Big Bird

If a 78 year-old man came up to you and said he plays with puppets all day, you may slowly take a few steps back, hit 9-1-1 on your cell phone or reach into your purse for your mace.  Unless of course that man was Caroll Spinney. Caroll is the last of the original puppeteers from the hit children’s educational TV show; “Sesame Street“ and has played both the iconic characters of Oscar the Grouch and Big Bird. If you’ve never read THE WISDOM OF BIG BIRD which is Spinney’s autobiography, then it’s hard to appreciate the challenges and rewards that have been afforded Spinney the past 43 years.  And now a group of young filmmakers (Dave LaMattina, Chad Walker, and Clay Frost) are attempting to raise $100K thru their Kickstarter page to bring those stories to life in a documentary called I Am Big Bird. Click ahead to check out the trailer being shown to help raise the funds needed to produce the full-length feature. 

About the Film:

I AM BIG BIRD is a feature-length documentary about Caroll Spinney, who has been Sesame Street’s Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch since 1969… and at 78 years old, he has no intention of stopping.

Think you know everything there is to know about Sesame Street?  You don’t.  You might know that Frank Oz turned down an offer to play Big Bird, but you probably don’t know that until a last minute change of heart by NASA, Big Bird was supposed to go to space aboard the Challenger.  Or you may know that Oscar the Grouch got his voice from a cantankerous cabbie, but you’d be surprised to learn that a fire in his trash can almost led to Caroll’s untimely demise.

Caroll’s stories are the stuff of legend.  He has been a constant presence in our lives for over 40 years, his path weaving through American history like that of Forrest Gump.  His time inside the Bird has taught him about the world and about himself.  I AM BIG BIRD will peel away the instances in his life that inspired his creation of characters that have influenced generations of children. And, as the yellow feathers give way to grey hair, it is the man, not the Muppet, who will steal your heart.

What You’ll See

In addition to compelling interviews with Caroll and his luminary cronies, I AM BIG BIRD will feature fascinating material from Caroll’s personal archives.  Among the treasures in the Spinney vault, we’ve found…

…never-before-seen footage capturing unscripted moments of Caroll with giants like Jim Henson, Frank Oz and Jerry Nelson.

…Caroll’s short films, in which he showcases his skill in animation, a talent which led to a job offer at Disney… which Caroll turned down.

…Thousands of snapshots and hundreds of hours of videos that capture his undying love for his wife.

…Art displaying his hidden passion for illustration.

…Puppets that were lovingly crafted by Caroll’s mother over 70 years ago and that he still uses today.

We’re using these amazing artifacts to create a dynamic portrait of an unknown man whose characters have had unrivaled influence in American pop culture.

Once again, here’s the link to help the filmmakers over at Kickstarter with funding for this project by August 16th; http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/472635228/i-am-big-bird

Oscar the Grouch