The genius puppetry behind War Horse | Handspring Puppet Company

Рет қаралды 935,641

13 жыл бұрын

www.ted.com "Puppets always have to try to be alive," says Adrian Kohler of the Handspring Puppet Company, a gloriously ambitious troupe of human and wooden actors. Beginning with the tale of a hyena's subtle paw, puppeteers Kohler and Basil Jones build to the story of their latest astonishment: the wonderfully life-like Joey, the War Horse, who trots (and gallops) convincingly onto the TED stage.
TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. Featured speakers have included Al Gore on climate change, Philippe Starck on design, Jill Bolte Taylor on observing her own stroke, Nicholas Negroponte on One Laptop per Child, Jane Goodall on chimpanzees, Bill Gates on malaria and mosquitoes, Pattie Maes on the "Sixth Sense" wearable tech, and "Lost" producer JJ Abrams on the allure of mystery. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, development and the arts. Closed captions and translated subtitles in a variety of languages are now available on TED.com, at www.ted.com/translate.

Пікірлер: 484

@123bojac 11 жыл бұрын

The coolest thing I got from this clip is how 3 people synchronized their brains to make it look real.

@CarolanIvey 10 жыл бұрын

It's amazing how quickly you cease to "see" the puppeteers and focus only on the puppet.

@tyalikanky 2 жыл бұрын

But i am seeing normal, healthy Sleipnir

@janina-finjaunruh7045 8 ай бұрын

Fgtth😂

@AriaAsacura 4 жыл бұрын

also lmao at everyone going "thats not how you ride a horse!!!" no. thats how you ride a puppet horse polited by 2 humans, trying to keep her balanced while not breaking anything

@PerfecktLady 4 жыл бұрын

Exactly, those comments are super annoying!

@lilweirdo8978 4 жыл бұрын

Agreed.

@michaelc3977 2 жыл бұрын

Corrected, however, it's piloted by 3 hoomans

@daftlove2858 9 жыл бұрын

I saw Warhorse on stage... Truly life changing.

@KryssLaBryn 8 жыл бұрын

+Daft Love Me too. Guys, if you ever have a chance to see it, don't miss it!!

@MeowcatBissy 8 жыл бұрын

I agree!

@missgreenmouse7218 3 жыл бұрын

It’s so good, I’ve been lucky enough to see it twice over both hours it’s tour in Australia

@rudolfsidhu Жыл бұрын

Saw that a decade and more ago and it paved ways for my interest in equine sports and horse racing afterwards

@ivorybow Жыл бұрын

When Joey came out, I began to cry, and I am not even sure why. Truly moving.

@InfernoBrony 11 жыл бұрын

You know how hard that is? I do technical theater at my school and just with the sets and props it is already hard enough. It would be very difficult to have a real live horse in the show and what about on stage? The horse may be scripted to be alone on stage and the way the horse acts on stage is critical for the storyline. Creating a puppet to use on stage gives control over what the horse behaves, subtle motions (such as ear flicks and the tail) are very vital to the horse's mood.

@Aurora_Animates 3 жыл бұрын

Hello 7 years later

@michaelc3977 2 жыл бұрын

Are you really telling us why a puppet horse is used on stage instead of a real one?

@michaelc3977 2 жыл бұрын

God damn I hate people.

@Phantasmaphobic Жыл бұрын

@@michaelc3977 i think it was meant to be a reply to a different comment that was probably asking why they wouldn't just use a real horse... lol

@michaelc3977 Жыл бұрын

@@Phantasmaphobic Okay, but I still hold my disdain for people.

@thebaldpie3893 10 жыл бұрын

That hyena was terrifying.

@GamerChickZombie 9 жыл бұрын

I liked the hyena, myself.

@koatol_3217 3 жыл бұрын

IKR, it’s creepy XD No hate TED!

@mads4it555 3 жыл бұрын

I saw the stage play in London. I am an equestrian who has ridden since before I could walk and have later in life studied equine behaviour and language, which my body has always understood. I was amazed because I didn't see actors and puppets on stage... I saw, felt and heard horses on stage. Although real horses don't make that much vocal noise, I suppose it was necessary to engage with the non-horsey audience. Bravo everybody... 3 of you at a time disappearing and one horse appearing in your place... a mighty achievement, congratulations

@stevecarter8810 2 жыл бұрын

The vocalisations were probably needed to cue the puppeteers

@ubulaura 9 жыл бұрын

Emotional engineering. Thank you for walking on this planet.

@Tentaclestudio1 9 жыл бұрын

Yes, I thought that was a very evocative phrase too :)

@randompalmtopgaming7541 5 жыл бұрын

This is one of the best comments I've ever read on KZfaq

@BeautifulGoodbye13 10 жыл бұрын

War horse was the best play I've ever been to, from the start you forget the horses are just puppets,-it's amazing to see how they do it here. Great talk!

@dentisthoushyar4182 9 жыл бұрын

@sarahdoodles 12 жыл бұрын

Blows my mind how in synch they become after so many months of practising. Just the smallest movement and they know what the 'horse' is planning to do. So bloody natural looking. I would love to see this show (even though I know for a fact it would break my heart. There's bound to be something awful which happens to the horses..). Amazed.

@shirleywalters5711 9 жыл бұрын

Handspring puppet company has been part of life in Cape Town for over 30 years. They have always inspired with their creativity , passion, social commitments. I am excited to see the show next week - it's finally got to Cape Town. Well done, Basil and Adrian and all involved in this creation.

@nahdiasaltz6081 5 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for this absolutely beautiful posting I've been breaking and training Grand Prix horses my entire life.. watching Joey come to life has been absolutely amazing for me.. In tears❣ impeccably love the war horse! America should definitely have a statue of him!! For all of the horses that fought the War for us without any choice and we're 100% committed regardless of life or death!! God bless everyone of them and also for every soldier that was with them every step of the way!!!!

@breyerart232 10 жыл бұрын

That hyena has got to be the creepest looking thing I've ever seen

@copyrightshouldart 2 жыл бұрын

I have not seen such beauty in a long time. Brought me to tears the moment that I saw the prototype. Brilliant performance as well by the puppeteers. Remarquable!

@warmweatheronly 13 жыл бұрын

CGI artist here... that puppet is badass and the knowledge those actors have that 'drive' it is immense and beautifully executed. Bravo!

@JemiPoems 9 жыл бұрын

I love that they treat him as a real horse!

@IDontUseThisAccountAnymore6 8 жыл бұрын

The face looks like a dog

@lorefreak94 8 жыл бұрын

+Jessica Topenio Actually standardbreads and some draft varieties have that slightly bowed face, it didn't look too dogish. It would have been great if they could have gotten some jaw movement on it but that may have made the head too heavy

@IDontUseThisAccountAnymore6 8 жыл бұрын

+Marion Storms oh

@Vitahlani 10 жыл бұрын

This is still one of my absolute favorite Ted Talks. It's remarkable how lifelike the puppets are.

@MeowcatBissy 8 жыл бұрын

I saw this is person years ago. One of my biggest wishes is for it to return to the stage in the US. So moving.

@VCRchnl01 10 жыл бұрын

I saw this performance in my city on Tuesday and it was spectacular. The horse's movements were so fluid and appropriate. Even though you knew there were puppeteers in there, you hardly noticed them. It was like each horse was it's own entity.

@Vakarianify 11 жыл бұрын

This is so cool, it's like you know it's a puppet, but it just moves and behaves so realistically. Truly outstanding.

@GJ71642 5 жыл бұрын

Honestly puppetry like this should be in Disney to bring animal characters to life. Think about how many more people would come to see puppets of famous Disney animal characters like Aladar or Simba

@CharlotteWeb100 4 жыл бұрын

0:25 Know it's a puppet but I saw him grab and hold hyena like a wet cloth and went “Naww... don't hold him like that.. big meanie” Then he hid under his paw and made me go “I know fella... what they doing at you eh?” Then his head flopped off the table and I wanted them to stop talking and lift him up cos it looked like he just died on the vet table and they weren't bothered. Says more about the genius of these puppeteers I think. They can make a primitive wooden hyena make me immediately see him as a real animal.

@j9keystone806 9 жыл бұрын

I think this was so wonderful, complete with humor.

@WormPowered 13 жыл бұрын

I love how they bow at the end because they are actors

@aubreyvictoria320 7 жыл бұрын

this is still one of the most beautiful and impressive pieces of art i have ever seen

@harlowsrandomchannel9825 8 жыл бұрын

Those are so cool.. Reminds me of the Lion King performance, especially the hyena

@TaiChiKnees 10 жыл бұрын

I'd never heard of this production; that was such a fantastic job of puppet construction and puppeteering! I'm completely blown away!

@pnutdraws 4 жыл бұрын

its the combination of the craftsmanship & the brilliant acting the truely breathes life into this, Fascinating to watch!

@TheSupahFly97 12 жыл бұрын

It must feel amazing to play that puppet...

@AriaAsacura 4 жыл бұрын

"and our next door neighbor, catherine" absolutely choked laughing

@timschafer2536 Жыл бұрын

Phenomenal work. It is truely amazing how simple yet complex it is to animate a puppet. Master at their craft

@anomaly9746 9 жыл бұрын

Wow. Joey is simply amazing. Those who actually know what art truly is will know this. Ignore the ignorant among us.

@raydiokilla 13 жыл бұрын

this is truly a beatifully piece of artwork i actually at one point was so convinced this was a real horse props to everyone that had something to do with this amazing production it is hands down one of the most complex and creative things done by the human mind

@harleyryan4690 11 жыл бұрын

i just saw the show a couple of days ago it was amassing when the horse is revealed it is so breath taking how big and life like it is

@PhatGieze 8 жыл бұрын

That horse neigh XD

@IDontUseThisAccountAnymore6 8 жыл бұрын

That's cool XD

@kbalynch 13 жыл бұрын

I am so overwhelmed...I actually cried when I saw this I thought it was so beautiful

@KarenBasso85 5 жыл бұрын

Maravilhosossssss!! Genais! Estou fascinada, como amante de cavalos e da arte genuína!! Parabéns aos criadores e executores do Joey!

@RomboutVersluijs 6 жыл бұрын

Bumped into this by accident, but WOW!! How incredible is this!

@TheLaughingOut 13 жыл бұрын

What a delightful, beautiful piece of artistry. Truly inspiring.

@aanon5716 7 жыл бұрын

beautiful. saw the play & 5 minutes in, you dont see the handlers, it becomes a real horse.

@parasite-b9604 8 жыл бұрын

There truly are some incredibly talented people in this world.

@tones2003 3 жыл бұрын

it's the LEG ACTING from the dudes in the horse for me

@Aresftfun 13 жыл бұрын

Surprisingly, that horse screeching gave me the chills.

@copespeak 11 жыл бұрын

We saw it last night in Melbourne. It is absolutely astonishing! We were on the aisle seats and Joey came thumping past us and he nudged my partner on the shoulder. It was a horse! The production was mind blowing, with projections constantly changing sets, battle scenes..... not quite speechless, but totally entranced!

@b-jscott 5 жыл бұрын

Absolute genius..... What an amazing and moving show War Horse was....

@JessRushworth 11 жыл бұрын

Ahhh I went to see War Horse when it first came out in the theatre - nee to see it again, the puppetry is astounding. I loved the book as a child and so it is so special!

@TheHDreality 13 жыл бұрын

When I looked in my subscription box I read "the genius puppetry behind war" Now that is a TED talk I would have been interested to to watch something about the psychological manipulation of the masses when the world turns to war...

@wijo6234 4 жыл бұрын

Lol I imagine a troop of Muppets with assault rifles

@listkai93 11 жыл бұрын

Very amazing Horse costume...the movements seem totally real. It's one of the best costume i've ever seen.

@SammySamff1 13 жыл бұрын

You know what? That horse is friggin cool and those actors are superb!

@DrgnMage2536 13 жыл бұрын

Saw War Horse at Lincoln Center in NYC. It was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! The puppeteers brought the horses to life!

@majorpaul2009 12 жыл бұрын

I saw this just the other day in Toronto. Absolutely incredible. It took me about 5 minutes to ignore the puppeteer who controlled the heads and only saw HORSES. Congratulations to the entire puppet team in Toronto on a job incredibly done

@RantingTrent 13 жыл бұрын

Phenomenal craftsmanship. Very fascinating.

@barbaro267 13 жыл бұрын

amazing how life-like that horse is, me knowing horses :)

@poopynonsense 13 жыл бұрын

They hit all the letters of "TED" with this one!

@Dobroman48 11 жыл бұрын

Grandioos dat mensen dit kunnen creëren en fantastisch hoe deze twee heren dit met passie kunnen vertellen :-) Chapeau!

@Joxman2k 13 жыл бұрын

Fascinating :) To all the Neigh-sayers (pun intended) TED is about expansion of knowledge and ideas. The diversity of TED's ideas is amazing. Not every subject will inspire, but every talk is an expansion of the mind :) :P

@chinzebo 12 жыл бұрын

WOW!!! Thank you for posting!!! AMAZING and enlightening!!

@BJH515 13 жыл бұрын

At first I was skeptical with the puppeteer's ability to control the horse, but wow! After the demonstration I am thoroughly impressed.

@amarie_2 Жыл бұрын

Now, why did I tear up when the horse stepped out onstage? 😅 (War Horse was a story I avoided for years. Book, play, or movie - I know I would bawl)

@angelique7618 2 жыл бұрын

The guy talking is just adorable!

@ScoobyHubby 13 жыл бұрын

This company is awesome! I've seen their work in "War Horse" at Lincoln Center, and it is AMAZING. You absolutely forget you are watching puppets.

@tiaansell4861 8 жыл бұрын

The actual performance of this was truly on another level.. Amazing!!

@nahdiasaltz6081 5 жыл бұрын

Beautiful creation !! In accordance with the highest standards faultlessly.

@skullluigi13 5 жыл бұрын

To all the people complaining about the woman ridding the puppet, she is not a horse rider in any way shape or form, her name is Zem Joaquin and she is an eco designer, no doubt seeing that she shares a passion for eco friendly building and crafting materials is most likely why she was given the chance to ride joey. Never hurts to do a little reading before flying off the handle about her not keeping her heels down, sitting too far back or mounting from the right. also she most likely mounted form the right so the audience wouldn't see her being given a leg up, it doesnt look good as part of a demonstration

@Zormac 13 жыл бұрын

This is brilliant! Props to the puppeteers controlling that horse, it feels so very alive!

@NQ201 13 жыл бұрын

Coming from a theater background... This is a godsend. The theatrical possibilities are endless now OwO it's reminiscent of Lion King styling. Hopefully these puppets can soon be rented out to theater companies!

@agneteandrulionyte7620 7 жыл бұрын

I saw this movie when I was younger. And I almost cried XD

@gwhizkids 12 жыл бұрын

Reading War Horse on my Nook...awesome book! Hopefully will ge able to see the play and movie next year!

@CenturionHER0 11 жыл бұрын

I traveled to London to watch the premier of Warhorse at the theatre, needless to say it was worth every penny.

@zanchan 13 жыл бұрын

I'm amazed, I watched this video twice, and I can't wait to show it to someone else

@Knightyme 13 жыл бұрын

I'm impressed, excellent presentation.

@Mermaidguru01 13 жыл бұрын

guys it's not meant to be completely realistic it is a puppet! I love the structure of the horse and I can't wait to go and see it for my birthday in November! It's going to be spectacular!!!

@TheJunkyardmessiah 13 жыл бұрын

Living breathing imagination comes to life., motion and art becomes life. Bravo

@UberXY 12 жыл бұрын

I saw the play last week in NYC. The horses were so mesmerizing that for long gaps I would miss every word the human actors were saying.

@ChaoticShelly 13 жыл бұрын

Absolutely amazing.

@PhantomCosmonaut 13 жыл бұрын

There's something beautiful about this that special effects today can't capture.

@andrewhoxworth3534 9 жыл бұрын

Wow amazing i hope my work is that good one day.

@KillerNeuron 13 жыл бұрын

incredible work!

@suecox4376 11 жыл бұрын

I think this is just totally awesome!

@luc1ferblack 9 жыл бұрын

awesome but no idea why the guys inside are not dressed in black as they really mess with the look of the horse. strange choice to put them in a color similar to the horse thereby making it look like it has 8 legs

@WittyDroog 9 жыл бұрын

The mark of a great puppeteer is one who does not hide the strings, but makes you forget they are there.

@sarinafrohn6751 6 жыл бұрын

Jason Leo thay are same collerd bicous a real horse is one coller

@Solutions3000 5 жыл бұрын

In an actual performance, the lighting would conceal the puppeteers' involvement.

@HobbyOrganist 5 жыл бұрын

That was a good TED talk!

@DJDangersJessiJane 12 жыл бұрын

I think I want to see the play more than the movie!

@reddaB 13 жыл бұрын

I love this!!!!!!!!!! I drew horse puppet designs when I was younger. I would have loved to have been involved in war horse! :( . Oh well, they did a fantastic job! Awesome!

@holdmybeer 13 жыл бұрын

that horse was amazing! wow, wow...

@chrisherself 12 жыл бұрын

Well that, and if you've ever tried to coax a convincing emotional performance from a live horse, you know that they're terrible actors. ;) The genius of this puppet is that the true emotional essence of the horse is captured through perfectly coordinated movements. I think the puppet is much better than a real horse, actually. The handlers really are true artists. The body language is absolutely spot on. :)

@iamkeir 13 жыл бұрын

Wonderful - mesmerising!!

@rikka5038 8 жыл бұрын

So frickin' cool!

@andrejshamin1452 Жыл бұрын

Лошадь выглядит необычно, даже страннно. Но для постановки, фрагменты которой показали в конце, такое решение попадание в яблочко.👏

@psychobunny32 10 жыл бұрын

beautiful!!

@LIANG14 13 жыл бұрын

Truly incredible.

@dmanLVN Жыл бұрын

OH MY GOD!! How incredible!!

@Truthiness231 13 жыл бұрын

Beautifully well done. I'm usual all for bashing an art piece on TED, but considering the achievement of making the horse it seems worthwhile this time.