We all loved the whimsical and thoroughly charming documentary Being Elmo : A Puppeteer’s Journey. It was not hard to get caught up in the fairy tale aspect of the whole story that led a child who dreamt of working with the legends that are Jim Henson and his band of merry men to his dreams. The magic that they created has inspired a generation and the generation after that and continues to do so today. So it was great that attention was paid.
One of the guys that worked with Henson from the early days of Sesame Street was Caroll Spinney. While the name may not seem familiar, you definitely know his work as he is the creator and (still) the voice of two of the most beloved characters on television – Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch. He is one of the last of the original puppeteer’s and is a definite cultural and national treasure.
And he is still working to this day.
It is these reasons that I am fiercely proud to let you know about what has to be (in my humble opinion) the greatest and most important Kickstarter programs out there.
The good folks at Copper Pot Pictures are putting together a documentary on Spinney called I Am Big Bird that will feature rare interviews, brilliant behind-the-scenes footage, the story of the man himself and have turned to Kickstarter for funding. All the info is here on their Kickstarter page, however I have put their Kickstarter trailer below as well as three videos featuring Henson talking about how he met Spinney, Michael Buble practicing with Spinney for a Christmas special and the dudes from OK Go asking for folks to support the doc and help get it funded.
People always complain about the lack of great movies out there, now you can do something about it. The trailer (which is included in Copper Pot Picture’s Kickstarter video) is quite brilliant and shows the potential of just how great this doc can be. There is one part that just got me towards the end when Spinney puts on the top of his Big Bird costume and transforms himself into the iconic, lovable character. Shivers.
With that said, I am still an Oscar the Grouch fan. Huge one.
Oscar The Grouch for President! (think about it).
To a lot of folks, Kickstarter is something that is simply not on their radar and a brand new thing for them. I implore to give it a shot as this is one campaign that is worthy of your funding.
Here is the Kickstarter Trailer (including the trailer for the doc itself)
Jim Henson talks about the first time he met Caroll Spinney
Caroll Spinney practising with Michael Buble for a Christmas Special.
The dudes from OK Go with a little message:
Head over to the Kickstarter Campaign and give them your money!
