big bird puppeteering

[El Sesame]

how do they control big bird?
is there one person inside the costume using his hand to make the beak move? and is the person that controls him the same person that does the voice for him???
someone please let me know

Thanks

 

[minor muppetz]

There is one person inside Big Bird, who wears a monitor on his chest to see what he is doing. There is also a small hole, covered by the feathers, that the performer looks out of to see what he is doing as well. The performer holds his right arm up into the head, and his left arm operates the left arm. There is an almost invisible wire connected from his right arm to his neck and back to his left arm, so his right arm can move when he moves the other arm. In the last few years, a second performer has occassionally been able to perform Big Birds right arm, in scenes where Big Bird is seen from the waist up or in scenes that are done with the use of a green screen (for these sceens, the second performer dresses completely in green, and as the background is matted, he can't be seen).

 

[BEAR]

I've always wondered if Big Bird's eyes are remote controlled by someone off-screen or are they controlled by Caroll Spinney?

 

[JoeyMuppet]

As far as I know Caroll does the eyes too.

 

[BEAR]

Hmmm...how does he do the eyes and mouth at the same time? I assume it would be similar to Telly and Bert.

 

[minor muppetz]

Don't quote me on this, but I think there are some wires inside the head that Spinney can put his fingers on to move the eyes. Or maybe they are remote controlled. I've read that Sweetums' eyes are remote controlled, and I've seen a picture once, but he never gets credited with having two performers.