Get to Know the Brothers Behind the Buzziest Birding Film in Years

Like a vagrant species in a neighborhood park, the documentary Listers lately appeared out of nowhere and induced an instantaneous buzz amongst birders.

The feature-length movie, available for free on YouTube, follows director Owen Reiser and his brother Quentin on their 2024 try to interrupt the Big Year file for the Decrease 48 by seeing nicely over 700 fowl species. The catch? The brothers know nothing about birds or discover them.

The result’s an irreverent, hilarious, and wildly entertaining road-trip journey. The movie manages to concurrently lampoon “listers” who appear extra targeted on birding as a contest than on the birds themselves, and rejoice, from an outsider perspective, the fantastic thing about birds and the thrill of recognizing them within the wild. The Reisers pursued their purpose with a refreshing DIY ethos, not by jetting throughout the nation to log rarities, however by touring on a budget and sleeping in Cracker Barrel parking heaps in a 2010 Kia Sedona they purchased for $4,500.

A current Slate piece referred to as Listers “essentially the most talked-about birding film in ages,” and famous that even viewers who’ve by no means picked up binoculars, too, are raving concerning the movie. It has been considered a couple of million occasions because the Reisers launched it only a month in the past. The brothers additionally lately printed a field guide—possibly we’d higher make that “discipline information”—to all of the birds they noticed alongside the best way.

When Audubon caught up with the brothers lately, Owen, who works as a cinematographer, was at residence in St. Louis, whereas Quentin, an app designer, referred to as in from the Sedona, which was parked someplace in Wenatchee, Washington. The textual content beneath was edited for size and readability.

Audubon: The documentary provides a reasonably breezy clarification for the way this complete factor received began, involving Quentin smoking weed and marveling at a fowl information ebook. It looks like loads must occur between that second and truly hitting the street. Are you able to say extra about the way you guys determined to go for it, and the way you ready for this journey?

Quentin: It sort of was simply on a whim. You realize, we didn’t have too many obligations, we didn’t have jobs the place we would have liked to be. And we all the time love a street journey. There was a bit little bit of planning, however not an excessive amount of with structuring our yr or discover birds or something like that, as a result of we simply weren’t conscious of any of that stuff. However, you recognize, we purchased a minivan. We discovered a used minivan. That was a part of the planning.

It was fairly fast after getting stoned and figuring out one woodpecker within the yard and deciding it’s time to go for it. We searched some issues about birdwatching on the web, came upon what a Massive Yr was, after which simply determined it’d be humorous to do this. We didn’t even know we had been gonna be making a documentary about it. We figured we’d make a couple of YouTube movies and it could simply be this enjoyable little challenge.

Owen: Yeah, it was November [2023], in all probability, and Quentin was like, nicely, I’ll simply Google search states with essentially the most birds, and it was like: Arizona, Texas, and Florida. And he was like, we’ll simply go there. We had this factor in our thoughts that we had been gonna see 700 birds.

Quentin: We sort of got here at it with an vitality of, like: Oh, we are able to see so many birds. We will see 700 birds. All you gotta do is drive to the place and we’ll discover ‘em. However, clearly—

Owen: Seems it’s fairly arduous.

Audubon: Let’s return even additional: The place did you guys develop up? Have been you all the time excited about nature?

Quentin: We had been born in St. Louis and lived over the river in Illinois in a spot referred to as Collinsville. It’s the house of the “World’s Largest Catsup Bottle”—not a giant deal. We grew up enjoying outdoors, all the time soiled. Our factor after we had been children was discovering bugs. It’s so humorous to consider now, that we had been all the time within the woods and all the time outdoors, however we by no means paid consideration to birds. And now, each time I’m going to the woods and I hear a bit chirp, my mind’s going: What sparrow is that?

Audubon: Inform me about why you determined to launch Listers totally free on YouTube. Did you attempt to distribute it in a extra conventional method, or do you may have plans to? 

Owen: From the get-go, we had been all the time gonna put it on YouTube. Within the final like, three weeks, I’ve talked to a bunch of fancy govt producers, they usually’re like, “We may get it on Netflix or HBO.” And then you definately look extra into it, and also you see it’s only a slimy enterprise. We determined to maintain it on YouTube totally free. I like the concept a homeless man can stroll right into a library someplace and watch it, you recognize? And other people have been donating cash in the event that they prefer it, like that value-for-value model, and I like that higher than some wealthy man in Hollywood taking 65 % of the sale to HBO, they usually don’t have any connection to nature.

Quentin: He didn’t spend a single night time at a Cracker Barrel.

Owen: Yeah, he’s by no means even been tenting in his life. He’s by no means shat outdoors. He doesn’t care concerning the birds.

Audubon: What sort of suggestions are you guys getting on the movie up to now?

Owen: Principally tremendous constructive. The cool half is individuals reaching out and saying, “I simply dusted off my grandma’s binoculars,” or, “I simply downloaded Merlin.” I simply received a message yesterday that anyone received engaged after watching the film. They had been going birding for the primary time in 20 years.

Quentin: That’s the coolest half, when individuals say, “Yep, simply downloaded Merlin.” Or like, “I simply received a robin in my yard.” That’s the way it begins, you recognize?

Audubon: What was it like spending a yr in a used minivan together with your brother? I do know your guiding rule is “by no means pay to sleep,” however had been you on the street and dwelling within the van all yr, or did you’re taking some breaks?

Quentin: Oh, we took breaks. We stayed again in St. Louis for every week or two right here and there, as a result of we broke it out into journeys. I feel it was 10 or 11 journeys we went on. Our shortest one was possibly two weeks. Our longest one was over two months. And two months on the street in a minivan together with your brother does put on on you.  

However truthfully, like, tremendous easy. I don’t assume I’d be capable of do that with anyone else however Owen. Doing it together with your brother is superior as a result of, I don’t know, you may have a connection and so many stuff you don’t even have to speak about, you simply perceive it. Not too many arguments. None, actually. Just about easy crusing. We’re a great staff. However, I imply, undoubtedly two months is, like, the restrict.

Owen: I feel the low factors are wherever you’re making an attempt to steadiness mosquitoes within the van and airflow. You continue to want airflow, but you may’t run a fan on a regular basis, as a result of then the battery’s gonna die within the van. After which there’s southern Arizona in the summertime. There have been a pair nights in Tucson the place, simply sleeping totally free on BLM land someplace, the low was like 100 in the midst of the night time. There’s some powerful moments. No AC within the van.

However you’re outdoors, you recognize? You’re within the components for a complete yr. I’ve by no means spent that a lot time outdoors, and that’s fairly cool.

Quentin: There are factors the place you simply have to just accept that you just’re not gonna be comfy. However then you definately discover these little moments of consolation, and it’s bliss. You stroll right into a fuel station, you get a chilly glowing water, it’s like—that’s the peak. That’ll hold you going.

Owen: Glowing water out of a Love’s Journey Cease? That’s top notch to me.

Quentin: Oh, yeah. You get a great beans and rice after an extended time out within the woods? Oh, my goodness.

Audubon: You guys began out the journey with some ironic distance between you and the entire birding factor, however in some unspecified time in the future it stopped being only a joke, and also you grew to become extra earnestly in love with birds and extra invested find the subsequent species. Was there a second while you seen that change taking place?

Quentin: January, our first journey all the way down to Florida, that was our purest journey, I’d say. We had been simply in search of birds, going to those birding spots, and we had been method on the surface, you recognize?

Owen: We didn’t have binoculars.

Quentin: We simply had our cameras. In Florida we didn’t discuss to many birders. We didn’t see the tradition but. And as issues went alongside, we realized that, by speaking to individuals, and going to those similar spots, you’re gonna run into these individuals, and also you’re gonna have good conversations with them, and also you’re gonna have bizarre conversations with them.

After which I undoubtedly received sucked into the itemizing facet of issues by March, April, as soon as migration began coming round. I used to be fairly invested in seeing as many birds as potential. And I’d get—it was taking issues over. We began out not realizing something about birds, not having a historical past of birdwatching, after which sort of went straight to the itemizing. So we didn’t ever have that second of, like, appreciating the birds simply by watching them. We sort of omitted that, after which hit this level the place I used to be simply getting grumpy about discovering the subsequent fowl, getting the subsequent quantity.

However then it hit me, and I thought of how embarrassing that’s—that I’m getting grumpy about discovering the subsequent fowl. From then on, it was a lot simpler. It was identical to, you recognize what? This checklist will not be gonna be the largest checklist on this planet. You’re not gonna see each fowl on this planet in the US this yr. Let’s simply have a great time. And that’s what we did from there on out.

I’d say in all probability about that point, or shortly after, is when Owen was like, yeah, I feel this needs to be a full-on film. I don’t assume we are able to simply make a couple of movies about this. So then we sort of targeted on that and would discover individuals to interview.

Audubon: With out moving into any spoilers, I feel it’s truthful to say that you just guys ended your Massive Yr with a lower than enthusiastic view of hard-core itemizing and chasing uncommon birds. The oldsters you spoke with within the movie ranged from diehard listers to others who’re extra skeptical of that complete method. Did you come away from this challenge with an general opinion of the birding world?

Owen: On one hand, I perceive the itemizing factor, proper? It is sensible. However I feel some individuals wouldn’t do it in any respect if it wasn’t for eBird. It’s nearly like a online game, you’re enjoying a online game in your cellphone. I don’t know, I feel it’s good to get outdoors away from that. Nevertheless it’s not harming anyone.

Quentin: It’s in all probability not a majority of individuals doing that, however lots of people do care about their, you recognize, their yr checklist, their county checklist. It’s not the worst pastime on this planet, not the worst factor to have a bit recreation occurring. However in some unspecified time in the future you’re shedding that appreciation for simply, like, taking a look at a fowl.

Owen: But in addition, eBird—I get their aspect, too, as a result of by gamifying it, they’re getting all the info, the fascinating science from it.

Quentin: And so far as the birding world normally, I feel it’s unbelievable, as a result of it’s such a simple—it’s just like the entry stage into being a naturalist. 

Owen: They’re flying round.

Quentin: They’re flying round in every single place. I really feel like that’s the animal you see essentially the most, or that’s best to see. Round right here, if I used to be tasked with discovering a lizard, it’d take me two or three days, I don’t know. However a fowl is [looks out van window]—there’s one proper there, I received a Rock Pigeon proper right here.

It’s an amazing entry level into simply all the pieces. There’s a complete checklist of timber we recognized final yr, simply all these new timber we learn about. Mesquite is a phrase I’d in all probability heard earlier than, however I didn’t know what it was till final yr, you recognize?

Owen: And there’s an fascinating social aspect, too, as a result of I can’t consider some other pastime by which, when you see anyone else with the accent, the binoculars, you may instantly go up and go, What have you ever seen right this moment? What’s occurring?

Quentin: You’re related by one thing, you may have one thing in widespread instantly. And we do it on a regular basis now. Like, it’s fixed. We had been on a fishing journey final weekend, and we had been testing owls. Each time a kingfisher flies by, it’s: There it’s, kingfisher.

Owen: We had our binoculars. We did extra birdwatching than fishing. We truly didn’t catch a single fish.

Audubon: Extra conventional, old-guard birders may not share your method to birding. Not everybody eats magic mushrooms earlier than doing a pelagic journey—

Quentin: They shouldn’t, both.

Audubon: However one thing I feel any birder, and even non-birder, would love about this documentary is that the fowl footage you captured is commonly actually lovely and engaging. Have been there any birds that had been particularly difficult or rewarding to get on video?

Owen: There’s, like, 16 terabytes of footage, and most of that’s fowl footage. And it seems, when you’re doing nothing however filming birds for a complete yr, you’re gonna get some keepers.

It was all the time enjoyable to attempt to get the camcorder shot with our crappy camcorder, after which attempt to get that actual perspective with the great digital camera, so to minimize between them. It’s nearly like while you’re going birding, you don’t actually see it that nicely, and then you definately increase your binoculars up and also you get that clear view of the fowl. These are essentially the most rewarding, when you possibly can get it on each cameras after which minimize between them.

Audubon: Within the movie you guys have some fairly humorous run-ins with eBird reviewers—or eBird cops, as you name them. Are you continue to eBirding? 

Quentin: I don’t assume both of us have made an eBird guidelines since final yr ended. I felt like if I don’t make the checklists and I’m simply listening to birds, simply watching them, that’ll be good for me. Early on within the yr, there have been factors the place I wished to make a guidelines. I used to be like, oh man, I ought to actually make that guidelines. I simply noticed, you recognize, 12 Montezuma Quails. Possibly no person else is aware of they’re out right here. Possibly I ought to write that down. I do take into consideration the science perspective of it. I’m not a scientist. I do know it’s for citizen science—

Owen: You don’t have to inform this man you’re not a scientist.

Quentin: I’m barely a citizen.

Audubon: I perceive your subsequent challenge includes in search of the presumed-extinct Ivory-billed Woodpecker. What are you able to inform us about that? And is your 2010 Kia Sedona as much as the duty?

Quentin: Undecided the Sedona’s as much as the duty for this one. Don’t depend it out utterly. We’ll see.

Getting intro’d to birds final yr, each guidebook nonetheless has the Ivory-billed Woodpecker in it. You see that within the ebook, and skim that it says almost certainly extinct, after which look extra into it. Final yr we went on a search with a disbarred lawyer in Louisiana, and it was a great time. This man is tremendous captivated with conservation, he’s tremendous educated about birds, and the best way he’s talking on it, you go: Jeez, man, did this man truly see this fowl 5 occasions? He may need. I don’t know, this man’s promoting me on it, sort of.

I’ve received a pair books on the Ivory-billed Woodpecker: Jim Tanner’s book, Jerome Jackson, Tim Gallagher, I’ve learn all their books. Simply diving into the historical past. We’re gonna search for ourselves. I don’t know if it’s extinct. We’re gonna go down there and search for it. Why not?

Owen: There’s all these grassland birds which can be going extinct proper now. There’s future Ivory-bills up there. So if we may sort of use that as a hook, and slide some conservation stuff subtly below the desk whereas we’re at it?

Quentin: We’re not gonna discover it. However we’re gonna discover one thing else, you recognize? We’re nonetheless not consultants by any means. On the finish of all this, we’re nonetheless simply two guys who regarded for birds for a complete yr in a minivan.

Owen: If we are able to do it, anyone can do it. That’s clear. It truly is for everyone if these two idiots can do it.