IN the ZONETHE SPONSORSHIP PACKET
meet SHERMAN
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His running ritual these days occurs twice weekly, regardless of weather conditions, on
forest preserve trails close by the senior living home. Running fuels him.
While serving in the Korean War, he took up jogging during downtime. Feeling the
confines of wartime, where stopping to breathe and merely take in his surroundings was
considered inefficient or dangerous, Sherman discovered running. Like a drug, he was
hooked on the high he achieved from running, especially running long distances.
Sherman Hodges doesn’t share much in common with his peers at the independent senior living facility in Glenview, Illinois. Unlike many residents with slowed mobility, Sherman runs ultramarathons at the age of 76.
Upon returning from Korea he took on the American Dream: opening a small business.
Sherman opened shop at noon daily, giving himself adequate time to run each morning
before returning to reality. He ran along Lake Michigan’s lake shore path for 3 years
without seeing another runner. These days, the lake shore is dominated by joggers.
“I couldn’t wait to get up in the morning and build a business in my head,” said Sherman,
attributing all things good in life – his successful business endeavors and independent
spirit – to running. Put simply, it has made him who he is.
Sherman was a proud participant of the first annual Chicago Marathon in 1977. Since,
he’s competed in seven one-hundred-mile ultramarathons and runs regularly in 50
kilometer races, when he can afford the entry fees. He ran the Rouge-Orleans 126-mile
ultramarathon and considers it a defining moment in his life. “It’s been thirteen years,
and I’m still high off that race.” The mental momentum achieved in that euphoric state
he calls ‘the zone‘ has given him motivation in life and awakened Sherman to a whole
new approach and attitude towards living.
“ IT’S BEEN 13 YEARS AND I’MSTILL HIGH OFF THAT RACE. ”
This short documentary dives into and dissects the following topics:
• A dedicated athlete’s description of experiencing the ‘zone’
• The challenges surmounted and self-discovery achieved by athletic pursuit
• The lifestyle which sustains and drives Sherman’s passion
Synopsis:
This short documentary follows the life of Sherman Hodges, a 76-year-old self-made
small business man whose American Dream – in many ways – was made possible by the
power of running. This enlightening and in-depth look chronicles his life, discusses the
reality of increased endorphin levels from runners high and looks closely at the societal
significance of sports as a means to self-discovery.
The film will explore running as Sherman’s athletically induced meditation. Intended for
web-release and film festival entry, the story is told in two parts.
Part 1: A traditional interview covering his background, including his adoption of
the runner’s bum lifestyle and the trophies and tokens of his running career
Part 2: A stylized approach with enticing visuals going straight to the depths
of the runners ‘zone’ while revealing aspects of Sherman’s personal life and the
challenges he conquered with the aide of his self proclaimed ‘best therapy’
Once in ‘the zone’ the style of the film will shift, utilizing Sherman’s out-of-body and
nearly hallucinogenic experiences he’s felt while running ultramarathons. POV shots
will be inter-spliced with overhead crane shots to take the viewer into ‘the zone’ with our
subject. Advanced lighting and composition techniques will help establish this surreal
‘zone.’ The audience will watch as Sherman’s story is revealed while he runs through his
past and his present day self, from scene to scene.
EST TRT: 5:00 –10:00 MINUTES
CAMERA/FORMAT: RED 4K (COLOR)
DISTRIBUTION: FILM FESTIVAL + WEB RELEASE
Sherman is an athlete who has figured it out.
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the GOAL
become a SPONSOR
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Rubbish has relationships with several film festivals around the country, and we are seeking to
premiere the film at the Chicago International Film Festival, the longest running competitive
festival in the U.S., which has featured several of our films in the past.
On the web, we plan to use several social media outlets to release the film after its festival
premiere. Aside from our own distribution venues through our company’s social network, Rubbish
has relationships with athletic and cultural outlets such as Urban Outfitters. In the end, we feel
an ideal landing spot for the film will be on Hulu or Vimeo, and the film will be a strong competitor
in the Vimeo Film Festival which resulted in nearly two million views for last year’s winner. With
your support, we can share the perspective of this inspiring, rebellious athlete.
For your support we are able to offer the following:
$1,250: BRONZE Help us hit the ground running with a bronze level sponsorship. You
will receive an ‘Additional Support’ credit with logo at the front end of the closing credits and we’ll
also include your logo on all our collateral items, including web promotion and printed materials.
$2,500: SILVER With a silver level sponsorship, we will give your company prominent
placement in the film with a ‘Support From’ credit with logo in the opening title sequence. In
addition, we will include your logo on all our collateral items, including web promotion and
printed materials.
$5,000: GOLD As our gold sponsor, your company will be our sole backer and will have
a prominent logo placement at beginning of the opening title sequence with a ‘Made Possible
By’ credit. In addition, we can guarantee at least one instance of product placement directly
in the film. Your company will be highlighted alongside our subject, an athlete who dedicates
himself to the sport of running.
For more information please contact the film’s producer:
BOB ZEGLER
P. 847.471.4993
Established in 2005, we aim to create compelling documentary films propelled by strong
narratives and persuasive visuals. Hailing from the Windy City, we’ve established a
reputation by showing our work at the Chicago International Film Festival since 2008,
winning the Chicago Award for our short, WET, in 2009. We also won Best Webisode
Series at Summit Action Sports Film Festival in 2010 for, The Life; a web series for
Flow Snowboarding.
We tell powerful, thought-provoking stories in new and interesting
ways. We are storytellers. We are filmmakers. We are Rubbish.
To access more information, as well as work created by Rubbish please visit:
WWW.RUBBISHISGOLD.COM
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we are RUBBISH
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