Maneuvering the enormous inflatable characters may seem like fun and games, but it’s one of the toughest gigs to get since the 1,500 unpaid slots are saved for Macy’s employees and select family and friends.
Fortunately, many staffers embrace the holiday spirit and “sponsor,” or recommend, others for the job.
13 comments:
I've often wondered where the balloon handlers were and where they were found. It makes sense that it's the Macy's employees and their friends. It also makes sense that people would want to do it year after year and they move up the balloon hierarchy. That is these people's Thanksgiving tradition. It seems like a fun time. But the article is nice in that it highlights the amount work and dedication it actually takes to do this event. The weight of the balloons is something I was aware of prior to the article but for those who were not familiar it must be interesting to learn the pull of the balloon and how much work this actually is. I'd really like to know what the Balloon Captains and Pilots actually do, their job seems rather interesting.
While I did know that the balloon handlers were mostly Macy's affiliates, I definitely did not know that there was such a thing as a hierarchy to balloon handling. Like Tyler I would love to know what the job descriptions of a Balloon captain or pilot are, it seems pretty cool. I'd love to have Balloon pilot on my resume. I especially like the description as the elf balloon handler as a "gateway drug to mall santa." I wish they went into more details of how the balloon setup and deflation works, as well as storage. The logistics of giant balloons captivates me.
As a little kid I would always watch the Macy's parade. I always wondered how people held down those balloons because sometimes I thought they would just take off with all the people. I guess I was right; I would never assume there was training so that you could march around with a balloon. And having a hierarchy in balloon marching... what? This was actually really eye opening to things that I had never thought about.
I just watched a video on Gizmodo that highlighted the biggest Macy's parade balloon failures. I guess it is to be expected that invariably high winds will destroy some of the floats at some point or another. That being said, I wonder how much training these volunteers get in guiding the float down the street. The video I watched showed the handlers marching Sonic the Hedgehog into certain doom by skewering him on a traffic signal. There did not seem to be any route avoidance so to speak. But hey, training and qualification issues aside, I totally would volunteer to be a balloon handler! Too bad the turnover rate is 2% annually.
Before I start off, I want ask one question: who actually thinks that being a balloon handler is easy?! No one. But I digress. I'm really glad to hear that the balloon handlers are people who really want to do it and are passionate about it. It's such a random job that only comes around once a year that it seems like it would be difficult to find that many people to handle all the balloons. I'm really interested in hearing some horror stories from this job, especially when the weather at and around Thanksgiving can be so random. I know that giddiness and excitement must distract from the cold and the wind, but how do the handlers stay warm in the subfreezing temperatures? I'd be the first to jump on that article.
It makes sense that there is such a long process to be a ballon handler but I never thought it would be that difficult. But I can see that they need to have a way to get people to do it and since it is Macy's sponsored event it makes sense that Macy's employees get first dibs. Also with so many people I never thought that it would be so heavy, but with such a big ballon it makes sense that there is still so much weight. I think it would be really cool if they put a Go Pro camera in with the handlers for a cool cut away shoot during the telecast.
I never thought much of the ballon handlers when I saw them on TV, but I really love how this article highlights the drive and dedication of these people that brings 98% of them back every year despite the strenuous work. I had no idea they were all volunteers and that being a balloon handler was such a sought after thing. I think it's kind of unfair that these handlers are never on TV during the parade, because they're the real man power behind it, and they're under appreciated for all their hard work. I hope in the future the parade film crew picks up on this and films the balloon walkers to show the more human side of the event. after all they are the people we should all be thankful for being their to make the whole parade happen in the first place.
It's really not surprising that being a balloon handler is difficult. Parades strain the bodies of everyone marching in it. I can only imagine how much more difficult it is for balloon handlers who have limited training since they are using their weight to hold down the giant balloons as well as working against wind to keep it moving. That being said, I wonder how much force is needed to stabilize and move the balloon without wind. I would imagine the container itself is pretty heavy in the first place but add helium and it's no wonder they need so many people on the balloons!
Im half surprised that IATSE 1 doesn’t have a contract so that all of their guys are making $35 an hour for the gig. However I guess that on that particular day, there is plenty of employment to go around the city. I think its really cool that more or less ordinary people can participate in such a large entertainment event. It seems like anywhere you go, entertainment is a closed off world that it is impossible to break into.
What a fun article!
I don't find it all that terribly surprising that the position of balloon handler for the macys thanksgiving day parade is such a coveted position. This country has always been about tradition and honor. And people have always been honored to execute important roles year after year. I'm sure these people look forward to the Parade day all year long, I know I would.
Personally I would love it if there was a documentary on this event. It's all so fascinating. From the musical guest selection to the design of the floats and balloons and the massive logistical nightmare that is shutting down all of those streets and securing the rehearsal spaces, I would be really interested in how it is all managed.
I never realized that it was so difficult to become a balloon handler at the Thanksgiving Day Parade. It seems like a great experience to have at one point in your life. It looks a lot easier on TV than it actually is because the people look very happy marching with the balloons. You cannot tell that they are pulling so much weight since the balloon is floating in the air and there are so many people holding onto it. Even though most people are looking at the balloons, it seems exciting to be the center attention for the whole country and knowing that the balloon would not be flying through New York City without your guidance.
I guess I always assumed that being a balloon handler was a fairly skilled job and that the people who did it were fairly well paid, considering that they're marching through really cold weather early in the morning for a few hours and that they are in positions where safety is incredibly important, so I was a bit surprised to find that they were mostly volunteers. Building on that, I was even more surprised to find out how hard it is to get a job as a balloon handler. There are so many, and watching the parade on really cold days makes me feel badly for them, so I was under the impression that it wasn't a job that people were scrambling for. I guess they are though, and I find it interesting how Macy's finds people. I think it's actually really great of them to give these opportunities to people within their company first, and that even when people from outside help they need to be sponsored. I also found how many people return to be really interesting. It looks to me like, if I ever were to do it, it would be a one year thing just to try it. But reading about the people who do it, they just can't get enough of it. Returning year after year, sometimes all the way from California, to march with the balloons. As the article said, the balloon handlers don't get screen time, so it was really interesting to read this article about them and what they do.
It seems a ridiculous notion to want so desperately to be a balloon handler--but I can remember being little, watching the parade on my television, and wanting so badly to touch and even ride on the balloons I saw. I sort of assumed that most of the balloon jobs went to Macy's employees, but never actually thought of the process behind it. Looking at all the photographs of the men and women around the balloons, it seems like it would be a lot of fun to get to do this with your friends and family. You're taking part in a tradition that people have watched and enjoyed for decades; if I had the opportunity to handle a balloon, I wouldn't let it up.
Post a Comment