? ?
>> I just remember thinking,
okay, this isn't
going to be a big deal.
I put the head on and realized
that not only do you have
no peripheral vision,
the vision you do have
is, you know, tinted a lot
because you have
two screens of mesh
right in front of your eyes.
? ?
>> The main trick was,
as soon as you looked down,
you kind of like lean forward
a little bit.
And then when you're looking
out the hole, you know, where
you were looking, is no longer
where you were looking.
>> The mouth is like right here.
And so, you can kind of like
see straight forward.
( crowd cheering )
>> The whole feeling of having
85,000 people cheer for you,
is not something you can really
imagine what it's like until
you've actually felt it.
( kids cheering and yelling )
>> The coolest moment of my life
was actually looking into the
mirror and seeing myself as
Bucky, and then touching my nose
that's out to here, touching my
mouth, playing with my ears,
just doing all the motions.
Because when you see Bucky,
you don't realize that you can
make it look that good.
Because I actually felt
like I was Bucky.
And I've looked at myself
in the mirror and I'm like,
that's Bucky Badger.
But yet somehow,
I'm inside of it.
It was a very surreal feeling
for me.
>> Whoo! Go Bucky!
I love it! I love it!
This is Director's Cut.
I'm Charles Monroe-Kane.
That was a clip from the
documentary, "Being Bucky,"
a hilarious and surprisingly
touching film about the seven
college students who are Bucky.
We're joined today by
the film's executive producer,
John Fromstein, and the
film's director, Scott Smith.
Guys, thank you very much!
I love your movie.
Loved it.
>> Thanks.
>> First, what does Bucky mean?
What is the bigger meaning of
Bucky here in the state of
Wisconsin?
>> Well, Bucky is, of course,
the face of the university,
and has become over the years,
kind of a brand personality
of the school.
And we were talking about this
recently, that there
really isn't--
We can't think of another
state school mascot that is so
pervasive in the entire state.
Usually, you know, Ohio State
or whatever, it's only really
confined to the school.
But in the case of Wisconsin,
he has really come to represent
the whole state.
And so, everybody in the state
reacts to him.
Everybody in the state responds
to him.
There's a real love for Bucky,
whether or not you've been to
the school, if you are a
resident of Wisconsin.
So, that means a lot for the
university economically.
But it means a lot perceptually,
too.
>> I'm curious.
I was watching the film.
I'm not a sports fan.
I feel bad about that.
Maybe I should become one.
But I'm not a sports fan, but
I got caught up in your film.
I hate to use the word gestalt,
but kind of
the gestalt of Bucky,
and kind of the bigger thing.
What about for you, personally?
Are you from Wisconsin?
>> I grew up in Madison.
>> Did you go to school here?
>> I did not go to school here.
>> How did you get caught up
in it?
Why did you want to do this?
What does Bucky mean for you?
>> There are a lot of different
questions in there.
But the reason I wanted to do it
was, you know, growing up in
Madison, and going to the games,
and just growing up, there's the
essence of Bucky everywhere.
I mean, everything from Badger
Coaches, to Badger Cleaners,
to a Bucky this or a Bucky that.
>> Bucky Cheese.
>> Outside of just Bucky Badger,
you know, the mascot, like John
was saying, it represents so
much.
And there is some sort of, I
don't know, it's some sort of a
magic around him that, you know,
that childlike innocence and
mischievousness.
It just, I don't know.
>> There's a magnetism, too.
He draws people to him.
>> Weren't you surprised?
I was when I saw that we were
doing this film for the show,
that this hasn't been done.
I was surprised that no one--
>> Yeah.
>> It seems like such a great
idea.
>> You know, when we started,
and John can tell you the very
inception of it.
But we intended on just doing
the tryouts, because we heard
about them, and how intense and
crazy they were.
Our initial thought was,
you know, let's just go up
and do the tryouts.
We got permission.
It really grew from there.
>> The title of your film
isn't "Bucky,"
it's called "Being Bucky."
I want to show a clip about the
tryouts, because the film
really is about becoming Bucky.
Can you set the clip up for us?
This is the clip about the four
stations of tryouts.
This is how you become Bucky.
>> Yes, well, it's an
explanation of the four stages
you have to go through
to try out to be Bucky, and
what's expected at each stage.
And it actually is a lot more
than you would think.
And it's a lot more grueling
than you would think.
It goes over a three-day period.
>> It seemed really hard.
I was like, wow.
>> It's hard both mentally and
physically to do it.
But there's a real winnowing
down process.
But it works real well.
>> Let's see a clip
from "Being Bucky."
This is the tryout process
from the documentary,
"Being Bucky."
>> Monday is the preliminary
tryout.
They go through four different
stations.
One station is the rhythm
station.
And that is a minute of about
six different pieces of music.
>> We like Bucky to have a
little bit of rhythm.
Not too much, so they, you know,
we have to wonder what's going
on in there, but enough to
entertain the crowd.
>> The second station is props.
And we have about maybe 30 to 40
props sitting on the floor.
And each guy will have a minute
to look at the props.
And then they're told that they
have a minute to perform with
them.
>> For example, if it's a shoe,
they wouldn't wear it as a shoe,
but they might make a Maxwell
Smart type phone call, etc.
>> Our third station is role
playing.
They usually have about a minute
skit that one of our judges
reads.
>> All of your motions need to
be absolutely huge.
Exaggerating everything is just
the key.
If you can do that in this
station, you'll be money.
>> And then, the fourth station
is a cheerleading pyramid that
we use at basketball games,
called the Bucky Pyramid.
And they do that, and also a
max-out on push-ups.
( indistinct talking )
>> I am a little nervous,
because I don't want to be one
of the only people that doesn't
make it back in second year.
>> I hope I've done a good job.
I've gotten good feedback most
of the time.
>> I feel like I pulled my
weight with the team.
I think I deserve that spot.
>> I'm glad you're
not my buddy...
( indistinct talking )
>> Okay, remember you want to
make us laugh.
We're not judging you as a
human, but as a mascot.
Okay?
One guy comes in here at a time,
and we play the music.
The music plays for about one
minute, and they have to
continuously dance throughout
that minute.
What we're looking for is
someone who, I guess, is
comfortable dancing in front of
a group, and someone who's
motions are big.
He's actually been our top
scorer for the past few years in
this category.
>> I think she's full of
baloney.
>> And actually, to warm things
up, why don't you show us a
little of what we're going to be
seeing?
Come on, ready.
Music's on.
Get up, go.
? ?
>> I want to be Bucky!
That looks like so much fun.
But you know what, it's hard,
isn't it?
I mean, it's physically hard.
You were saying it's physically
and mentally hard.
Like what kind of person are
they looking for?
What is the perfect Bucky that
they're looking for?
What personality type do they
want?
>> That's a really good
question.
>> The class clown jokester
doesn't work.
>> Well, and the thing is,
you can't predict it.
One of the things that we sort
of go through in the movie,
is each of these guys
is completely different.
Like Jeff, right there, he's the
most reserved person in the
world.
You would not know it from that
clip.
>> No.
>> And you know,
there's a class clown type.
And there's a serious,
brainy type.
I don't mean to stereotype them.
But it's hard to predict what
that element is.
And I think, as John said, it
sort of weeds, you know, they
weed themselves out through that
process.
>> They're looking for seven,
right?
>> Yes.
>> And what else?
And they have to be what,
full-time students, I assume,
what else are they looking for?
>> They have to maintain
a certain grade point average,
2.0.
>> Wow, good luck, 2.0.
>> It's not as easy
as it sounds.
>> Depends what you're studying.
>> There are certain physical
requirements.
You have to be 5'10"
to be able to do this.
>> You have to be 5'10"?
>> Yeah.
>> It doesn't matter
what gender you are,
though there weren't that many
girls trying out.
There's no restriction for that.
And you know, you have to be
kind of physical.
You have to do a lot as Bucky
physically, so they make you do
lots of push-ups, and you know,
sort of show your physical
strength.
>> The thing that actually
kind of got cut out
of the movie,
was how heavy the head is.
It's 35 pounds.
>> I have a big head,
but that's a lot!
>> But just wearing that
takes a lot of energy.
Imagine doing push-ups on a
September day when it's hot out,
and it's over 100 degrees
in the suit.
>> Yeah, to do a minute or two
minutes worth of jump around
with a 35-pound suit on your
head, it's not that easy.
>> One of the things that you do
in the film that I really like,
and not only does it show Bucky
and some of the fun stuff, and
how things look, but you profile
the people trying out for it.
We kind of get caught up in
their lives.
Could you tell me about some of
the kids?
There's one kid, his name was
Chris.
Tell me a little bit about
Chris.
>> Well, the thing that struck
us about Chris, was that he was
probably the biggest jokester,
entertaining, all that kind of
stuff.
And when he was doing his final
interview and stuff, he talked
about his father, who has
Alzheimer's.
And it was a very touching
moment, and he broke down.
And so, to us, it sort of broke
through that sort of facade for
him, and he became much more
accessible and real to us
in that sense.
>> It's interesting, because I
started really feeling for some
of these kids, like hoping
they'd win, or hoping they'd be
successful.
Because I started knowing that
these are human beings.
And I know we all know that, but
you kind of forget when you're
watching the film.
These guys are for real.
This has meaning to them.
And I want to show a clip from
another guy, his name's John.
Could you tell me a little bit
about John?
>> Is it Jeff?
>> I'm sorry. Jeff.
>> I could tell you about John,
but it's not as interesting!
>> Tell me about Jeff, who will
be in the clip.
Tell me a little bit about his
life and who he is.
>> He comes from a little town,
Oseola, which is up near
Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
He comes from a small farm of
like 40 cows.
His dad works, too.
He works at a night job, and
then works the farm during the
day.
All the kids help out in the
mornings.
It's a full-time job for
everybody in the family.
They're living on a parcel of
land that will soon turn over
and become houses, and so forth.
And this farm has been in their
family for a long time.
So, you know, that's sort of the
socio-economic thing he comes
from.
And he is an education student
here.
You know, really involved,
really responsible, really smart
guy, a pretty reserved guy.
But he's a very committed member
of the team.
>> His brother also is Bucky.
>> Wow, let's see a clip
about Jeff.
? ?
>> He was so quiet and shy when
he was younger, that I was
afraid he was going to get
picked on.
So, I figured if he wrestled,
it would toughen him up.
>> I'm definitely not good
enough to be Division 1.
I got a few Division 3 schools
that talked to me.
They sent letters,
and that was about it.
My first goal, I guess,
when I originally tried out,
was I wanted to get involved
and do something on campus.
I spent my whole freshman year
just trying to get used to being
in college.
And my older brother, Tim, he
decided to try out, and he told
me I should come with him.
So we went together and we both
tried out.
And we both made it that year.
The first time, I kind of went
into it really blindly, and had
no clue what I was doing.
I didn't think I'd even make it.
Then I did, and I didn't realize
how much of a responsibility
I was getting myself into.
So like that first week,
I was like, holy sh##,
what did I do?
There were a lot of phone calls
to home, and to Tim.
>> I told him, once you put on
the suit, nobody will know
it's you, and he could do
whatever he wanted to do.
Yeah, a different person comes
out.
>> Some days, it's so hard to
put on the suit and you know,
just go crazy.
Other days, I have no problem
doing it.
You really have to work on
getting into the right
frame of mind,
the right mood to be Bucky.
>> Getting in the right
frame of mind to be Bucky.
There's another guy you feature.
His name is Sky.
He was pre-med.
And I was wondering, what does
it take to be Bucky?
I can't imagine the rigors
of being a pre-med student.
And this seems like it takes a
lot of time.
I know there's seven of them,
but what kind of commitment is
it?
>> That's actually why there's
seven of them, because there are
a lot of events outside of just
the sporting events.
>> Yeah, they're doing
humanitarian stuff, right?
>> Well, that, and they're also
doing stuff like openings at
Culver's.
I mean, whoever wants to hire
Bucky to come out can do that.
So, there's a status meeting
every Tuesday, where they go
over this huge list of events,
including sporting events,
sort of assigning.
>> How many hours are they
doing?
>> That's a tough question.
A lot.
>> It just seems intense.
I'm sure it's a blast.
But it seems really intense.
These are all guys.
When you were showing them,
these are dudes.
These are college dudes.
I can see them drinking beer
and hanging out.
And I would assume that things
could get out of control pretty
fast.
There's a lady in charge of the
Buckys, right?
Tell me about her.
>> Josette, yeah, she says that
sometimes she feels like a mom,
in that sense.
And it is challenging.
These guys are college students.
At the same time, they're pretty
responsible college students.
We saw them getting into trouble
with Josette at times.
>> But I can't imagine they
wouldn't.
When I was 20, I don't know,
I couldn't imagine not.
>> They're pretty normal kids.
>> Yeah, right.
>> They're not necessarily in
trouble, but they do what normal
college kids do.
But that wasn't part of what we
were trying to capture in the
film.
>> It just seems like that would
be a thing.
She seems like a strong lady.
I couldn't imagine dealing with
the badgers.
One of the rules I was really
fascinated by, and tell me this
rule, which I can't imagine they
could keep this rule.
There's a list of rules, but one
of them is, they're not allowed
to tell anyone.
They're supposed to be
anonymous, right?
>> Well, it's different at
different schools.
At Wisconsin, it's sort of a
tradition that they don't tell
people.
It isn't really a rule.
But they think, you know, it's
kind of uncool to use that to
get anything.
>> Favors.
>> Any sort of favors, right.
So they usually keep it quiet
and to themselves.
>> But it's not a big--
Like, their friends will know,
and if it gets out, it's not as
big a deal.
At Michigan State and Minnesota,
they're just like, will not tell
anybody.
>> Like in the program for
football games, they're there.
There's the whole group shot of
them, and they name them.
But that's not what people are
looking at in the program.
>> No.
>> But at Michigan State,
it's a secret.
>> That's so weird.
>> Which we talked about that.
>> In the movie, we've got
Spartys with megaphones over
their heads.
>> Because no one can know who
they are.
I think your roommate would kind
of figure it out.
It's like, I think he's Bucky.
Is he Bucky?
Interesting.
There's another clip
I want you to set up.
This one is the rules.
>> The rules, there are a lot of
rules.
And we just, you know, it was
sort of part of the mascot side
of it that we wanted to show.
So, we have the guys talk about
the rules.
>> Let's check out, these are
the rules for being Bucky.
>> There was actually quite a
lengthy list of rules for being
Bucky.
Some are actually hard to
follow, because some of the
stuff you just want to do,
since it's so much fun.
I'll just go over the main stuff
that's pretty obvious.
No talking,
under no circumstances.
>> It is kind of frustrating,
though, when you're at events,
and people ask you questions
that aren't yes or no.
How many points are we going to
score on Saturday?
Well, I only have eight fingers,
you know, because I'm like this.
( indistinct talking )
>> How about 20...?
>> We ask them not to try to
drive motorized vehicles,
you know, golf carts,
things like that.
People have an event, and will
say, "Hey, Bucky," you know,
"here, you can drive."
And they think, oh, okay.
But literally, he has no
peripheral vision.
So, he can not be going on
motorized vehicles.
>> A lot of people like to hand
over their newborn babies to us,
which is a huge mistake.
Mascots have to be constantly
moving and in constant motion.
As soon as a newborn comes into
our hands, no.
All rules are broken.
We become statues.
We do not move.
>> You have to be careful
when the suit on, because
there are actually rules about
when you can put it on.
You can usually only put it on
for events.
And those events obviously have
to be passed through Josette.
( laughing )
>> Wait, time-out,
I want a picture!
Keep it on!
>> Most people wash it after
every use.
But the head is what really
stinks, because you can't wash
that.
I mean, I, myself, I Febreze it
after every event.
But some of the guys, they say
they do, but once I put that
thing on, it's just, it smells
like a foot, or something.
>> A really weird one that
actually just got implemented
this year, I hope not because of
me, no touching people food.
Apparently when you see a big,
sweaty, like mitten coming at
your face, that either is not
appetizing, or is not healthy or
sanitary.
>> No touching people food.
No touching people food.
That's one of my favorite lines.
Tell me about the process of
making this film.
Did you get a grant to make this
film, and then you spend what,
a year, filming it?
>> Ideally, yeah, you get a
grant, or investors, or
something.
We have a not-for-profit part of
our company that makes
documentaries.
So this is a fully self-funded
thing.
You know, we pretty much spent a
lot of our time and energy
developing, creating and
shooting it, and editing.
And we had some close people in
the industry who helped us pull
it together, in the hopes that
it would generate some income
and be able to pay people back.
So it was all done pretty much
on favors and on the promise of
it doing well.
>> I ask this question a lot,
and I'm going to ask it to both
of you.
But I mean it when I ask this.
Why?
So, you have another part of
your company that makes money,
right?
But obviously this is what you
want to do.
Why would you spend all your own
time and money making a
documentary about Bucky?
Why do you care?
>> One is because I grew up in
Madison, and I knew what it
meant.
>> And I went to school here.
When we first heard the idea way
back, and we were starting to
kick it around, it was a
no-brainer.
We were going to do it.
It was just obvious, and it
hadn't been done.
It just clicked.
>> It's hard to explain, again,
because of the sort of
phenomenon or the magnetism of
Bucky.
But there's something, you know,
that you know about him, that
you want to share with
everybody.
And I think that's one of the
reasons that people outside of
Wisconsin, or people like you
who are not sports fans, mascot
fans, or whatever, can relate to
it, as well, because we do talk
about you know, the kids and
their compelling stories and how
it interweaves with being the
mascot.
>> It's interesting to me.
I was wondering if this film--
I can see it was at
the Wisconsin Film Festival
and successful,
that makes sense to me.
I can see people in Wisconsin
wanting this.
I saw it for rent at my local
video store.
I live in Wisconsin.
Here, I can see people wanting
to see it.
Has it been successful?
Is it successful in New York,
L.A.?
Do people get what you're
putting out?
>> Well, we just, and it's sort
of strange how this all
happened.
The Wisconsin Film Festival is
the first thing that we entered.
Until then, we hadn't done any
other film festivals.
After all that, we started
sending it out to other film
festivals.
We heard back from another one,
in Indianapolis, the Heartland
Film Festival, which it got
accepted to out of 600.
And otherwise, I mean, DVDs have
been for sale, and we can see
where they're coming from.
>> I was going to say, we were
thinking about that as we were
editing it and pulling our final
story together.
We wanted it to be appealing to
anybody, not just somebody who
went to Wisconsin.
And I think if you watch it--
I think people are surprised
who didn't go to Wisconsin, and
young kids are also surprised.
It's surprising that they really
like it, because they can relate
to the characters, and can
relate to the stories.
And that's really where all the
depth of the film is.
The Bucky part is really the
background.
And so, we were hoping, we were
trying to design it in a way
that would appeal to people
beyond just Wisconsin.
I think that it has that
potential.
It's a matter of whether or not
people will be attracted to the
theme of it before they get a
chance to see it.
For the most part, the feedback
we have when people leave the
film, if they went to Michigan,
or some other school, was that
it was surprisingly enjoyable to
them.
>> It's like the whole
"Wizard of Oz" thing.
That's kind of what
documentaries do in some ways,
they go behind the veil and kind
of check out what it's like.
But there's another aspect
to "Being Bucky."
You guys are showing behind the
veil, but when you put veil on,
I think one of the seven kids
talk about--
They use the word
transformative.
He says there's a transformative
moment when they put it on and
they become the other.
Did either of you guys try on
the suit, even just put the head
on?
>> I didn't.
>> No, I was too afraid.
It's too smelly.
>> I thought Josette
might hurt us.
>> You didn't try it on?
>> No, we didn't.
>> That's one of the rules,
right?
>> It's so odd.
It's so weird that we didn't.
Yeah, we could've snuck it on.
But it didn't ever occur to us.
>> Did it seem wrong?
>> It did seem a little wrong.
>> Interesting.
It's such a powerful idea.
>> A little blasphemous.
>> A little blasphemous
to be Bucky, unless you earned
the right to be Bucky.
Well, I want to thank you both
very much for being here.
It's an excellent film.
Like I said, I'm not a sports
fan, but I got really caught up
in the drama of who Bucky was.
I'm actually looking forward to
going to a football game this
season.
I'm going to watch Bucky.
>> You'll look at him in a
different way.
>> Well thank you very much.
And good luck with the film.
And thank you all very much
for joining us.
We're going to see one more clip
from "Being Bucky,"
and then we're going to be
joined by the star of the film.
Let's see that clip.
Let's roll the tape.
( cheers and applause )
>> Bucky's a great guy.
We have a lot of fun with Bucky.
>> He's crazy.
>> Bucky sucks.
>> Well, I like him, because
he's got that big head,
you know, and he's always
walking around like that
with the big head.
>> Bucky's an awesome character.
I mean, he can do anything with
his head, like do headstands,
which I'm so jealous of, 'cause
Herky, it's a like hard head,
so it's really hard to be very
mobile with it.
>> When we're down on the
scoreboard, we really rely on
him to keep the fans involved.
But on a serious note, he
travels with us, goes with us,
home and away.
Again, I think it's just a
symbol of the university.
Everybody identifies with Bucky.
And it's just another
reflection of the university.
And I think in particular, Bucky
has withstood the test of time.
You know, he's been here from
the bad years to the good years,
and everywhere in between.
I think that's something that
all fans can identify with and
relate to.
>> Bucky's been kicking butt and
taking names for so long.
Just to live up to all the guys
that have come before me,
that's what I really aspire to.
>> Wow, and Bucky, thank you
for being here today.
Thank you very much.
So tell me, what's it like?
What's it feel like when you
try on that costume?
Do you have an existential
crisis about your identity
and who you are?
Um... to you,
what's the gestalt of Bucky?
What's the bigger meaning
of being Bucky?
I'll tell you what,
let's not do the interview,
because you're not able
to answer the questions.
So, what can you do for us?
? ?
Thank you for watching
Director's Cut.
For more information
on "Being Bucky," please go to:
wpt.org/directorscut
And while you're there,
send us an email.
We would love to hear from you.
I'm your host,
Charles Monroe-Kane.
For everyone here at
Director's Cut, including Bucky,
thank you for joining us today!
Check the gate.
? ?
( panel laughing )
>> There was just stuff shaking
that I did not want to see.
( all laugh )