Boneyard need your help for a Uconn Documentary

[rmm05002]

@3uconn, @tcf15, @TateisGreat, or anyone else we are going to start fundraising and need help with highlights, quotes, getting interview my friend who is a talented director loves the idea for a Uconn 30 for 30. The basis of the 30 for 30 will be making a small farm town , with a small school in the middle of nowhere into the basketball capital of the world. We will want interviews, access to highlight and players so if anyone like the idea has any input or want to help please message me. I want to show how Geno and Jimmy C came in and did the impossible transforming nothing into greatness.

 

[Husky25]

Is going to be an actual 30 for 30, or just in the vein of a 30 for 30? Regardless, I love the idea. How are you doing the fund raising?

 

[imno1]

You remaking Hoosiers?

 

[rmm05002]

No sure we are writing the treatment right now to pitch to espn and uconn, that is why if anyone can help with contacts or help with uconn I think it can be done.

 

[imno1]

But of course I would watch. Are you going to crowdsource it?

 

[rmm05002]

Ill have my friend create a screen name to answer any technical questions. Can anyone help with contact information or have good contacts with uconn althetics

 

[ctchamps]

Ill have my friend create a screen name to answer any technical questions. Can anyone help with contact information or have good contacts with uconn althetics

Please click on your inbox UR corner. I left you a message.

 

[rmm05002]

Some clips of Ron Delucia who will be filming and directing if we can make this happen

 

[Thirty Three]

As someone who is an experienced filmmaker, as well as a former UConn basketball sports writer with media access who knows the people you would need to speak with, I'd like to give you my best advice. Hopefully it doesn't come across harsh, I just want to be honest with you.

You are off to a bad start. You need to go through the proper channels, regardless of any connection (and you can be sure no one here with a real connection and any sanity is going to hook up, or vouch for, a stranger online and connect them with the higher ups in the athletic department). As a filmmaker your friend should certainly know how, and to whom, he needs to pitch his documentary idea. Coming here for info and contacts just isn't a good start. It's pretty simple to find the proper contact information online.

Seriously, your chances are incredibly slim anyway, but you better absolutely come correct or you have zero chance. Don't waste anyone's time if you don't have an impressive film resume, top of the line equipment, and a professional editing studio at your disposal. The guy who just did Calhoun's documentary is a serious award winning film producer. This is a cream of the crop program (generating millions of dollars per year) with a reputation to uphold. There are very, very, few people that they would authorize to use footage, conduct interviews, and create a documentary on the program.

I have a pretty decent film resume. I also spent several years as a sports writer with media access covering the UConn men's basketball team. I know the proper people to speak with to really get the ball rolling and they know and trust me 100% as far as my integrity in a project like that goes. My guess at my chance of getting approval for something like this? Zero. If I brought a friend of mine into the project who is an award winning documentary filmmaker, I would put our chances at very, very, very slim.

Not trying to be a downer, just want to make sure you are being realistic and understand the magnitude of something like this. Best of luck.

 

[rmm05002]

HE does, I just thought this was a good channel to see what happens. This is not where we are stating it just an avenue. If you think throwing up a post is a bad idea that is on you, I do not see how it can here. We all have a common connection in here and that is the love for uconn, so I assume people will be willing to help. I also would offer to talk and speak with people before they help us or lend any contact information. I just thought it would help us avoid road blocks. If we weren't serious then a post wouldn't have been put up.

 

[rmm05002]

Why don't you help then?

 

[tcf15]

Like @Thirty Three said, you need to go through the proper channels, especially if you want to use highlights. Not sure who owns the rights, but you'll have to reach out to them (think T3Media owns all the NCAA Tourney rights, and probably ESPN for anything else).

I had the opportunity to attend the premiere of the Jim Calhoun documentary and the filmmakers talked a bit beforehand on the process of making the documentary. They had the support of UConn and Jim Calhoun, brought up the fact that highlights were so expensive. So, in lieu of using highlights from UConn's history in MSG, they instead filmed Calhoun inside MSG going to certain spots on the court where famous UConn moments happened (Ray Allen shot, Taliek Brown shot, etc.).

 

[rmm05002]

I am having him make an account so he can talk more in depth with you guys about this.

 

[rmm05002]

We also think we can get the school behind this because it can bring national attention to them.

 

[Thirty Three]

I don't think it matters one bit if anyone here puts you in touch with someone we may know in the athletic department. You still have to go through the proper channels, regardless. If you go through the proper channels, have the proper resume, and they like your pitch and idea then obviously they would talk to you further. It's very easy to find the contact information you need online and get the process started. That's really the best advice I can give you.

Your friend does look like he had some solid production skills. Best of luck.

 

[breezy]

Of course we all know the men's basketball team deserves a 30 for 30, but seriously how has one for the women's team not already been made?

 

[CAHUSKY]

As someone with minimal experience working on a basketball related documentary with a friend who is an accomplished director/filmmaker and owns a film distribution company, my advice is to secure funding. We had a great idea, did a bunch of preliminary filming and interviews but even with his resume (and his wifes as a top executive in grassroots basketball at Adidas) we couldn't get anyone to fund it. We spoke with ESPN, Baron Davis, Penny Marshall and a couple of others and sadly, came away with zippo. It aint cheap to put together a quality documentary.

 

[Thirty Three]

As someone with minimal experience working on a basketball related documentary with a friend who is an accomplished director/filmmaker and owns a film distribution company, my advice is to secure funding. We had a great idea, did a bunch of preliminary filming and interviews but even with his resume (and his wifes as a top executive in grassroots basketball at Adidas) we couldn't get anyone to fund it. We spoke with ESPN, Baron Davis, Penny Marshall and a couple of others and sadly, came away with zippo. It aint cheap to put together a quality documentary.

Bingo. I was just about to ask about financing. Also, they need to try to figure out if it's financially worth while in the first place. It's very expensive to film a top level documentary, especially one with licensed logos and footage. Compared to the cost of making this how much interest will it generate? Is it actually worth while financially?