This was in my inbox today...
As I noted in the producer video posted on my last update on this, this kickstarter campaign is important.
Here is the offical kickstarter update.
Source: Posted by Carlos Carvalho, Michael Fahey (Creator)
You guys have been great so far. In only 6 days we've raised over $40,500! Most impressively we've done it from 22 countries:
But this is no time to get cocky. We still need over $50,000 in order to hit our goal and lock in the funds needed to pay for all of the final expenses of the movie.
Remember KickStarter funding is ALL OR NONE, so if we come up a penny short we don't get the money, you don't get your rewards (you get refunds), and the movie release gets put on hold for another year.
No one wants to see that, so once you've helped us out by becoming a backer, go ahead and let the world know about what you just contributed too: share a link to the kickstarter on social media and encourage all of your strong friends and sports buff friends to check us out and get a copy too!
We still have plenty of time, but we haven't got time to waste!
- Carlos Carvalho, Michael Fahey (Creator)
KICKSTARTER LINK
NOTE: I HAVE NO AFFILATION WITH THIS PROJECT OTHER THAT WANTING TO SEE IT SUCCEED.
About this project
This was never supposed to happen...
3 years ago, we approached Louie Simmons with the idea of creating a feature length theatrical documentary on the little known history of the world's most notorious powerlifting gym: Westside Barbell.
Louie started the conversation with a quick "no," but never the less he indulged us in a conversation about life, lifting, and the history of the gym. From there it would take us nearly two months of conversations to turn that no into a yes.
Along the way, other filmmakers and producers told us to turn back. Studios doubted that anyone even cared about such an underground sport. It was a lost cause... a fool's errand. We'd never be able to do it.
...But this only made us want it more.
We Set Out On Our Own...
A year later we finally arrived at Westside. We got kicked out. We got back in. We got kicked out again, only to get back in again. It was a filmmaking experience unlike anything we'd ever encountered before.
We were inside a world that cameras have rarely seen, surrounded by some of the world's most fearsome lifters and fighters. What we saw was a side to Westside that never made it into the articles or onto the tapes. We met the unsung heroes, the names who were never on the record boards. We heard countless stories that had never seen the internet forums. We saw the breakdowns, and the reconciliations. Above all, we saw what it took to make Westside into Westside.
For Nearly 2 Years We Filmed...
Over 200 hours of 4K footage shot. Over 40 interviews conducted. More than 10,000 miles driven in a rented Hyundai Accent, and more than 15,000 miles flown in a coach middle seat. Old lifters. New lifters. Guys who left. Guys who got kicked out. Guys who came back. Coaches and athletes from the NFL, MLB, NCAA, CrossFit & the UFC. We scoured the country to talk to some of the industry's biggest names and most legendary figures. We heard the good, the bad, and the ugly. No stone was left unturned.
Our mission was to make a comprehensive catalogue of the true story of Westside, from the earliest days of Louie Simmons training alone in his basement; to the present days of a gym at an existential crossroad in a rapidly shifting sport.
Now We're Almost Done...
The editing is almost over, and it's time for the world to see. This is where YOU come in. Until now, we've paid for this movie ourselves. Every dime has been spent out of the pockets of a few crew members. This has allowed us to make it the detailed and crafted movie that the powerlifting culture deserved, without bowing to the whims and rushed schedules of some Hollywood studio geeks. Now, in order to get the movie out, we need to pay the bills. We're talking: lawyers, licensing fees, theater costs, mastering, color correction, a celebrity narrator... So we're asking you to help us finish the job!
You Will Be Rewarded...
Click Here for more information....
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