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David Frankel (Marley and Me, The Devil Wears Prada) is the director of The Big Year, staring Steve Martin, Jack Black and Owen Wilson (20th Century Fox, October 14). The movie, adapted from Mark Obmascik’s book of the same name, follows three extreme birders for a single year as they race across the United States in search of rare birds. David recently took some time to talk to Birds & Blooms about working on the movie.

What challenges did you face with adapting the book into a movie?

The biggest challenge with The Big Year is the scope of it all. It covers an entire year, which for a movie is already a lot. And then on top of that we’re trying to capture their experience over thousands of miles, all over the country. I think we really conveyed the scope of their journey.

What made shooting this movie unique?

It was important for us to capture the joy of nature and connect so deeply to undisturbed parts of the hemisphere. We shot all over, from Florida and California to New York and western Canada. Every day was more spectacular than the day before. That was part of the magic for the actors, too. Every day they would wander onto the set and they’d be up in the mountains, knee-deep in snow or in a canoe somewhere.

How did you get the footage of birds for the movie?

The backgrounds we traveled to and shot ourselves. Some of the birds in the movie are a combination of stock footage shots. For really specific birds, we hired a crew to shoot those for us. A few of the group bird shots were created using computers.

This is a movie about birding, but it’s also a comedy. How do those two things work together? Are you making fun of birders?

We believe we portray birders both accurately and respectfully. The film portrays competitive birders with great warmth and enthusiasm for their ambition, and great fascination with their obsession.

Did you meet any of the birders from the book?

I bet both Al Levantine and Greg Miller. We fictionalized their lives so dramatically that the characters have other names in the movie. The movie is based on the book, but it’s not a direct translation. But it accurately portrays three guys doing competitive birding.

Are you a birder yourself?

I’m married to an amateur birder. I don’t think she plans to compete like these guys, but she’s the one who has opened my eyes to birding. We live in Miami, not far from the Everglades, and have taken our kids there. Now I’m definitely more aware of the birds around me.

How have people received the movie?

Most people don’t know what to think about bird-watching as a topic, but when we screen the movie for people, most of those people aren’t birders and it seems to open their eyes. It’s very easy to get into birding.