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Behind the Scenes

1992

Seasons & Episodes

  • 1

EP1 Drawing Illusion of Depth with David Hockney Aug 11, 1992

Artist David Hockney draws “a walk around a chair.” Also: singer Bobby McFerrin provides musical accompaniment for the animated adventures of “Flatman.”

EP2 Photography Framing with Carrie Mae Weems Aug 11, 1992

Carrie Mae Weems demonstrates how photographers create meaning through composition. Also: William Wegman's fanciful video "Surprise Symphony," spotlighting his dog.

EP3 Music Playing Together with Joann Falletta Aug 11, 1992

Conductor JoAnn Falletta explains melody and accompaniment ("It's called that because it keeps the melody company," says Penn Jillette). Also: "singing" cows.

EP4 Drawing Line with Wayne Thiebaud Aug 11, 1992

Artist Wayne Thiebaud and cartoonist Matt Groening demostrates how lines are used to create shadows and suggest motion. Also: rope tricks with a lariat.

EP5 Theater Setting Scene with Julie Taymor Aug 11, 1992

Julie Taymor directs "The Tempest," to demonstrate how costume and set design are used in theater to "create the illusion of being somewhere where we obviously aren't."

EP6 Music Melody with Allen Toussaint Aug 11, 1992

Penn and Teller teach kids about melody; composer Allen Toussaint writes a song to demonstrate how repetition and variation are used in creating music. Also: singer Bobby McFerrin and saxophonist Jane Ira Bloom team up for a jam session.

EP7 Painting Color with Robert Gil de Montes Aug 11, 1992

Robert Gil de Montes shows how paint color can be used to trick the eye and express an artist's feelings. Also: computer artist Marilyn Ono on the mixing of hues.

EP8 Dance Pattern with David Parsons Aug 11, 1992

David Parsons choreographs a piece about sleep to show how everyday movements can be incorporated into dance; choreographer B.H. Barry stages a mock fight. Also: a montage of dance clips.

EP9 Music Rhythm with Max Roach Aug 11, 1992

Max Roach demonstrates rhythm. "Different beat patterns make you move in different ways," says host Penn Jillette. Also: the Blue Man Group.

EP10 Sculpture Balance with Nancy Graves Aug 11, 1992

Nancy Graves creates a sculpture in an episode about balance and symmetry. Also: tightrope walker Brian Dewhurst demonstrates how weight affects balance.
6.2| 0h30m| en
Synopsis

Behind the Scenes was a 10-part television miniseries aimed towards 8- to 12-year-olds about various aspects of the arts, that was broadcast on PBS in 1992. The series was executive produced by Alice Stewart Trillin and Jane Garmey, produced and directed by Ellen Hovde and Muffie Meyer, and hosted by Penn & Teller. It was developed to illuminate the creative process underlying the working of artists. The series was funded by The National Endowment for the Arts, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, the Nathan Cummings Foundation, the Bingham Trust and McDonald's.

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Reviews

Chirphymium It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional
PiraBit if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.
Bea Swanson This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.
Juana what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.