"Sesame Street: Made in NY" Panel

[StreetScenes]

workshop likes fans to post clips on youtube

At the Sesame Street: Made in NY panel last night, Rosemarie Truglio (education research) was talking about how the workshop is experimenting with new media such as their website, the podcasts and the youtube channel to encourage parental involvement when kids watch. that has always been one of their goals (celebrities, parodies have always been aimed at keeping parents attention, too) b/c they know kids will get more out of the show that way. now, tv is becoming more of a babysitter, but parents are involved in the new media--they're the ones with the ipods, they supervise computer use. then Joey Mazzarino, Kevin Clash, and executive producer Carol-Lynn Parente talked about how great it is that a fan will post a clip (recent or classic) and thousands of people will watch it. parents will be more likely to watch the 3 minute youtube video than a whole episode of the show, and realize the show is still entertaining & relevant for them, too.

so basically, this unanimous enthusiasm from the workshop means:
1) they're actually watching the clips fans put up
2) they recognize that youtube videos are actually helping the show's goals of fostering parent/child interaction

which means they started their own youtube channel not to push officially sanctioned posts at the expense of fan posts, but because they're trying to tap the potential of the medium/venue. this seems to have great potential in our never ending quest to see more clips. 1) we should keep posting clips, new and old, and 2) think about how to phrase our never ending quest for new releases in terms not of willingness of die-hard fans to buy dvds for nostalgia, but of ways releasing more clips will help them accomplish their goals. i think they'd be willing to listen to ideas about that. what do you think?

 

[Skekayuk]

I think that seems like a good idea. It's clear from some of the clips turning up on the official site that they MUST be noticing which clips are popular on Youtube.

I can think of a few great clips that I've not yet found up, but which really deserve an airing.
For instance, 'I Get A Kick Out Of U', might be a good one. Not least because I think besides being one of their great alphabet numbers, it's also a splendid example of the high (and multilayered) qaulity of their work.

Anyway, I think Streetscenes has said it all in a nutshell.

 

[Ilikemuppets]

Thank you for the run down of the panel!

 

[Ilikemuppets]

Thank you for the run down of the panel!

Whoa! Hold up! Joey Mazzarino as a head writer! I think the writing for the show he was done is freakin' brilliant as the kind like to say. But that is amaizng and so great that he will be one!

But the pare about the research telling them that "children don't drive" so they wont understand the words or signs in-lies many of the problems of modern day SS. Jim Henson would not have assumed children would not understand such concepts. And while I'm sure Kevin would agree, it's like Frank said about the creative side VS. the executive side in charge of things these days, " There nice people, but there's not much I can do."

 

[Fozzie Bear]

so it was a fun night--thanks fozzie for pointing it out or i never would have known about it!

Great report!

Thanks goes actually to a very good friend of mine who pointed it out to me. I'm happy he did and folks could go see the panel.

I may have missed it--was the place full of people?

 

[CensoredAlso]

But the pare about the research telling them that "children don't drive" so they wont understand the words or signs in-lies many of the problems of modern day SS. Jim Henson would not have assumed children would not understand such concepts. And while I'm sure Kevin would agree, it's like Frank said about the creative side VS. the executive side in charge of things these days, " There nice people, but there's not much I can do."

Yes I mean, how will children learn these things if no one ever teaches them? And since when is it bad for kids to ask their parents questions when they are confused?

 

[StreetScenes]

Whoa! Hold up! Joey Mazzarino as a head writer! I think the writing for the show he was done is freakin' brilliant as the kind like to say. But that is amaizng and so great that he will be one!

yeah, that's what they said! this will be his first season as a head writer.

oh, and that reminds me of what i forgot to write before--joey said that he wrote an episode script, all the muppeteers made him a button that said first script by muppeteer, and put a lot of time into elaborate AMs for the scenes.

ilikemuppets, how do you find out who writes which sketch or episode? i assume he's got a big hand in the murray had a little lamb bits...

 

[StreetScenes]

Great report!

Thanks goes actually to a very good friend of mine who pointed it out to me. I'm happy he did and folks could go see the panel.

I may have missed it--was the place full of people?

yeah, it was, but it was an odd crowd. the series it's in is to educate young people about behind-the-scenes jobs in entertainment, so there were a lot of students looking for internships in television. there were also a several former sw interns and ssl dancers, but listening to the way others introduced themselves to the panelists at the reception, there weren't many muppet fans. this is perhaps epitomized by the fact that the crowd around rosmarie truglio was bigger than the one around kevin clash.

 

[Ilikemuppets]

ilikemuppets, how do you find out who writes which sketch or episode? i assume he's got a big hand in the murray had a little lamb bits...

I'm not quite sure, but I do know that he wrote some video releases and the writing was really good in them!

By the way, can't wait for that episode he was talking about that he wrote.

 

[Ilikemuppets]

Yes I mean, how will children learn these things if no one ever teaches them? And since when is it bad for kids to ask their parents questions when they are confused?

Also. it's not like the song wasn't popular or anything. But who's to say it wouldn't have worked if they make it a bit more challenging.