Cultural Context and History
Jim Henson can easily be described as one of the greatest innovators of the 20th century. He is a master of film and television, puppetry, animatronics and visual arts with technology.
Henson started making puppets when he was a child, and the passion continued into high school, and eventually into University. In University, he met his wife, Jane who would become one of his biggest Muppet collaborators for the rest of his life. By the time he had finished university, he was being hired to create local TV shows and eventually had to move to New York City because his puppets were being used in nationally sponsored commercials.
His most notable accomplishments include:
Henson started making puppets when he was a child, and the passion continued into high school, and eventually into University. In University, he met his wife, Jane who would become one of his biggest Muppet collaborators for the rest of his life. By the time he had finished university, he was being hired to create local TV shows and eventually had to move to New York City because his puppets were being used in nationally sponsored commercials.
His most notable accomplishments include:
- The Muppets, featuring memorable characters such as Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy
- Sesame Street, featuring memorable characters such as Oscar the Grouch, Elmo, Bert and Ernie, Big Bird and Grover
- TV Show Fraggle Rock
- Full length movies: The Dark Crystal and The Labryinth
The History of The Muppets
Materials and Construction:
- Muppets are constructed of foam, rubber, and other soft materials including felt, fleece and fun fur.
- Soft materials are very important because theyallow a Muppeteer to have a wider range of expression for the characters
- Muppets bodies are now made of a special material called reticulated polyfoam: a flexible type of foam that can easily be cut and carved because of it's flexibility
- They were controlled with rods, instead of strings in order to give the puppeteers a greater range of movement possibilities.
- They have a common look that has been adapted for each individual puppet, although it is based on the original Kermit the Frog: Big mouth, and large wide eyes
Performance Style:
- Jim Henson helped to pioneer bringing puppets to the film screen. The frame of the camera became a stage for the puppet, and everything was expertly filmed as to not reveal the puppeteer hiding beneath the camera frame.
- Muppets are also more complex to operate and to film because they often interact with human actors on the screen, and therefore filming has to be extremely well done so that they 'muppeteer' isn't revealed
- Several people/ Muppeteers may operate one puppet at a time
- Over the course of time, muppets have become animatronic: they are electronical and can be operated away from the actual puppet, by a seperate puppeteer. They can be controlled by a remote control of sorts. Often, these features are used to raise eyebrows, or do other intricate facial expressions
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The Top 10 Muppets from the Muppet Show
Interesting Facts:
- The earliest version of Kermit the Frog can be traced back to 1954, on a television program that Jim Henson created while still in University called 'Sam and Friends'
- The first Muppet was Rowlf the Dog
- The original Kermit the Frog was crafted out of Jim Henson's mother's coat, and a pair of ping pong balls for eyes.
- Sesame Street debuted in 1969, and The Muppet Show, a evening variety TV program debuted in 1976
- The first Kermit the Frog actually wore a red sweater, and did not have his signature frilly collar
- In 2004, Disney acquired the rights to The Muppet Production Company
- Because the majority of Muppets are operated by a muppeteer placing the muppet on their heads, sets have to be made an extra 5 feet taller to accomodate the height of the puppet
- The name 'muppeteer' was given to the puppeteers who operated the muppets, but it was not approved by Jim Henson. He is quoted to have said ' I am a Muppet Performer, or a Muppet Puppeteer. I am not a Muppeteer'.
Jim Henson Puppet Worksheet
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For all of the uber puppet nerds