1 00:00:20,100 --> 00:00:23,580 Jane: This is But why: a Podcast for Curious Kids from Vermont 2 00:00:23,580 --> 00:00:27,165 Public. I'm Jane Lindholm. On this show, we take questions 3 00:00:27,165 --> 00:00:30,765 from curious kids just like you, and we find answers. 4 00:00:30,825 --> 00:00:33,705 Amelia: Hi, I'm Amelia. I'm eight years old, and I live in 5 00:00:33,705 --> 00:00:37,125 Portland, Oregon, and I have a question about the Macy's 6 00:00:37,125 --> 00:00:41,325 Thanksgiving Day Parade, and my question is, how do those big 7 00:00:41,385 --> 00:00:44,085 balloons hold on just a tiny string? 8 00:00:44,565 --> 00:00:48,510 Jane: Do you enjoy parades? I do. I love seeing all the people 9 00:00:48,510 --> 00:00:52,530 walking by, often in amazing costumes. The parade floats are 10 00:00:52,530 --> 00:00:55,710 cool too, where trucks pull a trailer that's been decorated to 11 00:00:55,710 --> 00:01:00,330 look like a boat or a bear or a tropical paradise. Sometimes 12 00:01:00,330 --> 00:01:04,350 people ride in the floats, and I especially love the marching 13 00:01:04,350 --> 00:01:07,710 bands, usually from nearby elementary and high schools, and 14 00:01:07,710 --> 00:01:11,715 sometimes professional musicians as well. One of the biggest 15 00:01:11,715 --> 00:01:15,075 parades in the world is the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 16 00:01:15,075 --> 00:01:19,335 in New York City. It happens as the name might have given away 17 00:01:19,335 --> 00:01:22,875 on Thanksgiving Day, which is always the fourth Thursday of 18 00:01:22,875 --> 00:01:24,735 November in the United States. 19 00:01:30,060 --> 00:01:32,700 The New York City government says about three and a half 20 00:01:32,700 --> 00:01:36,480 million people line up along the parade route through the streets 21 00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:41,400 of the city to watch the parade in person, and about 50 million 22 00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:46,320 people watch the parade on TV. That's a lot of people! So when 23 00:01:46,320 --> 00:01:49,545 the folks at Macy's asked if we'd like to go behind the 24 00:01:49,545 --> 00:01:53,325 scenes to see what it takes to actually make the parade, we 25 00:01:53,325 --> 00:01:57,405 here it but why we're happy to say yes. So you know, the parade 26 00:01:57,405 --> 00:02:00,885 happens on Thanksgiving Day. It's about three hours long from 27 00:02:00,885 --> 00:02:04,305 start to finish, wrapping up right around noon. But how long 28 00:02:04,305 --> 00:02:08,325 do you think it takes to work on the parade so that everything is 29 00:02:08,325 --> 00:02:12,510 ready to go for the millions of people who watch it? Couple of 30 00:02:12,510 --> 00:02:19,650 weeks, a couple of months? How about a couple of years? That's 31 00:02:19,650 --> 00:02:25,230 right, it takes almost two years to prepare for each parade. That 32 00:02:25,230 --> 00:02:28,050 work is done by a lot of different people, including 33 00:02:28,050 --> 00:02:32,430 artists, sculptors, carpenters and designers, and the work is 34 00:02:32,430 --> 00:02:34,335 overseen by this guy. 35 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:35,980 Will Coss: I'm Will Coss. I'm the executive producer of the 36 00:02:35,980 --> 00:02:37,420 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. 37 00:02:37,420 --> 00:02:40,900 Jane: If you had a group of kids from all over the world, ages 38 00:02:40,900 --> 00:02:43,480 five to 10 sitting in front of you crisscross applesauce. How 39 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:45,880 would you describe an executive producer of a parade? 40 00:02:47,020 --> 00:02:52,300 Will Coss: Sort of like your teacher? I have an opportunity 41 00:02:52,300 --> 00:02:59,725 to review all of the work that our very talented team here at 42 00:02:59,725 --> 00:03:05,605 Macy's studios creates and we work together as a community to 43 00:03:05,605 --> 00:03:08,905 execute one of the largest and most fantastic parades in 44 00:03:08,905 --> 00:03:09,325 America. 45 00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:12,780 Jane: The But Why team met up with will cost at the Macy's 46 00:03:12,780 --> 00:03:16,440 studio in Moonachie, New Jersey, just a few miles from New York 47 00:03:16,440 --> 00:03:21,240 City. We pulled up to a pretty boring, looking big building in 48 00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:25,080 an industrial complex with lots of giant warehouses and big box 49 00:03:25,080 --> 00:03:28,620 stores. From the outside, you probably wouldn't think anything 50 00:03:28,680 --> 00:03:33,045 all that exciting to you would be going on inside, but once you 51 00:03:33,045 --> 00:03:35,385 open the doors, it's magical. 52 00:03:35,625 --> 00:03:37,965 Will Coss: That's the trick. That's intentional. Yes, we're 53 00:03:37,965 --> 00:03:40,425 going to hear a lot of noise in just a few seconds. We're headed 54 00:03:40,425 --> 00:03:45,285 out to our 80,000 square foot studio where all of our 55 00:03:45,285 --> 00:03:50,385 balloons, our floats, and all of the other theatrical elements 56 00:03:50,445 --> 00:03:54,105 are designed and made here at Macy's Studios. Let's go. 57 00:03:56,020 --> 00:03:58,180 Jane: It is magical and it smells good. 58 00:03:58,780 --> 00:04:01,800 Will Coss: It smells good. Yes, there's a variety of things that 59 00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:05,580 are happening right here. Right now, we're standing about 25 60 00:04:05,820 --> 00:04:11,040 feet above our ground level, and this is an opportunity for us to 61 00:04:11,040 --> 00:04:15,660 look over the entire studio, which is broken up, similar to 62 00:04:15,660 --> 00:04:19,500 classrooms in different sections. So we have our 63 00:04:19,500 --> 00:04:23,060 animation and automation, which is essentially all of the things 64 00:04:23,060 --> 00:04:28,520 that move. We have our metal shop, which is all of our 65 00:04:28,520 --> 00:04:31,580 internal structure, so we call it the bones of each one of our 66 00:04:31,580 --> 00:04:34,640 floats. Then we have our carpentry section, which builds 67 00:04:34,700 --> 00:04:39,140 all of the beautiful elements around our floats. And then on 68 00:04:39,140 --> 00:04:42,460 the other side, over here, we have another very important 69 00:04:42,460 --> 00:04:44,620 department, which is our sculpting team. 70 00:04:45,740 --> 00:04:49,880 Jane: I like, I can't even it's so cool to see there's a lot of 71 00:04:49,880 --> 00:04:52,700 styrofoam. There's some Styrofoam pieces that have been 72 00:04:52,700 --> 00:04:57,560 painted, and there's a giant float that has a bear and a 73 00:04:57,560 --> 00:04:59,840 moose that are being built on it right now. 74 00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:04,440 Will Coss: Yes, so that giant bear and moose that you see 75 00:05:04,620 --> 00:05:09,360 started as one cube of Styrofoam, and our artists here 76 00:05:09,660 --> 00:05:14,640 at the studio take the designs that are started on a computer 77 00:05:15,240 --> 00:05:18,420 and transfer them to the beautiful, giant pieces of art 78 00:05:18,420 --> 00:05:19,320 that you see here. 79 00:05:20,920 --> 00:05:24,040 Jane: We were perched high up on a balcony overlooking all the 80 00:05:24,040 --> 00:05:27,460 action. People using welding machines that shot sparks into 81 00:05:27,460 --> 00:05:31,060 the air. Other workers using belt sanders to smooth out big 82 00:05:31,060 --> 00:05:34,900 pieces of wood. Some people were sculpting those giant pieces of 83 00:05:34,900 --> 00:05:38,680 Styrofoam into recognizable characters, and still, others 84 00:05:38,680 --> 00:05:42,340 were spray painting that foam to make it water resistant and 85 00:05:42,340 --> 00:05:46,705 colorful. Will took us down onto the main floor to get up close 86 00:05:46,765 --> 00:05:47,425 and personal. 87 00:05:47,425 --> 00:05:49,405 Will Coss: Watch your step, Everyone a little, slippery. 88 00:05:49,405 --> 00:05:53,125 Jane: There was a lot to see, like puppets. 89 00:05:53,605 --> 00:05:56,305 Will Coss: This puppet will be 12 feet tall, so it's going to 90 00:05:56,305 --> 00:06:01,525 be a giant puppet, and it will be controlled similar to 91 00:06:01,525 --> 00:06:06,250 traditional puppet, but instead of strings, it'll be metal wires 92 00:06:06,250 --> 00:06:09,790 that'll be connected to some motors to help us move and 93 00:06:09,790 --> 00:06:12,070 adjust the puppet along the parade route 94 00:06:12,430 --> 00:06:15,130 Jane: To make everything for the parade. There are a lot of 95 00:06:15,130 --> 00:06:16,030 tools. 96 00:06:16,030 --> 00:06:21,310 Will Coss: This is our carpentry shop, so similar to your 97 00:06:21,310 --> 00:06:25,090 woodworking stations and woodworking shops at school, 98 00:06:25,810 --> 00:06:28,690 maybe just a little bit bigger, because the things that we built 99 00:06:28,690 --> 00:06:32,875 are a little bit bigger, but all of the similar things you might 100 00:06:32,875 --> 00:06:37,315 have. We have our saws, we have our drills, we have our tables, 101 00:06:37,315 --> 00:06:41,395 our cutting tables, and this is where the carpenters and our 102 00:06:41,395 --> 00:06:45,775 carpentry team start all of their work and start to assemble 103 00:06:45,775 --> 00:06:48,295 pieces that then get put onto our floats. 104 00:06:49,015 --> 00:06:51,715 Jane: Yeah, your class could probably have a dance party in 105 00:06:51,715 --> 00:06:53,320 here. It's a big space. 106 00:06:53,320 --> 00:06:56,980 Will Coss: We actually have dance parties here too, but, 107 00:06:56,980 --> 00:07:00,340 yes, very big space. A lot of wood, a lot of saws, a lot of 108 00:07:00,340 --> 00:07:05,920 tools up on the board on the wall, and everything is very 109 00:07:06,160 --> 00:07:09,640 neatly organized here at the studio, we want to make sure we 110 00:07:09,640 --> 00:07:13,360 know where everything is so we actually have pictures of our 111 00:07:13,360 --> 00:07:18,745 tools on the wall that remind us where to return things when 112 00:07:18,745 --> 00:07:19,285 they're missing. 113 00:07:19,540 --> 00:07:23,680 Jane: I love that. Yeah, it's like a almost like a sticker of 114 00:07:23,680 --> 00:07:29,020 the tool itself, so you know exactly what to put there. You 115 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:30,967 don't even need to know the name of the tool. You just need to 116 00:07:30,967 --> 00:07:30,975 match the shape. 117 00:07:30,975 --> 00:07:31,000 Will Coss: Yes, we like to keep it simple and easy. 118 00:07:31,540 --> 00:07:35,020 Jane: Not everything is made by hand. Will showed us a giant 119 00:07:35,020 --> 00:07:40,660 tool called a CNC machine. CNC stands for Computer Numerical 120 00:07:40,660 --> 00:07:44,560 Control, and the machine is basically a robot that cuts 121 00:07:44,560 --> 00:07:48,040 wood. The people design the shapes they want, and then the 122 00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:53,080 computer can cut out those shapes precisely every time. All 123 00:07:53,080 --> 00:07:56,005 of this work in the carpentry shop and the welding area and 124 00:07:56,005 --> 00:08:00,085 the sculpting area eventually becomes a scene or a display 125 00:08:00,145 --> 00:08:04,585 that goes onto a float. Will walked us over to a float bed. 126 00:08:04,945 --> 00:08:08,725 Without anything on it a float bed is just a flat trailer that 127 00:08:08,725 --> 00:08:12,805 gets hitched onto a car or truck, but when the team builds 128 00:08:12,805 --> 00:08:16,465 a whole design on top of that flat bed, it becomes something 129 00:08:16,465 --> 00:08:19,570 really cool. But why is it called a float? 130 00:08:19,620 --> 00:08:23,420 Will Coss: Call them floats because they give you the 131 00:08:23,420 --> 00:08:27,740 impression, or we try to pretend that there are these stages that 132 00:08:27,740 --> 00:08:31,760 are actually floating down the streets of New York City. We 133 00:08:31,760 --> 00:08:37,040 build them 30 feet tall, but also we cover the wheels with 134 00:08:37,040 --> 00:08:40,780 what we call skirts, which is essentially different types of 135 00:08:40,780 --> 00:08:45,820 fabric that float in the wind, and gives you the the impression 136 00:08:45,820 --> 00:08:49,360 that the floats are actually, literally floating down the 137 00:08:49,360 --> 00:08:52,480 street, but there's some wheels underneath there. 138 00:08:52,840 --> 00:08:55,840 Jane: Now you have to make sure that they will fit on a street 139 00:08:55,840 --> 00:08:59,380 so they can't be too wide. And then some streets have power 140 00:08:59,380 --> 00:09:01,840 lines and other things. How do you make sure that they're not 141 00:09:01,840 --> 00:09:05,320 so tall, and how do you get them to New York City from where we 142 00:09:05,320 --> 00:09:06,160 are in New Jersey? 143 00:09:06,160 --> 00:09:09,160 Will Coss: That is a great question. Each one of the floats 144 00:09:09,160 --> 00:09:14,920 that we design will fold down like a transformer to about nine 145 00:09:14,980 --> 00:09:18,385 feet by 12 feet. If you think about your school bus, 146 00:09:18,745 --> 00:09:23,125 everything in the parade folds down to about that size. And we 147 00:09:23,125 --> 00:09:26,785 take all of our floats from New Jersey through the Lincoln 148 00:09:26,785 --> 00:09:31,525 Tunnel, up the highway in New York City and up to Central 149 00:09:31,525 --> 00:09:35,185 Park, and that's where we reassemble everything. So we use 150 00:09:35,185 --> 00:09:38,545 giant cranes to pick up all of the pieces and put them back 151 00:09:38,545 --> 00:09:42,610 together, sort of like a Lego puzzle right on the streets the 152 00:09:42,610 --> 00:09:43,450 day before parade. 153 00:09:44,020 --> 00:09:46,840 Jane: So if I was driving along through the Lincoln Tunnel with 154 00:09:46,840 --> 00:09:51,280 my family the day before Thanksgiving, I might just drive 155 00:09:51,280 --> 00:09:55,480 by this whole long line of folded up parade floats. 156 00:09:55,780 --> 00:10:00,280 Will Coss: Yes, there's over 75 units that come from New Jersey 157 00:10:00,580 --> 00:10:04,060 all the way to New York City, and we're out in the streets, 158 00:10:04,060 --> 00:10:08,080 and everyone gives us a big wave and cheers us on. It's our own 159 00:10:08,080 --> 00:10:09,760 little mini parade before the parade. 160 00:10:09,760 --> 00:10:12,040 Jane: That would be almost as fun as seeing a parade. Yes, 161 00:10:12,040 --> 00:10:15,460 yeah, absolutely. Next we headed over to the paint studio. 162 00:10:15,880 --> 00:10:20,785 Remember, all of these areas are in one giant, 80,000 square foot 163 00:10:20,785 --> 00:10:24,865 warehouse, you could fit my house that I live in into that 164 00:10:24,865 --> 00:10:29,605 space more than 50 times. So it's really big. That's how they 165 00:10:29,605 --> 00:10:32,965 can fit in all the various materials that are needed for a 166 00:10:32,965 --> 00:10:34,945 giant, three hour long parade. 167 00:10:35,245 --> 00:10:40,405 Will Coss: We use over 2,000 gallons of paint every year for 168 00:10:40,405 --> 00:10:43,870 the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, we have every color 169 00:10:43,870 --> 00:10:48,010 imaginable, and then our team of professional painters also 170 00:10:48,010 --> 00:10:53,470 custom mix colors to get the perfect shade depending on the 171 00:10:53,470 --> 00:10:56,890 project that we're working on. We have a team of painters who 172 00:10:56,890 --> 00:11:02,110 are painting different elements right now. This is sort of like 173 00:11:02,110 --> 00:11:04,069 a sunburst. It's going to be what we're calling a little bit 174 00:11:04,069 --> 00:11:08,515 of a dream catcher for one of our floats. So that'll have a 175 00:11:08,515 --> 00:11:12,115 couple of layers that will spin and give you this nice dreamy 176 00:11:12,115 --> 00:11:12,715 effect. 177 00:11:13,500 --> 00:11:17,280 Jane: We are now in a sea of white foam. Hi, I'm Jane. 178 00:11:18,680 --> 00:11:22,340 Cameron: My name is Cameron Carnevale, the lead sculptor 179 00:11:22,340 --> 00:11:27,740 here, and we are working on several projects, Pop Mart being 180 00:11:27,740 --> 00:11:31,220 one of them. That's what everyone's on right now, each 181 00:11:31,220 --> 00:11:34,880 doing an individual character. We've got a little bit of 182 00:11:34,880 --> 00:11:37,100 Netflix, Stranger Things. 183 00:11:37,160 --> 00:11:38,960 Jane: This is the monster behind you. 184 00:11:39,020 --> 00:11:44,405 Cameron: It's behind me, isn't it? Yes, it is, yes, all 10 feet 185 00:11:44,405 --> 00:11:45,065 tall of it. 186 00:11:45,125 --> 00:11:47,465 Jane: How do you carve foam? 187 00:11:47,705 --> 00:11:51,365 Cameron: We used a bunch of things, from kitchen knives to 188 00:11:51,785 --> 00:11:54,905 sort of a hot wire that will cut through the foam. 189 00:11:54,965 --> 00:11:58,625 Jane: And then you have to coat it and paint it so that if it's 190 00:11:58,625 --> 00:12:01,505 a little bit rainy, it's not going to disintegrate. It'll 191 00:12:01,505 --> 00:12:03,605 stand up to any kind of weather. 192 00:12:03,785 --> 00:12:06,830 Cameron: That's right. So it gets, we call it a candy 193 00:12:06,830 --> 00:12:12,650 coating, like an M & M on the soft shell, and, yeah, protects 194 00:12:12,650 --> 00:12:15,230 it from from everything, and it gets painted all pretty. 195 00:12:15,830 --> 00:12:19,670 Jane: So if somebody ever dents one, are you like, Oh my God. 196 00:12:19,670 --> 00:12:20,690 Oh, that work! 197 00:12:20,690 --> 00:12:25,610 Cameron: No, it's okay, because we can fix that. We can patch it 198 00:12:25,610 --> 00:12:26,990 up. Nope, no problem. 199 00:12:27,290 --> 00:12:30,215 Jane: We wanted to get a better look at the monster behind Cami. 200 00:12:30,335 --> 00:12:34,295 It was a scary character from a TV show called Stranger Things 201 00:12:34,475 --> 00:12:37,595 that's very popular with adults and older teenagers. 202 00:12:37,000 --> 00:12:42,940 Will Coss: So we're walking up to the Demogorgon, which our 203 00:12:42,940 --> 00:12:49,360 sculptor, Justin has expertly sculpted. He's 12 feet tall. And 204 00:12:49,360 --> 00:12:53,380 then we had to take it all apart, put all of the armatures, 205 00:12:53,380 --> 00:12:55,600 which are the pieces of metal, which is essentially like our 206 00:12:55,600 --> 00:12:58,900 bone, like our skeleton. We made a skeleton, and then we added 207 00:12:58,900 --> 00:13:01,765 the character back to it. And Justin, right now is putting all 208 00:13:01,765 --> 00:13:05,665 the pieces on it and putting all of the latex which will give it 209 00:13:06,085 --> 00:13:13,285 an actual realistic finish. So the legs will move up and down, 210 00:13:13,885 --> 00:13:19,045 the head will open and close. So after Justin is done putting all 211 00:13:19,045 --> 00:13:23,425 of the latex finish on it. It'll go over to our paint team to 212 00:13:23,425 --> 00:13:25,930 become the actual puppet. It was designed to be. 213 00:13:25,930 --> 00:13:28,990 Jane: Right? It's not going to look too scary or too real, it's 214 00:13:28,990 --> 00:13:30,130 just white styrofoam. 215 00:13:30,680 --> 00:13:35,480 Will Coss: Yes, yeah. So we've talked a lot about floats and 216 00:13:35,600 --> 00:13:39,920 all of the work that goes into it. Now we're going to walk over 217 00:13:39,920 --> 00:13:43,780 to the other favorite part of our studio, which is our balloon 218 00:13:43,780 --> 00:13:47,260 studio, and that's where we make all of the giant character 219 00:13:47,260 --> 00:13:49,600 balloons that you see in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. 220 00:13:50,360 --> 00:13:52,940 Jane: That's right, we're going to be talking balloons next. 221 00:13:53,120 --> 00:13:57,260 This parade is perhaps most famous for the giant helium 222 00:13:57,260 --> 00:14:00,740 balloons that float high above the city streets as the parade 223 00:14:00,740 --> 00:14:03,680 marches through New York City. We're going to learn all about 224 00:14:03,680 --> 00:14:07,220 how they're made, and yes, answer your questions about 225 00:14:07,220 --> 00:14:09,080 balloons That's coming right up. 226 00:14:09,080 --> 00:14:13,160 This is But Why. I'm Jane Lindholm, and today we're on a 227 00:14:13,160 --> 00:14:16,265 field trip behind the scenes at the creative studio in 228 00:14:16,265 --> 00:14:20,045 Moonachie, New Jersey, where artists, designers, carpenters, 229 00:14:20,045 --> 00:14:23,885 welders and a whole team of other people work year round to 230 00:14:23,885 --> 00:14:27,125 get ready for one of the biggest parades in the United States, 231 00:14:27,425 --> 00:14:31,265 the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. I love seeing how things 232 00:14:31,265 --> 00:14:35,645 are made, so I am always up for a factory tour. The Macy's 233 00:14:35,645 --> 00:14:39,230 Parade is really well known for having giant balloons that float 234 00:14:39,230 --> 00:14:43,550 through the streets. And when I say giant, I mean really, really 235 00:14:43,550 --> 00:14:47,570 giant. Some of the balloons in the almost 100 year history of 236 00:14:47,570 --> 00:14:52,010 this parade have been more than 100 feet tall or 100 feet long. 237 00:14:52,610 --> 00:14:57,050 Your school bus is maybe 35 or 40 feet long. So imagine how big 238 00:14:57,050 --> 00:15:00,755 those balloons are. We wanted to see how they are made and answer 239 00:15:00,755 --> 00:15:03,995 the questions you've sent us. So we asked our guide, Will Coss, 240 00:15:03,995 --> 00:15:07,355 executive producer of the parade, to take us inside the 241 00:15:07,355 --> 00:15:09,575 balloon making part of the warehouse. 242 00:15:09,875 --> 00:15:12,815 Will Coss: Okay, so we're standing outside of two double 243 00:15:12,815 --> 00:15:17,555 doors that we're going to push through and see the wonderful 244 00:15:17,555 --> 00:15:19,355 balloon studio here at Macy's Studios. 245 00:15:19,355 --> 00:15:21,035 Jane: You're making it sound very exciting. 246 00:15:23,075 --> 00:15:23,855 Will Coss: Here we are. 247 00:15:23,900 --> 00:15:24,980 Jane: And it is. 248 00:15:24,980 --> 00:15:30,080 Will Coss: We are now in the iconic Macy's balloon studio, 249 00:15:30,380 --> 00:15:36,380 and in this facility, we design and we put together all of the 250 00:15:36,380 --> 00:15:40,340 pieces that make up every one of our balloons. Right now we have 251 00:15:40,340 --> 00:15:41,480 Super Mario. 252 00:15:41,800 --> 00:15:44,500 Jane: So if you were standing here with me, you would see a 253 00:15:44,740 --> 00:15:50,620 giant head of Mario himself, but his nose is not inflated, and 254 00:15:50,620 --> 00:15:51,820 neither is his mustache. 255 00:15:52,480 --> 00:15:57,040 Will Coss: Correct. Yes, we we inflate and deflate certain 256 00:15:57,040 --> 00:16:02,760 areas of the balloon to help us work on certain specific spaces. 257 00:16:02,760 --> 00:16:06,360 Right now we were painting the eyes, so we deflated the nose, 258 00:16:06,480 --> 00:16:08,940 and then we'll re inflate it once we're done, 259 00:16:09,200 --> 00:16:10,700 Jane: I feel like he's staring at us. 260 00:16:11,420 --> 00:16:12,080 Will Coss: Might be. 261 00:16:12,980 --> 00:16:16,220 Jane: He's following us with his eyes. It's like the Mona Lisa. 262 00:16:17,240 --> 00:16:19,460 You know, while we're here in the balloon studio, we have a 263 00:16:19,460 --> 00:16:24,680 lot of questions about balloons, specifically including, how do 264 00:16:24,680 --> 00:16:26,300 you make balloons? 265 00:16:26,540 --> 00:16:30,980 Molly: Hi, my name is Molly. I'm four years old. I'm from 266 00:16:31,100 --> 00:16:35,180 Henniker, New Hampshire, and I wanted to know how are balloons 267 00:16:35,180 --> 00:16:35,720 made. 268 00:16:35,720 --> 00:16:44,240 Sage: My name is Sage, and I'm five years old, and I live in 269 00:16:44,300 --> 00:16:49,400 London, and my question is, how are balloons made? 270 00:16:49,400 --> 00:16:57,665 Ari: My name is Ari. I am from Castleton, New York, and my 271 00:16:57,665 --> 00:17:01,865 question is, how do you make balloons? 272 00:17:01,865 --> 00:17:09,245 Cora: Hello. My name is Cora, and I am six, and my question 273 00:17:09,305 --> 00:17:15,470 we're from Wisconsin, and my question is, how do you make 274 00:17:15,470 --> 00:17:16,730 balloons? 275 00:17:16,979 --> 00:17:19,619 Jane: Basic ground party balloons that you blow up with 276 00:17:19,619 --> 00:17:23,419 your mouth are made in a factory where balloon molds are dipped 277 00:17:23,419 --> 00:17:28,219 into liquid latex that dries and gets rubberized and sometimes is 278 00:17:28,219 --> 00:17:32,239 stamped with designs. The metallic balloons that sometimes 279 00:17:32,239 --> 00:17:35,059 come in fun shapes and get filled up with helium are 280 00:17:35,059 --> 00:17:38,899 usually made with a material called mylar. They are made by 281 00:17:38,899 --> 00:17:42,039 having a front and a backside that are exactly the same shape, 282 00:17:42,039 --> 00:17:45,039 and then the two pieces are melted together and blown up. 283 00:17:45,939 --> 00:17:49,599 But the balloons made for the Macy's Parade are so huge they 284 00:17:49,599 --> 00:17:53,439 have to be made by hand, one at a time, from a different 285 00:17:53,439 --> 00:17:54,039 material. 286 00:17:55,000 --> 00:17:57,700 Will Coss: The Macy's balloons are made from a very special 287 00:17:57,820 --> 00:18:01,980 material that's designed specifically for the Macy's 288 00:18:01,980 --> 00:18:02,940 Thanksgiving Day Parade. 289 00:18:03,420 --> 00:18:06,540 Jane: And what is that material called? Or can you not tell me, 290 00:18:06,900 --> 00:18:09,840 Will Coss: it's magic material for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day 291 00:18:09,840 --> 00:18:10,800 Parade balloons. 292 00:18:11,280 --> 00:18:13,500 Jane: That's code speak for I'm not going to tell you. 293 00:18:14,760 --> 00:18:18,180 Will Coss: Yes, it's a special fabric that is proprietary or 294 00:18:18,180 --> 00:18:22,160 designed specifically for Macy's and our balloon fabrication. 295 00:18:22,340 --> 00:18:26,720 Jane: So the fabric feels kind of like a tarp that you might 296 00:18:26,720 --> 00:18:31,760 put down over a lawnmower or on your picnic table, but maybe a 297 00:18:31,760 --> 00:18:32,540 little bit thicker, 298 00:18:33,500 --> 00:18:36,440 Will Coss: Yes, and it has a similar sound when it crunches 299 00:18:36,440 --> 00:18:37,340 up together. 300 00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:40,960 Jane: Well, it makes sense that you need your own kind of 301 00:18:40,960 --> 00:18:43,600 material, because you're making enormous balloons. If you've 302 00:18:43,660 --> 00:18:47,140 ever seen the parade, these are balloons that float high above. 303 00:18:47,140 --> 00:18:49,720 They look like they're floating in the sky, but they don't float 304 00:18:49,720 --> 00:18:52,960 away, because people hold on to them. But they are giant, way 305 00:18:52,960 --> 00:18:57,880 bigger than you or me, and they are made specifically to look 306 00:18:57,880 --> 00:19:01,920 like a special character or something famous that you know, 307 00:19:01,920 --> 00:19:07,260 like maybe Snoopy or Mario, and so they have to be able to have 308 00:19:07,260 --> 00:19:10,020 this material that can make something in that shape and 309 00:19:10,020 --> 00:19:14,880 size, and be able to withstand New York City, November, wind 310 00:19:14,880 --> 00:19:16,080 and rain and maybe snow. 311 00:19:16,600 --> 00:19:20,800 Will Coss: Yes, the material is an important part of making 312 00:19:20,800 --> 00:19:25,240 these balloons and making them successfully. The size depends 313 00:19:25,240 --> 00:19:28,780 on the type of character that we're doing. Our largest balloon 314 00:19:28,780 --> 00:19:32,740 right now is Spider Man, which is almost 70 feet long, many. 315 00:19:32,740 --> 00:19:34,300 Jane: How many school busses is that? 316 00:19:34,300 --> 00:19:36,880 Will Coss: That's probably two school busses long, two and a 317 00:19:36,880 --> 00:19:40,405 half school busses long. Minnie Mouse is one of our tallest 318 00:19:40,405 --> 00:19:45,025 balloons at over 60 feet tall. So these are giant. When we say 319 00:19:45,025 --> 00:19:48,445 giant, they are giant. We're standing here next to Mario 320 00:19:48,445 --> 00:19:52,045 right now, and from the floor we just come up to about his ear, 321 00:19:52,225 --> 00:19:54,685 and that's his hea. is the only thing that's inflated. So 322 00:19:55,105 --> 00:19:58,885 they're quite big. Some of our balloons have over 200 pieces 323 00:19:59,245 --> 00:20:02,965 that get melted together to make our giant balloons, and that's 324 00:20:02,965 --> 00:20:05,890 what the team over here is doing right now on the heat sealers. 325 00:20:06,310 --> 00:20:09,670 Jane: The heat sealing machines look kind of like giant sewing 326 00:20:09,670 --> 00:20:13,450 machines, except instead of having a needle and thread to 327 00:20:13,450 --> 00:20:17,470 attach the various pieces of fabric, the heat sealing machine 328 00:20:17,470 --> 00:20:19,150 melts the pieces together. 329 00:20:19,210 --> 00:20:22,450 Jen: My name is Jen, and I'm a balloon fabricator at the Macy's 330 00:20:22,450 --> 00:20:23,170 Parade studio. 331 00:20:23,470 --> 00:20:25,555 Jane: You've got a ton of fabric here. It looks like you're 332 00:20:25,555 --> 00:20:27,295 making a dress for Cinderella or something. 333 00:20:27,295 --> 00:20:31,135 Jen: I's not Cinderella, but I'm sure you guys do know who I'm 334 00:20:31,135 --> 00:20:35,095 making which I'm not sure if I can say I can. And it's Derpy 335 00:20:35,095 --> 00:20:40,795 from KPop Demon Hunter. So very exciting. I'm most pumped about 336 00:20:40,795 --> 00:20:43,195 this balloon. I know we're not supposed to pick favorites, but 337 00:20:43,195 --> 00:20:46,735 I might have one. And yes, I'm sitting at what's called a heat 338 00:20:46,735 --> 00:20:50,620 sealer. So we use really high heat to melt the pieces of the 339 00:20:50,620 --> 00:20:53,920 balloon together before we go and clean and paint it. So it's 340 00:20:53,920 --> 00:20:55,600 really exciting and quite fun. 341 00:20:56,080 --> 00:20:59,680 Jane: How do you know where to melt the pieces together? 342 00:21:00,220 --> 00:21:04,440 Jen: I have a really wonderful team here that works on the 343 00:21:04,440 --> 00:21:08,040 computer to mark out the pieces for us. So we have digital 344 00:21:08,040 --> 00:21:10,860 markings that allow us to match it up like, almost like a puzzle 345 00:21:10,860 --> 00:21:13,920 piece. And we attach the puzzle pieces together so that we get 346 00:21:13,920 --> 00:21:17,220 from hundreds and hundreds of little parts one big, awesome 347 00:21:17,220 --> 00:21:17,580 balloon. 348 00:21:17,360 --> 00:21:21,200 Jane: And then on this fabric itself, there are lines and 349 00:21:21,200 --> 00:21:24,860 there are numbers, so you're following those directions when 350 00:21:24,860 --> 00:21:26,240 you're using your machine. 351 00:21:26,600 --> 00:21:29,660 Jen: Absolutely. Thank goodness I learned how to count, because 352 00:21:29,660 --> 00:21:33,080 if not, we would not have a cat, but maybe some other animal. So 353 00:21:33,080 --> 00:21:37,400 yeah, we use a series of letters and numbers as codes to go ahead 354 00:21:37,400 --> 00:21:42,560 and build and we also have really fun little miniature 355 00:21:42,560 --> 00:21:45,680 models of the balloons that also help us put the pieces together. 356 00:21:45,740 --> 00:21:48,860 And I use it as a guide to ensure that I'm doing the right 357 00:21:48,860 --> 00:21:49,040 thing. 358 00:21:49,040 --> 00:21:50,780 Jane: It looks like you're holding an arm. 359 00:21:50,825 --> 00:21:55,325 Jen: It is. This is derpy's Sweet little arm, and we're 360 00:21:55,325 --> 00:21:58,445 currently working on building out his limbs. And last bit is 361 00:21:58,445 --> 00:22:00,425 his body. So we're moving along really well. 362 00:22:00,425 --> 00:22:03,905 Jane: Every balloon starts out white and then gets painted by 363 00:22:03,905 --> 00:22:06,965 hand after it's all put together. The paint really 364 00:22:06,965 --> 00:22:09,905 brings the balloons to life and lets you know exactly what 365 00:22:09,905 --> 00:22:13,085 character is floating up there in the sky. And we got a 366 00:22:13,130 --> 00:22:16,130 question from one kid who feels like a certain favorite 367 00:22:16,130 --> 00:22:19,550 character is being unfairly overlooked by the parade. 368 00:22:19,680 --> 00:22:27,200 Mary: My name is Mary. I live in UK. My question is, why didn't 369 00:22:27,200 --> 00:22:31,700 Minnie Mouse get brought out in the Macy's Parade, and why 370 00:22:31,700 --> 00:22:34,940 didn't Daisy Duck get brought out in the Macy's Parade? 371 00:22:35,180 --> 00:22:37,940 Because they're the boy's girlfriends. 372 00:22:38,140 --> 00:22:41,980 Jane: Mary, I think, doesn't know that Minnie Mouse was 373 00:22:42,040 --> 00:22:45,820 debuted in the parade last year, I believe. So Minnie is here, 374 00:22:45,820 --> 00:22:46,660 but not Daisy. 375 00:22:46,960 --> 00:22:49,120 Will Coss: Minnie is here. We were excited to bring Minnie to 376 00:22:49,120 --> 00:22:52,900 the parade last year. Every year, we try to find a 377 00:22:52,900 --> 00:22:56,500 collection of characters that are known and loved, and our 378 00:22:56,500 --> 00:23:00,160 team sits around a table and talks about all of the most 379 00:23:00,160 --> 00:23:04,405 exciting characters to include in any one parade, and last year 380 00:23:04,405 --> 00:23:06,985 was Minnie. We've got some special surprises this year. 381 00:23:06,985 --> 00:23:09,205 Jane: Are there any that you can tell us about that we don't have 382 00:23:09,205 --> 00:23:11,365 to that we don't reveal until our episode comes out on 383 00:23:11,365 --> 00:23:12,145 November 14? 384 00:23:12,325 --> 00:23:16,405 Will Coss: So we have Mario, who will be joining the parade this 385 00:23:16,405 --> 00:23:22,345 year. Shrek will be returning to the parade this year. We have 386 00:23:22,345 --> 00:23:26,710 Pac Man, who is a legendary video game character that we're 387 00:23:26,710 --> 00:23:29,770 really excited and be Pac Man's first time in the parade this 388 00:23:29,770 --> 00:23:35,830 year, and the one and only Buzz Lightyear will be returning to 389 00:23:35,830 --> 00:23:39,850 the parade this year, celebrating Toy Story. So super 390 00:23:39,850 --> 00:23:41,050 excited to see Buzz. 391 00:23:41,230 --> 00:23:44,590 Jane: You talk about them like they're alive when you put them 392 00:23:44,590 --> 00:23:47,455 away after the parade, do you like say goodbye to them and 393 00:23:47,455 --> 00:23:50,275 tell them to have a nice sleep. Are you like see you next year 394 00:23:50,275 --> 00:23:51,535 or maybe in 10 years? 395 00:23:52,120 --> 00:23:55,600 Will Coss: Yes, we do. We we treat all of our characters as 396 00:23:55,600 --> 00:23:58,360 our family. We spend a lot of time with all of our characters. 397 00:23:59,200 --> 00:24:03,600 So after parade, we do take great care and making sure that 398 00:24:03,600 --> 00:24:07,740 we fold them in a very specific way, and then we we store them 399 00:24:07,740 --> 00:24:10,560 in what we call our hampers. So if you think about your hamper 400 00:24:10,560 --> 00:24:13,680 at home, where you put your dirty laundry, a giant version 401 00:24:13,680 --> 00:24:16,320 of that is where all of our balloons get rolled up and 402 00:24:16,320 --> 00:24:19,800 folded into, we cover them, and then we store them at one of our 403 00:24:19,800 --> 00:24:22,400 storage facilities until the next parade. 404 00:24:23,080 --> 00:24:31,420 Ezra: Hi, I am Ezra. I'm four years old. I live in Pittsburgh, 405 00:24:32,140 --> 00:24:37,840 and my question is, why do balloons float inside the sky? 406 00:24:37,840 --> 00:24:45,177 Henry: Hi, my name is Henry, and I live in Los Angeles, 407 00:24:45,177 --> 00:24:48,385 California. I'm five and a half years old, and my question is, 408 00:24:48,805 --> 00:24:50,905 why do balloons float? 409 00:24:51,385 --> 00:24:56,245 Tom: Hello. My name is Tom. I'm six years old. I live in 410 00:24:56,245 --> 00:25:02,845 Potomac, Maryland. My question is how do balloons float on air? 411 00:25:02,845 --> 00:25:07,885 Becks: Hi, my name is Becks. I'm six years old, and I'm from 412 00:25:07,885 --> 00:25:14,470 Canada, Alberta. And my question is, why do balloons float, if 413 00:25:14,470 --> 00:25:16,510 gravity is pushing down? 414 00:25:17,470 --> 00:25:20,650 Arthur: My name is Arthur. I am four years old. I live in 415 00:25:20,890 --> 00:25:24,910 Auckland, New Zealand. My question is, why do balloons 416 00:25:24,910 --> 00:25:25,810 float? 417 00:25:25,930 --> 00:25:29,290 Tyler: Hi, my name is Tyler, and I'm five, and I live in 418 00:25:29,290 --> 00:25:35,635 Sunnyvale, California. And my question is, how do balloons 419 00:25:35,635 --> 00:25:36,055 float? 420 00:25:36,055 --> 00:25:42,595 Gabby: How does the balloon stay up? My name is Gabby, five South 421 00:25:42,595 --> 00:25:43,375 Burlington. 422 00:25:43,615 --> 00:25:46,975 Evelyn: Hi. I'm Evelyn from Hinesburg, Vermont, and I'm 423 00:25:46,975 --> 00:25:51,775 four, and I want to know how some balloons fly and some 424 00:25:51,775 --> 00:25:52,255 don't. 425 00:25:52,660 --> 00:25:57,760 Tilda: My name is Tilda, and I'm seven years old, and I live in 426 00:25:57,760 --> 00:26:03,880 Sydney, Australia, and my question is, why do balloons 427 00:26:03,880 --> 00:26:08,200 float up with helium inside, but not without helium, like with 428 00:26:08,200 --> 00:26:10,420 your breath and things like that? 429 00:26:10,480 --> 00:26:14,320 Riley: Hi. My name is Riley. I am nine years old, and I live in 430 00:26:14,320 --> 00:26:17,905 Auckland, New Zealand. My question is, why, when you blow 431 00:26:17,905 --> 00:26:21,445 up a balloon with air, it sinks to the bottom, but when you fill 432 00:26:21,445 --> 00:26:23,545 it up with helium, it floats? 433 00:26:23,840 --> 00:26:25,220 Jane: What makes balloons float? 434 00:26:26,240 --> 00:26:30,260 Will Coss: Our Macy's Parade balloons float because we put 435 00:26:30,260 --> 00:26:33,980 something called helium inside of the balloon. It's a gas 436 00:26:33,980 --> 00:26:38,900 that's lighter than air, so once we put enough of that helium, 437 00:26:38,900 --> 00:26:42,520 similar to your party balloons that you'll see on on anyone's 438 00:26:42,520 --> 00:26:47,200 party or celebration. We just do them in a giant form. So there's 439 00:26:47,260 --> 00:26:50,080 a lot of helium, a lot of gas that goes into the balloon, 440 00:26:50,320 --> 00:26:53,380 which allows it to float up in the air. And then once we're 441 00:26:53,380 --> 00:26:56,740 done with the parade, we release the helium, we fold it back 442 00:26:56,740 --> 00:26:58,420 down, and we store them for the next parade. 443 00:26:58,420 --> 00:27:00,600 Jane: And you said something very important, which is that 444 00:27:00,600 --> 00:27:05,100 helium is lighter than air, so the helium rises and the balloon 445 00:27:05,100 --> 00:27:08,400 is pretty light, even though it's big, so the balloon, which 446 00:27:08,400 --> 00:27:11,640 is holding all that helium in, rises along with that gas. 447 00:27:11,880 --> 00:27:15,960 Will Coss: That's correct. Yes, they're actually heavier than we 448 00:27:15,960 --> 00:27:19,380 might think. They're a couple of 100 pounds, with all of the 449 00:27:19,380 --> 00:27:24,920 fabric and the paint. But at 70 feet long, we have a lot of 450 00:27:24,920 --> 00:27:28,040 space for helium, and once we fill that with helium, the 451 00:27:28,040 --> 00:27:32,720 balloons rise, and then our balloon handlers grab onto what 452 00:27:32,720 --> 00:27:36,200 we call bones and hold them and walk them down the parade route. 453 00:27:36,679 --> 00:27:39,019 Jane: Yeah. Amelia wants to know about that. 454 00:27:39,000 --> 00:27:42,360 Amelia: I'm eight years old, and I live in Portland, Oregon, and 455 00:27:42,360 --> 00:27:45,420 I have a question about the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. 456 00:27:45,840 --> 00:27:50,580 And my question is, how do those big balloons hold on just a tiny 457 00:27:50,580 --> 00:27:51,060 string? 458 00:27:51,060 --> 00:27:55,260 Eleanor: Hi, my name is Eleanor. I'm four years old. I'm in 459 00:27:55,800 --> 00:28:01,620 California. My question is, how many people take to hold one 460 00:28:01,740 --> 00:28:02,160 float. 461 00:28:02,580 --> 00:28:08,025 Jane: How are those big balloons held on such tiny strings? And 462 00:28:08,025 --> 00:28:11,145 Eleanor is wondering about how many people it takes. 463 00:28:11,700 --> 00:28:16,260 Will Coss: We have over 90 tiny strings on any one giant balloon 464 00:28:17,100 --> 00:28:21,740 which covers the entirety of the character. And each one of those 465 00:28:21,740 --> 00:28:26,660 strings gets held by a person which walks the balloon down the 466 00:28:26,660 --> 00:28:30,440 parade route, and each one of the strings is fastened to the 467 00:28:30,500 --> 00:28:35,480 balloon itself in a very secure way. We actually design and 468 00:28:35,480 --> 00:28:40,580 engineer the balloon with a special material to reinforce 469 00:28:40,580 --> 00:28:44,740 the handle, what we call handling lines. So it's if you 470 00:28:44,740 --> 00:28:48,640 think about a piece of clothing, and you've got a label stitched 471 00:28:48,640 --> 00:28:52,420 into the clothing, you've got a little design stitched in. It's 472 00:28:52,420 --> 00:28:55,060 sort of an extra layer of stitching that goes into these 473 00:28:55,060 --> 00:28:58,060 lines to make sure that they're strong enough to hold. 474 00:28:58,360 --> 00:29:01,620 Jane: And I think you said some of the balloons have 90 of those 475 00:29:01,680 --> 00:29:05,580 strings. Are there 90 people on the ground holding each balloon? 476 00:29:05,960 --> 00:29:09,920 Will Coss: There's at least 90 people on our giant balloons. 477 00:29:09,980 --> 00:29:14,240 Everyone holds one string, which is attached to a bone, which 478 00:29:14,540 --> 00:29:18,680 they'll hold in their hand. And in addition to the 90 people on 479 00:29:18,680 --> 00:29:23,540 our giant balloons, we actually have little carts that also help 480 00:29:23,540 --> 00:29:25,400 to keep it safe and secure on the ground. 481 00:29:25,400 --> 00:29:26,960 Jane: Because otherwise it would float away. 482 00:29:27,620 --> 00:29:30,185 Will Coss: Otherwise it could potentially float away if 483 00:29:30,185 --> 00:29:33,005 everyone released it. So if everyone, if there was big wind 484 00:29:33,005 --> 00:29:35,525 gusts, and everyone decided to let go, we still hold our 485 00:29:35,525 --> 00:29:39,905 balloons to the ground using what we call a vehicle patch. 486 00:29:40,385 --> 00:29:43,985 Jane: You know, it's really interesting, because not only do 487 00:29:43,985 --> 00:29:46,625 you have people here who are artists and engineers and 488 00:29:46,625 --> 00:29:49,565 carpenters, but you also have to have people who understand 489 00:29:49,565 --> 00:29:52,265 things like weather and wind gusts, and not just, well, it's 490 00:29:52,265 --> 00:29:55,910 going to be cloudy and a little bit windy, but like, it's going 491 00:29:55,910 --> 00:29:59,870 to be cloudy and a little bit more windy on this part, or when 492 00:29:59,870 --> 00:30:02,690 we. Go around this building, you're going to get a wind gust, 493 00:30:02,690 --> 00:30:05,870 and you have to take that into account when you're building 494 00:30:05,870 --> 00:30:08,270 these things. And then on the day of the parade, you need to 495 00:30:08,270 --> 00:30:12,050 know, because you've got these huge balloons and floats and all 496 00:30:12,050 --> 00:30:16,715 of these things that really you need to be able to control with 497 00:30:16,715 --> 00:30:18,095 the weather conditions. 498 00:30:19,055 --> 00:30:21,215 Will Coss: On each one of our balloons, we have what are 499 00:30:21,215 --> 00:30:25,235 called pilots and flight managers. So that's the team 500 00:30:25,475 --> 00:30:28,715 that walks out in front of the balloon to help us understand, 501 00:30:28,715 --> 00:30:31,895 okay, this corner is going to have a big cross wind, so we 502 00:30:31,895 --> 00:30:37,055 might want to bring the balloon down a little bit so we have a 503 00:30:37,055 --> 00:30:37,341 little bit more control over it. 504 00:30:37,341 --> 00:30:39,140 Jane: So some people are talking constantly during the parade to 505 00:30:39,140 --> 00:30:41,000 each other to make sure it goes smoothly. 506 00:30:41,000 --> 00:30:43,640 Will Coss: The entire team is talking. We encourage the team 507 00:30:43,640 --> 00:30:46,880 to continue to talk and to make sure that the people who are 508 00:30:46,880 --> 00:30:50,240 leading the balloon are communicating with all of the 509 00:30:50,240 --> 00:30:53,300 team that are holding the balloon so they know exactly how 510 00:30:53,300 --> 00:30:55,760 high to fly the balloon if they need to bring it down, if they 511 00:30:55,760 --> 00:30:58,580 need to move to one side of the street or the other side, 512 00:30:58,580 --> 00:30:59,600 depending on the weather. 513 00:30:59,900 --> 00:31:02,165 Jane: Do they yell at each other, or do they have headsets? 514 00:31:02,885 --> 00:31:03,485 They yell? 515 00:31:04,685 --> 00:31:06,725 Will Coss: We've tried headsets. We've tried a variety of 516 00:31:06,725 --> 00:31:10,625 communication devices. Just projecting and raising your 517 00:31:10,625 --> 00:31:14,585 voice seems to be the most effective way to get the get the 518 00:31:14,585 --> 00:31:18,005 communication across. So there's yelling, there's hand signals, 519 00:31:18,185 --> 00:31:21,785 there's also whistles that we use at certain points to help 520 00:31:21,785 --> 00:31:24,125 people understand where they need to be and where they need 521 00:31:24,125 --> 00:31:24,425 to move. 522 00:31:24,665 --> 00:31:27,530 Jane: Can you tell us a whistle signal so that if we are ever 523 00:31:27,530 --> 00:31:29,510 watching the parade, we can interpret. 524 00:31:29,660 --> 00:31:32,600 Will Coss: We use single whistles if we're raising a 525 00:31:32,600 --> 00:31:36,740 balloon or lowering the balloon, so you'll hear it. And that's 526 00:31:36,740 --> 00:31:41,240 one two, and that's how many essentially rotations we'll use 527 00:31:41,240 --> 00:31:44,840 to make a balloon go from the ground to 20 feet in the air, 528 00:31:45,500 --> 00:31:50,240 and then there's a three chirp whistle that'll be a stop 529 00:31:50,300 --> 00:31:50,960 signal. 530 00:31:53,900 --> 00:31:54,800 Jane: What about turn left? 531 00:31:55,565 --> 00:31:57,125 Will Coss: Turn left is just a hand signal. 532 00:31:57,485 --> 00:32:00,485 Jane: So now you'll know if you ever overhear a whistle or a 533 00:32:00,485 --> 00:32:03,185 three chirp whistle what's about to happen with those big 534 00:32:03,185 --> 00:32:06,905 balloons. It's a massive undertaking to put this parade 535 00:32:06,905 --> 00:32:10,565 together. Will told us there are more than 5000 people who are 536 00:32:10,565 --> 00:32:13,565 part of the parade each year. There are lots of performers 537 00:32:13,565 --> 00:32:16,565 dancing and singing and playing instruments, plus all those 538 00:32:16,610 --> 00:32:19,850 people who hold the balloons or stand and wave on the floats. 539 00:32:20,330 --> 00:32:22,790 Will took us up to the third floor to look at the costume 540 00:32:22,790 --> 00:32:26,510 room, and it was massive, too, and filled with everything from 541 00:32:26,510 --> 00:32:30,650 bowling pin to cherry pie costumes to cupcakes to clouds 542 00:32:30,650 --> 00:32:34,670 with propellers to outfits that match the Spider Man balloon and 543 00:32:34,730 --> 00:32:40,595 on and on, rows and rows of costumes. Now it's not that easy 544 00:32:40,595 --> 00:32:44,495 to get a job in the parade. In order to be a balloon handler, 545 00:32:44,495 --> 00:32:47,315 for example, you have to meet certain height and weight 546 00:32:47,315 --> 00:32:50,015 requirements so that you're strong enough to hold down the 547 00:32:50,015 --> 00:32:53,555 balloon. Remember, it's filled with a lot of helium. And all 548 00:32:53,555 --> 00:32:56,975 the volunteers are people who work at Macy's, or are the 549 00:32:56,975 --> 00:33:00,755 friends and family members of people who work at Macy's. As 550 00:33:00,755 --> 00:33:04,220 for Will Coss, he's not holding a balloon or marching in the 551 00:33:04,220 --> 00:33:08,180 parade during the event itself. He's in a TV production truck. 552 00:33:08,180 --> 00:33:11,660 Will Coss: Which is where the producers, the director and all 553 00:33:11,660 --> 00:33:15,680 of our technical crew look at all the cameras and select all 554 00:33:15,680 --> 00:33:18,680 of the different shots that you see on your television screen. 555 00:33:18,680 --> 00:33:23,540 Jane: So you might be telling a camera operator. Quick, go down 556 00:33:23,540 --> 00:33:26,165 and show one of the handlers. They look great in their 557 00:33:26,165 --> 00:33:29,225 costume, and they're holding that bone and that string really 558 00:33:29,225 --> 00:33:32,345 well. So quick, let's get a shot of them. Now, zoom up and let's 559 00:33:32,345 --> 00:33:35,225 see the face of Mario, because his mustache and his nose is 560 00:33:35,225 --> 00:33:36,125 inflated now. 561 00:33:36,905 --> 00:33:39,305 Will Coss: Exactly, exactly, yes. 562 00:33:39,425 --> 00:33:41,165 Jane: What's your favorite part of the parade? 563 00:33:41,825 --> 00:33:45,305 Will Coss: My favorite part of the parade has to be what we 564 00:33:45,305 --> 00:33:49,970 call step off, which is the moment we say 3-2-1, confetti 565 00:33:49,970 --> 00:33:52,910 blows, and it's the official start to the parade. There's 566 00:33:52,910 --> 00:33:56,810 just an excitement and an energy up on the Upper West Side. We've 567 00:33:56,810 --> 00:34:01,730 spent the last 18 to 24 months building to that moment, and 568 00:34:01,730 --> 00:34:05,210 it's the moment where we officially start the parade and 569 00:34:05,990 --> 00:34:09,110 begin the celebration for all of New York City in America. 570 00:34:09,360 --> 00:34:11,700 Jane: I bet that is a pretty exciting moment for the 571 00:34:11,700 --> 00:34:14,520 thousands of people in the parade, not to mention the 572 00:34:14,520 --> 00:34:18,000 millions who are watching. For many people watching the Macy's 573 00:34:18,000 --> 00:34:21,120 Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual tradition. What 574 00:34:21,120 --> 00:34:23,940 traditions do you have during the holidays that make you feel 575 00:34:23,940 --> 00:34:28,020 happy and connected to your family or your community? For 576 00:34:28,020 --> 00:34:31,440 me, on Thanksgiving, I like to gather with my aunts and uncles 577 00:34:31,440 --> 00:34:35,145 and cousins and all of their kids in Maine for a big family 578 00:34:35,145 --> 00:34:38,745 get together. Some of us like to run in a race in the morning 579 00:34:38,745 --> 00:34:42,405 called a turkey trot, and we all like to contribute to making the 580 00:34:42,405 --> 00:34:45,825 meal that we share in the afternoon. If you celebrate 581 00:34:45,825 --> 00:34:49,545 Thanksgiving, I hope you have a good one. Thanks to Christine 582 00:34:49,545 --> 00:34:53,385 Nealon and Will Coss at Macy's for helping us understand all 583 00:34:53,385 --> 00:34:56,865 the stuff that goes into making the Thanksgiving Day Parade. I 584 00:34:56,970 --> 00:34:59,610 always love a chance to get behind the scenes at some place 585 00:34:59,610 --> 00:35:02,310 cool and learn about all the work that goes into it and all 586 00:35:02,310 --> 00:35:05,850 the different kinds of people who have jobs making interesting 587 00:35:05,850 --> 00:35:10,230 things. That's it for today. Our show is produced by Sarah Baik, 588 00:35:10,290 --> 00:35:13,710 Melody Bodette and me, Jane Lindholm at Vermont Public and 589 00:35:13,710 --> 00:35:18,555 distributed by PRX. Our theme music is by Luke Reynolds. Joey 590 00:35:18,555 --> 00:35:21,615 Palumbo is our video producer, and you can see a lot of what we 591 00:35:21,615 --> 00:35:25,095 talked about in this episode on our But Why Kids YouTube 592 00:35:25,095 --> 00:35:28,815 channel. If you like our show, please have your adults help you 593 00:35:28,815 --> 00:35:32,115 give us a thumbs up or a review on whatever app you use to 594 00:35:32,115 --> 00:35:35,835 listen to us. And as always, send us your questions about 595 00:35:35,835 --> 00:35:39,495 whatever makes you curious. Have an adult record you and then 596 00:35:39,495 --> 00:35:44,295 send the file to questions@butwhykids.org We'll 597 00:35:44,295 --> 00:35:49,080 be back in two weeks with an all new episode until then, stay 598 00:35:49,080 --> 00:35:49,920 curious.