{"id":6147,"date":"2012-04-05T21:07:29","date_gmt":"2012-04-05T21:07:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/independentlens\/blog\/?p=1033"},"modified":"2023-07-21T12:05:08","modified_gmt":"2023-07-21T19:05:08","slug":"the-making-of-being-elmo-with-director-constance-marks","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/blog\/the-making-of-being-elmo-with-director-constance-marks\/","title":{"rendered":"The Making of Being Elmo, with Director Constance Marks"},"content":{"rendered":"

Being Elmo<\/a> director Constance Marks began her filmmaking career over 30 years ago as an assistant editor for the renowned cinema verite pioneers David and Albert Maysles. For <\/em>Being Elmo, she partnered with her cameraman husband James Miller and childhood friend Corrine LaPook to take a close look at Kevin Clash, the man behind (and usually under) the world’s most recognizable children’s character, Elmo \u2014 the 3-and-a-half-year-old furry red denizen of Sesame Street<\/em>. <\/em>Being Elmo<\/a> premieres tonight on <\/em>Independent Lens at a special time, 9pm on most PBS stations (check local listings).<\/em><\/p>\n

What impact do you hope this film will have? <\/strong>
\nIf Being Elmo<\/em> continues to move audiences as we\u2019ve witnessed during this past year since our premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, I\u2019ll be very pleased.
\n<\/p>\n

What led you to make this film? <\/strong>
\nMy husband, James Miller, was a cameraman on Sesame Street<\/em>. One day he handed me a videotaped greeting from Elmo to our daughter, and the \u201celusive-obvious\u201d suddenly came to mind: there was someone underneath Elmo, puppeteering him! I wanted to know who it was. I\u2019d long admired how nuanced Elmo\u2019s moves were, and I thought his vocal intonations and charm were utterly endearing. Kevin and I arranged to meet. He told me his life story and I was 100 percent interested, instantly, in making a film about this extraordinary man.<\/p>\n

What were some of the challenges you faced in making this film?<\/strong>
\nFinding the right way to edit the story took a long time. Otherwise, it was a joy working on every single aspect of this film.<\/p>\n

How did you gain the access and trust you would need for the film?<\/strong>
\nInitially, we garnered some trust because Kevin had seen a film that James, Philip, and I had made (with Bob Eisenhardt) called Green Chimneys<\/em> \u2013 and he had known James from the Sesame Street<\/em> set. Once we started showing Kevin cuts of the film we felt good about, he was on board and his interviews became deeper and more relaxed.<\/p>\n

What would you have liked to include in your film that didn\u2019t make the cut?<\/strong>
\nSo many scenes and bits never made it into the final film. I dedicated some time to that in the DVD extras. We shot over 200 hours and there were hilarious moments and utterly wrenching scenes that could not be worked into the film successfully. It always happens but it\u2019s never easy to walk away from these gems.<\/p>\n

Tell us about a scene in the film that especially moved or resonated with you.<\/strong>
\nThe first 100 times I screened Kevin and Elmo performing for a Make-A-Wish child who was terminally ill, I cried. Emotional scenes usually don\u2019t have the ability to make me that teary after so many viewings. Tau\u2019s joy when visiting The Jim Henson Company always moves me \u2014 and I always laugh out loud when I hear Kevin performing Baby Natasha.<\/p>\n

What has the audience response been so far? Have the people featured in the film seen it, and if so, what did they think? <\/strong>
\nThe audience response has been overwhelmingly positive. Kevin and his family are very happy with the film. I take it very seriously \u2014 when the subjects of my films are enthusiastic about the final cut, that\u2019s when I can finally relax.<\/p>\n

The independent film business is a difficult one. What keeps you motivated?<\/strong>
\nCuriosity. What a great opportunity it is to immerse oneself in other lives and professions.<\/p>\n

Why did you choose to present your film on public television?<\/strong>
\nIt\u2019s ELMO! A perfect fit.<\/p>\n

What are your three favorite films?<\/strong>
\nToday they are:
\nIkuru<\/em> by Akira Kurosawa
\nThe Best Years of Our Lives<\/em> by William Wyler
\nThe Funeral<\/em> by Juzo Itami<\/p>\n

What advice do you have for aspiring filmmakers?<\/strong>
\nHire experienced people who are generous with their time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Being Elmo director Constance Marks began her filmmaking career over 30 years ago as an assistant editor for the renowned cinema verite pioneers David and Albert Maysles. For Being Elmo, she partnered with her cameraman husband James Miller and childhood friend Corrine LaPook to take a close look at Kevin Clash, the man behind (and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[818,277],"topic":[],"class_list":["post-6147","blog","type-blog","status-publish","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-independent-film","tag-making-of"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe Making of Being Elmo, with Director Constance Marks - Independent Lens<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/blog\/the-making-of-being-elmo-with-director-constance-marks\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Making of Being Elmo, with Director Constance Marks - Independent Lens\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Being Elmo director Constance Marks began her filmmaking career over 30 years ago as an assistant editor for the renowned cinema verite pioneers David and Albert Maysles. For Being Elmo, she partnered with her cameraman husband James Miller and childhood friend Corrine LaPook to take a close look at Kevin Clash, the man behind (and […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/blog\/the-making-of-being-elmo-with-director-constance-marks\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Independent Lens\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-07-21T19:05:08+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/blog\/the-making-of-being-elmo-with-director-constance-marks\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/blog\/the-making-of-being-elmo-with-director-constance-marks\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Independent Lens\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/#\/schema\/person\/4cedb3eea460cdaac69638c5d476f7bf\"},\"headline\":\"The Making of Being Elmo, with Director Constance Marks\",\"datePublished\":\"2012-04-05T21:07:29+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-07-21T19:05:08+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/blog\/the-making-of-being-elmo-with-director-constance-marks\/\"},\"wordCount\":649,\"commentCount\":2,\"keywords\":[\"independent film\",\"making of\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/blog\/the-making-of-being-elmo-with-director-constance-marks\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/blog\/the-making-of-being-elmo-with-director-constance-marks\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/blog\/the-making-of-being-elmo-with-director-constance-marks\/\",\"name\":\"The Making of Being Elmo, with Director Constance Marks - Independent Lens\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2012-04-05T21:07:29+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-07-21T19:05:08+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/blog\/the-making-of-being-elmo-with-director-constance-marks\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/blog\/the-making-of-being-elmo-with-director-constance-marks\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/blog\/the-making-of-being-elmo-with-director-constance-marks\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Posts\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"The Making of Being Elmo, with Director Constance Marks\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/\",\"name\":\"Independent Lens\",\"description\":\"Independent Documentary Films\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/#\/schema\/person\/4cedb3eea460cdaac69638c5d476f7bf\",\"name\":\"Independent Lens\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2b5c0f7775847014c2f5553ec273875f0a9d53d7393cbafef77867f9e0883487?s=96&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2b5c0f7775847014c2f5553ec273875f0a9d53d7393cbafef77867f9e0883487?s=96&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2b5c0f7775847014c2f5553ec273875f0a9d53d7393cbafef77867f9e0883487?s=96&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Independent Lens\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/author\/indielens\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Making of Being Elmo, with Director Constance Marks - Independent Lens","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/blog\/the-making-of-being-elmo-with-director-constance-marks\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Making of Being Elmo, with Director Constance Marks - Independent Lens","og_description":"Being Elmo director Constance Marks began her filmmaking career over 30 years ago as an assistant editor for the renowned cinema verite pioneers David and Albert Maysles. For Being Elmo, she partnered with her cameraman husband James Miller and childhood friend Corrine LaPook to take a close look at Kevin Clash, the man behind (and […]","og_url":"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/blog\/the-making-of-being-elmo-with-director-constance-marks\/","og_site_name":"Independent Lens","article_modified_time":"2023-07-21T19:05:08+00:00","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/blog\/the-making-of-being-elmo-with-director-constance-marks\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/blog\/the-making-of-being-elmo-with-director-constance-marks\/"},"author":{"name":"Independent Lens","@id":"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/#\/schema\/person\/4cedb3eea460cdaac69638c5d476f7bf"},"headline":"The Making of Being Elmo, with Director Constance Marks","datePublished":"2012-04-05T21:07:29+00:00","dateModified":"2023-07-21T19:05:08+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/blog\/the-making-of-being-elmo-with-director-constance-marks\/"},"wordCount":649,"commentCount":2,"keywords":["independent film","making of"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/blog\/the-making-of-being-elmo-with-director-constance-marks\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/blog\/the-making-of-being-elmo-with-director-constance-marks\/","url":"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/blog\/the-making-of-being-elmo-with-director-constance-marks\/","name":"The Making of Being Elmo, with Director Constance Marks - Independent Lens","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/#website"},"datePublished":"2012-04-05T21:07:29+00:00","dateModified":"2023-07-21T19:05:08+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/blog\/the-making-of-being-elmo-with-director-constance-marks\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/blog\/the-making-of-being-elmo-with-director-constance-marks\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/blog\/the-making-of-being-elmo-with-director-constance-marks\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Posts","item":"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"The Making of Being Elmo, with Director Constance Marks"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/#website","url":"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/","name":"Independent Lens","description":"Independent Documentary Films","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/#\/schema\/person\/4cedb3eea460cdaac69638c5d476f7bf","name":"Independent Lens","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2b5c0f7775847014c2f5553ec273875f0a9d53d7393cbafef77867f9e0883487?s=96&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2b5c0f7775847014c2f5553ec273875f0a9d53d7393cbafef77867f9e0883487?s=96&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2b5c0f7775847014c2f5553ec273875f0a9d53d7393cbafef77867f9e0883487?s=96&r=g","caption":"Independent Lens"},"url":"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/author\/indielens\/"}]}},"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog\/6147","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/blog"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6147"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog\/6147\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26878,"href":"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog\/6147\/revisions\/26878"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6147"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6147"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6147"},{"taxonomy":"topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topic?post=6147"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}