I was handed this assignment to complement a feature story running in The Clarion-Ledger. It turned out to be one of the more enjoyable assignments I’ve ever had.

“Between the Lions” moved production to Mississippi years earlier, and every since it has been dear to the creative community. Let’s face it, Mississippi isn’t Hollywood. It takes what it can get.

Watching the show, I felt a bit of whimsy. The puppets behaved like actors – or rather, the puppeteers made them behave like actors. They would interact with directors as puppets, not as puppeteers. I wanted to get a good mix of the actual show and some of these behind the scenes glimpses in the final video.

One of the fun parts of the video was a little unexpected: Two puppeteers started interacting with the camera, making the puppets act in character. (They ask if I’m streaming, to which I say no because, in the moment, I thought they meant live streaming. Why I would think puppets would be asking about live streaming, I do not know. This video actually did stream on clarionledger.com).

Oh, and a puppet tip: Apparently it is a big no-no to take video of “dead puppets,” that is, any puppet that does not have a puppeteer controlling it. Dead puppets make people uneasy.

Behind ‘Between the Lions’ from Aaron Spencer on Vimeo.

Behind the scenes of the award-winning children’s show ‘Between the Lions’ taped in Jackson, Mississippi.