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PALEY CENTER FOR MEDIA, THE: DOCFEST 2011: BEING ELMO: A PUPPETEER'S JOURNEY {LONG VERSION ANAMORPHIC}

Summary

One in a series of evenings and special screenings presented as part of The Paley Center for Media’s twelfth annual Documentary Television Festival. Held at The Paley Center in New York, this evening focuses on "Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey," the documentary film about the life and career of Kevin Clash, the puppeteer who brings life to the lovable Elmo, star of "Sesame Street." Host Pat Mitchell (president and CEO, The Paley Center for Media) offers opening remarks and introduces producer/director Constance Marks, who speaks briefly about the film, which is then screened in its entirety. (For synopsis and credits, see ACCNUM 106778.)

After the screening, Ron Simon (curator, The Paley Center for Media) takes the stage and introduces the panelists: Marks; producers James Miller and Corinne LaPook; writer and co-director Philip Shane; writer and editor Justin Weinstein; and Kevin Clash.

The conversation touches on such topics as: how the film came about, including Miller's previous work on "Sesame Street"; their use of Clash's autobiography "My Life as a Furry Red Monster: What Being Elmo Has Taught Me About Life, Love and Laughing Out Loud"; the challenges of tracking down many years' worth of footage, including Clash's work on a little-known show called "The Big Blue Marble"; and his experience traveling back to his childhood home in Baltimore and revisiting family memories.

Questions from the audience then lead to a discussion of the following topics: children's love of "their friend" Elmo and disinterest in the human puppeteers; whether Clash still has his early homemade puppets; his supportive parents and his advice to "grab" one's dreams; the difficulty of creating the part of the film focusing on the untimely death of Jim Henson; their memories of him, including Clash's first in-person appearance with Henson on "The Arsenio Hall Show"; and influence from the '70s children's program "H.R. Pufnstuf."

All of the panelists except for Clash then depart, and Simon welcomes a number of Clash's "Sesame Street" co-stars to the stage: puppeteers Fran Brill and Joey Mazzarino; and actors Roscoe Orman (Gordon) and Sonia Manzano (Maria).

The conversation touches on such topics as: Fran's early Broadway career and start in voice acting, which led to an audition for Henson; Mazzarino's study of theatre "on the side" in college and his experience visiting the "Sesame Street" set and landing his first job; Orman's "manual" role on "Elmo's World"; his challenging audition with a puppet co-star and follow-up tryout with a child actor who "carried him through"; their surprise at the show's longevity; the on-set camaraderie and sense of family amongst the actors and puppeteers; kids' humorous reactions to seeing puppeteers interfering with their favorite characters; Manzano's observation that children are drawn to the Muppets' "reckless" sense of fun; details about a scene in which Big Bird's friend Snuffleupagus was in fact real; comparisons to "Star Wars" with the use of actors and puppets in scenes together; and the use of a monitor for the puppeteers to see the actors' faces and "ping-ponging of emotions" between them."

Brill, Mazzarino and Clash then bring out their signature Muppets: Prairie Dawn, Murray Monster and Elmo, who then chat with Simon and answer audience questions. Topics covered include: filming chaotic scenes with multiple Muppets; their ability to watch their own performances as they happen; Elmo's use of third-person speech; the horse puppet in the current Broadway show "War Horse"; background on the development of the characters' voices; Murray's interest in the signature "Henson stitch" that holds many Muppets together; their use of adult-oriented humor; the show's original "Laugh-In" style and eventual decision to create multiple "mini shows" within the hour; and occasional "outtakes" and slip-ups from the cast. Elmo then closes the evening with a good-night song in the spirit of Carol Burnett.

Details

  • NETWORK: N/A
  • DATE: October 17, 2011 6:30 PM
  • RUNNING TIME: 2:11:13
  • COLOR/B&W: Color
  • CATALOG ID: 106394
  • GENRE: Seminars
  • SUBJECT HEADING: N/A
  • SERIES RUN: N/A
  • COMMERCIALS: N/A

CREDITS

  • Pat Mitchell … Host
  • Ron Simon … Moderator
  • Constance Marks … Panelist
  • James Miller … Panelist
  • Philip Shane … Panelist
  • Justin Weinstein … Panelist
  • Corrine LaPook … Panelist
  • Kevin Clash … Panelist
  • Fran Brill … Panelist
  • Roscoe Orman … Panelist
  • Joey Mazzarino … Panelist
  • Sonia Manzano … Panelist
  • Carol Burnett
  • Jim Henson