Bill Diamond

Bill Diamond, (born June 5, 1957) is an American puppeteer, puppet fabricator, and producer.[1] He worked for Jim Henson at his New York office, and has won three Emmy Awards for his work on the YES Network.

Bill Diamond with Gorgo the Gargoyle at a fan convention in Hanover, MA.

Background

Diamond began his career in the entertainment industry as a child actor on Broadway and on television commercials.[2] As a teenager in High School, he created his own stop-motion animation films, ran his own theatre company, and began building puppets. At the age of nineteen, Diamond was introduced to Muppet’s creator, Jim Henson, who gave him a job working on Sesame Street.[3]

Career

In 1976, Diamond created his production company, Bill Diamond Productions.[2] Diamond produced and directed multiple television series in the 80’s and 90’s including, Stuffy’s Place, The Land of the Moonshins, and Dr. Rock’s Dinosaur Adventures, which appeared on Fox.[4] He was also the associate producer of the documentaries, The Phantom of the Opera: Unmasking the Masterpiece, and The Aurora Monsters: The Model Craze That Gripped the World.[5][6]

The off-Broadway version of Audrey 2, the carnivorous plant from Little Shop of Horrors, was originally created by Sesame Street puppeteer Martin P. Robinson.[7] The play became extremely popular, and in 1984, Diamond was hired to build and puppeteer an Audrey 2, and still operates the giant plant puppet for the Little Shop of Horrors road tours to this day.[8][9]

In 2001, a massive blaze completely engulfed Diamond's studio in Peekskill, New York. Over 200 of Diamond's puppets and original creations were destroyed.[3] Diamond rebuilt the studio in an industrial complex in Cornwall, New York, but in January 2012, a six alarm fire destroyed the majority of that industrial complex. Diamond's studio and creations survived the second fire, leaving only water damage in the complex.[10] The smoke from the fire was seen from the George Washington Bridge more than 40 miles away.[11]

In 2016, The Jim Henson Company sponsored a fan film competition held on The Dark Crystal website. The competition invited fans to create and submit animated short films inspired by the Jim Henson film. Bill Diamond Productions submitted a short film for the competition titled, “Rise of the Skeksis”, and received an honorable mention.[12][13]

Awards

In 2015, Diamond won his first Emmy Award for his work on the YES Network's Yankees Post Game Show - Mo’s Last Home Game as the lighting director.[14][15]

In 2017, he won his second Emmy for set design on the YES Network for Brooklyn Nets Specialty Set Design, and was nominated for another for lighting director for YES's Brooklyn Nets Specialty Look.[16][17]

In 2019, Diamond's company, Bill Diamond Productions, was one of the Telly Award's Silver Winners for the Entertainment General-Online category. The company received the award for their production, Gorgo's Christmas Carol Narrated by Vincent Price.[18]

In 2020, Diamond won his third Emmy Award. This time for set design for the YES Network's Yankees Buzz in the Bronx.[19][20]

References
  1. "Bill Diamond Biography". Stan Winston School of Character Arts. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  2. "Creative Entertainment; Bill Diamond Productions". Ferro Productions. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  3. Cronin, Brian P. J. (October 2014). "Diamond in the Rough". Organic Hudson Valley. New York.
  4. "Putting the Artist's Touch on a Children's Hospital". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  5. "Bill Diamond IMDB". IMDB. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  6. "Bill Diamond". Beast Within Productions. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  7. "Little Shop of Horrors". The Carolinian. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  8. "Get scared! First Terror Expo in JC on Sunday". Press Connects. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  9. "Celebrities Come to Wilmington". Wilmington Town Crier. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  10. "Cornwall fire may take days to get fully doused; cause still a mystery". Record Online. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  11. "Massive Structure Fire Destroys Row of Businesses". Vos Iz Neias. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  12. "Dark Crystal Fan Film Competition". The Dark Crystal. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  13. Rise of the Skeksis (Television production). The Jim Henson Company. 2 May 2016. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  14. "Bill Diamond Productions Prop Exhibit Headed to NFCC". Niagara Falls Comic Con. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  15. "The 57th Annual New York Emmy Award Nominations Announced" (PDF). NY Emmys. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  16. "YES Network earns 34 New York Emmy Nominations". YES Network. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  17. "The 60th Annual New York Emmy Award Nominations Announced" (PDF). Constant Contact. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  18. "The Telly Awards Winners 2019". The Telly Awards. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  19. "NY Emmys 2020 Winners Press Release" (PDF). nyemmys.org. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  20. "The 2020 New York Emmy® Award Nominees" (PDF). Retrieved 27 February 2020.
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