame Street videos makes me want to binge watch the show😂😂
Same
Same
lol that's what I'm doing RN 😂😂
Lol yea
Same 😂
My arm would legit fall off lmao
BossLadyMel they get breaks lol
Lmao same 😂😂 my arm feels like it’s gonna fall off when I do my own hair.
I was cringing watching this!!!!
Can't believe how much effort they do
This made me appreciate puppeteers so much more now. I mean, I appreciated them a lot before because I knew they had to put a lot of effort into their craft, but it’s so interesting to see and hear their perspectives. I’d love to have a behind the scenes tour of the Sesame Street set one day.
Natalie Cook has
I find this more interesting than most of the things on CZcams wow...
Smile S so do I
Smile S me too
Me too xD
Same...
Ikr...
My inner child is loving this. The passion and dedication to their jobs and characters is clear.
i love how much emotive they all talk, i love how they kept demonstrating with their hands
Are you saying elmo’s not real?!
Ainna Dean he’s real, that’s just his corpse that’s been filled with rods and wooden dowels. They use this contraption to make him seem like he’s still alive, though he died a while ago. ;)
TheEp1cN what drugs have you been taking 👀
Ainna Dean what drugs have YOU been taking?
TheEp1cN touche.
TheEp1cN
Ya had to make it creepy didn'tcha :7
Kevin Clash made this joke for Elmo "Elmo loves to eat Wasabi" which is why his eyes are so big and never close.
This looks soooo incredibly difficult! I wouldn't be able to multitask with all those different mechanisms on top of everything else! Props!
I appreciate the whole Sesame Street staff even more after watching this. Amazing!
you can tell these are all people who genuinely love what they do. i could listen to them talk about this for hours.
Same
The guy just laying on the floor at 5:35 is my life mood
HijabiProductions YES! 😂
HijabiProductions 😂😂😂😂😂
Literally the same thing I thought when i saw that!
same
Thank you guys.
It's such much fun sharing sesame street with the next generation. My grandson son loves it.
We always sing and dancing to sesame street.
The letter of the day... To count the numbers.
And when we put on Elmo slide he lights up. He's only 8 months but dances with grandma.
Thank you for making children smile.
Therapist: big bird in jeans isn’t real he can’t hurt you
Big bird in jeans:
Me: I’ve been a little sad lately
CZcams: I gotchu fam
these guys are heroes.
They all look so perfect for their characters
I like at the end when they’re negotiating where they’d be. Sesame Street actors/artists/puppeteers seem like a really lovely group of ppl that love and care abt what they do and what they impart
What we really need to know is how many Dorothys you’ve been through.
Elmo: Hi Dorothy #358!
Oh my God this is the best comment 😂😂😂
This comment is killing me 🤣
@@hoarsecorpse .
603 goldfish... surviving goldfish went to good homes
I'm suprised the elmo performer even mentioned the previous elmo. Interesting to see behind the scenes of my childhood.
Thats what happens when you are found guilty of child molestation.
I remember the documentary about him, he always seemed like a creep.
Yep let’s not go into detail on how Elmo was once a pedophile
Naafidy oh god I remember hearing that and just freaking out, the man was surrounded by child actors everyday and was basically an childhood idol of mine (before the truth and after learning Elmo was a puppet)!
I believe victims first, and I'm not excusing anyone's behavior, but just for the record, he was never found guilty.
1 - This could've been an hour long and I would've loved every second.
2 - Am I the only one who loved Snuffy? Most comments are saying he's scary looking... He was my favorite Sesame Street character as a kid!
3 - I also don't know the new puppet, Rudy (I like his style, though.)
4 - Matt Vogel's voice is great for Big Bird, and it's mind-blowing to think of him being an *understudy* with Carroll for 20 YEARS. Now that's dedication!
0:12 Big Bird with his friend, the sheep.
“idk i’ve never been in a car before”
Elmo: “ *really? 🤨* “
Why do you need a car when you have wings? :D
"it's very complicated"
*Proceeds to not explain how it works*
They cut him off
he was explaining, they cut it.
actually he completely explained it. He said the nose had a length of PVC pipe in it with a bike handle on the end. I mean, maybe they cut out the part where he said he wiggles the bike handle to make the nose move but I'm pretty sure he was joking about how low-tech the process really is.
@@richhenn2733 ..ok
He was being sarcastic, it's incredibly basic and low tech. He explained it fully: it's a pipe, attached to a handle.
Even if the video is a little older, I'm mesmerised by the puppet mechanics and the love the actors put into them. It's more important than whatever childhood illusion I might have had.
These people have been entertaining many generations of people now, just like old treehouse
This Video: *exists*
Me Drunk at 4am: OH YES
Lmfao that's a mood right there
Yeah same lolol
So truuuee lmao
Pathetic
omg you got drunk 😦
Wow! I’ve never seen a BTS of Sesame Street. Pretty cool! Props to the puppeteers!
It had never crossed my mind how the setting would look!! Like any other kids I perceived them as their own persons so seeing this is mindblowing...
PROPS to them
😒
can someone explain to me what BTS is ? i try google it but it came out korean band
Behind The Scenes
This brings me so much joy to watch.
“If your happy and you know it clap your hands”
Said the greatest actors ever
Each of them bears a small resemblance with their character..
I was just thinking they look like their characters
i've always wondered how they do all this stuff for sesame street. this is pretty awesome, and probably pretty rigorous.
It is very rigorous. AND SO MUCH FUN!
Their arms and shoulders must be jacked! Imagine holding a 3-5lb weight in your hand above your head for several minutes.
these people seem like the nicest people ever
the dedication is amazing. lots of respect for them. ❤
When I asked my father as a child how this was done he told me that it was very complicated and that the puppeteers were very skilled but never went into details, now I know that it definitely is but I know the specifics now! Thank you!!!
Kirby3585 my dad just told me that they were real LOL (I never believed him)
Should've ended with, "my father was Jim Henson."
Fascinating video! I always thought that whoever played Big Bird must've been a REALLY TALL guy. Interesting to learn that the performer raises his hand and into the mouth piece of Bird's head. The new performer doing Elmo has the voice down pat! I also love the crooked eye thing that Elmo does. It cracks me up every time! Fun to see how they all move around on the floor using those wheelies. Back when I was a kid and interest in puppetry, it was rare for Sesame Street to show behind-the-scenes stuff like this of the puppets and their performers, so getting to see this now and to see how it all operates is very fascinating to me.
Ditto.
rowelle i
I’d love to try what they do.
I figured out the right hand Big Bird thing when I was 5! But that was in the 70's when Big Bird had a hump near his left shoulder (which was actually straight up the middle, with the head a little offset to its right). You could see it was a guy in there sticking up his right arm. Looks like the new puppet and puppeteer keep the head in the middle though.
Wasn't Jim Henson originally Big Bird? Because he was tall?
I'm in awe of these puppeteers, their artistry is insane!
I'm going to introduce myself since this is a Muppets video. Hello, my name is Ness. I'm currently 35 & can remember watching the Muppets as far back as age 4 or 5. I have clung to Big Bird my entire life as an emotional support character. He & Oscar are my top favorites with Cookie Monster. I still feel myself grieving over Mr. Spinney's, Big Bird, passing. I think being able to see this new Muppeteer talk about Big Bird is helping me move on & accept him into my heart as well. Thanks for such a fun video. Love it.
Snuffleupagus always gave me the creeps as a child. It still does now 17 years later.
The eyelashes are uncomfortably long. Other than that I didn't think much of him.
Rowevin Tolentino I've always thought his eyelashes were the weirdest part about him 😂
Rowevin Tolentino I think he’s cute
I don't really understand? I always loved him... But ok.
His eyes his eyebrows HIS MOUTH UGHHHHH gives me chills
Rest In Peace Caroll Spinney.. Thank you for my childhood 😢
The actor of Big bird and grouch
His heart lives on in the characters he performed, and in all of us 💜💞
He plays big bird right? I never knew him before tho, sorry if i dont know him
I have so much respect for these people and I really hope that people will continue wanting to be puppeteers💕
I'd still like to know how they do that full body shot with Elmo riding a tricycle.
They’re usually dressed in green or blue.
I thought that seeing Sesame Street behind the scenes would ruin the magic of the show for me. But it made me admire it even more to see the amount of love and effort that everyone puts into the show!
the truth
That was enlightening.
Spiral Breeze fj
Spiral Breeze is
😂
Spiral Breeze w
Spiral Breeze I do agree
Even though they’re showing all the behind the scenes stuff there’s still a part of my brain that’s like “these muppets are real”
i love how everyone looks like their character
Big Bird looks so funny with regular pants 😂
Didn’t know about the Rudy character till now
Trashy Monica same😂😂
First thought: Who THE Fck is Rudy!!
Trashy Monica same
He's new
Trashy Monica I think he’s abby step brother I dunno
I can imagine the arm stamina it takes to stay up like that during those scenes.
Super mad props to those puppeteers. My arm would get so sore, I couldn't do that for very long. These guys are amazing!
WE NEED COOKIE MONSTER
NO
*_COOOOOOOOKKKKKKIIIIIIIESSSSSSSS!!! NOMNOMNOMNOM!!_*
I THOUGHT YOU WERE THAT JUSTIN PERSON FOR A SECOND
Eat sleep cookie repeat
yeshy 😂 Justin y