Steve Feldman: Emmy Winning Director of Sesame Street

Steve Feldman is an Emmy award winning director who has worked with talent as varied as Bill Nye, Linda Ellerbee, Bill Maher and Elmo for PBS, CBS, Disney, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Comedy Central, MSNBC and Discovery. His work on “Sesame Street” earned him an Emmy Award, while his work with “Barney and Friends,” “The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss," "The Nick News," and “The Christopher Lowell Show” contributed to nine other Emmy awards and nominations. Steven’s other credits include "Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher," "Lazy Town," and the debut musical theatre production for Walden Media, "Rock Odyssey."

In addition Steve has produced and directed documentaries on prison life for MSNBC and is currently developing a documentary feature examining the life of David Berkowitz, the “Son of Sam”. He is the Executive Producer of “The Breakdown” debuting this spring on DanceNetwork.TV.

Recently, Steve directed and produced six short films for Sesame Workshop’s Military Initiative. Additionally he directed a tablet-based television series for pre-school children, "Charlie and Company;" produced video content and provided design supervision for “Nowdebatethis.com," a teen debate website that wrangled with the question: “Who was the better President, Washington or Lincoln?” He has produced web content with acclaimed flautist, Sir James Galway, and directed a twelve episode science series for AMS Pictures in Dallas, TX. He just finished producing a series of videos teaching applied mathematics to young children, for Hammer, Inc. Steve also teaches Film and Television courses at Lipscomb University in Nashville.

We cover a ton of interesting topics in this episode including:

• The unique skill set required to be a Sesame Street puppeteer

• What all goes into shooting an episode of Sesame Street, and how he changed their directorial style

• Hilarious pranks at the annual Sesame Street staff Christmas party

• Why 95% of the Creative Process in film & tv is done at casting

• Who really runs the show on a film or tv set, and what Producers and Executive Producers actually do

• Why artists and creative types often work across many different fields and platforms

• How storytellers store creative ideas, and why someone would pay $25K for a napkin

• Why a balanced life and getting out of your comfort zone are essential to the creative process

• Advice for playwrights, screenwriters, and actors

• The different types of acting methods, and a funny story about Lawrence Oliver and Dustin Hoffman

• Steve's favorite directors in Hollywood and why