A Message From Jim Henson
The are many videos of Jim Henson from interviews to behind the scenes footage, but rarely is a video like this one ever seen. This appears to be intended as a direct message from Jim Henson, Frank Oz and Michael Frith to new Henson employees (or potential employees). I think there are some great bits of information here and insight into Muppets (specifically Kermit). What was most interesting to me was the information that Michael Frith gave about the design of a Muppet. It is great information for anyone who is designing or drawing a puppet. Watch to see what you think.
4 Comments to “A Message From Jim Henson”
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Wow! What a great find… the Muppet Show clips are classics (can’t wait for Season 2 DVD) but hearing these men break down things like angles and shapes and focus was just fabulous! And with all he discussion of character insights and puppetry techniques, this a great study for any puppeteer, not just the Muppet fan. Thanks for the link, Kanja.
Great find! Seeing this inspires me and keeps me motivated to work on puppet television and hearing what Michael Frith had to say was very interesting. Thank you as well, Kanja for finding this.
Hi guys,
I am gald you liked it as much as me. The real credit for finding it needs to go to RKUNKLER on the Muppet Central forum. Thanks!
It was a pretty big surprise for me to see this video again, particularly in such a public setting. You see, this was produced shortly before Jim’s death and it was created for the use of the Character Entertainment Department at the formerly named Disney-MGM-Studios in Orlando, Florida. The performers of “Here Come The Muppets” and “Muppets on Location,” the two Muppet stage productions at the theme park, had to translate the subtle expressions of the puppet characters into broader movements while buried under full-bodied costumes. Videos like this one helped teach those young performers by pointing out why the characters moved in specific ways and how to recreate that look.