Full sized costume puppets

[Kaiser Gonzo]

i have always wondered how the puppeteer of a full costume puppet like sweedums, thog, bear, Big Bird, gorg and so on is able to move both arms whilst moving the mouth to speak, hows it done???

 

[muppetperson]

Big Bird only has one hand used, with something like fishing line going up to his beak and down to his other hand.So when the real arm goes down, the false arm goes up,etc.This enables the puppeteer to work the eyes and mouth.For other characters, the mouth could be moved by a gadget that fits to your chin, so when you open your mouth, the puppet mouth follows.Or it can be done by radio control.

 

[minor muppetz]

In recent years, it has been common for Big Bird to move his right arm more realisticlly. That's because in recent years it has been more common for Big Bird to either appear in front of a green background that get's replaced by a computer animated image or appear from the waist up (often by standing behind something). When these scenes are done, a second puppeteer performs the right hand (that puppeteer completely dresses in green if a green screen is involved).

When performing Sweetums, the puppeteer alternates between performing his right arm and performing his mouth. If Sweetums is moving his mouth, then his right arm holds still (either pinned to his waist or dragging), and if his right arm is moving then his mouth doesn't move, either being posed closed or open. Notice how at the beginning of The Great Muppet Caper right before he falls into the manhole, he is talking but his mouth doesn't move, yet both arms are moving.

In the John Cleese episode, during the Two Lost Souls number, at the beginning when Sweetums is singign his right arm doesn't move, but when Sweetums does a little dance in the middle of the song, after he closes his mouth his right arm starst moving a few seconds later (in the same take), and he doesn't open his mouht again untill after he stops moving his arm, which makes me believe that it is easy for a performer to switch from performing the mouth and the arm in a short period of time.

 

[Gonzo14]

With Sweetums, it looks like the mouth is loose enough that someone could move the mouth just by bouncing around.

 

[Timotheus]

In the book "Jim Henson: The Works" there is a diagram of how Spinney operates Big Bird.

 

[MartyMuppets]

Those full body costume characters are remarkably clever

 

[Gonzo14]

In the book "Jim Henson: The Works" there is a diagram of how Spinney operates Big Bird.

I Have that book, I'll check it out