IN the ZONE THE SPONSORSHIP PACKET
meet SHERMAN 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 ultra marathons at the age of 76 years old. 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.
“ IT’S BEEN 13 YEARS AND I’M STILL HIGH OFF THAT RACE. ” 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 a 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 ultra-marathons, runs regularly in 50 kilometers races, when he can afford the entry fees. He ran the Rouge-Orleans 126-mile Ultra Marathon 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 euphoria-like state he calls ‘the zone‘ has given him motivation in life and awakened Sherman to a whole new approach and attitude towards living.
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the GOAL Sherman’s story has it all. 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. This documentary explores 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 ultra-marathons. POV shots will be inter-spliced with overhead crane shots to take the 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
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become a SPONSOR
+ As shown by Gatorade’s G series, Gatorade gets it. You know the necessity of an athlete’s hydration and nourishment in all phases of athletics and for ultra marathon runners this is paramount. Sherman’s story is a tale about how running has kept him going and has driven him to succeed in life and we couldn’t think of a better sponsorship partner for a film like In The Zone than Gatorade. We are seeking a single sponsor to be the heart, hustle and soul of our film. With a sponsorship of
$5,000 – $10,000 we will complete our budget and move into production.
Gatorade will receive a logo placement with a ‘Presented By’ credit in the opening title sequence of the film in addition to logo inclusion in marketing materials (Poster, website, etc) and the possibility of direct product placement. For more information please contact the film’s producer:
BOB ZEGLER P. 847.471.4993 E. BOB@RUBBISHISGOLD.COM
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we are RUBBISH Established in 2005, we aim to create compelling documentary films propelled by strong narratives and persuasive visuals. Hailing the Windy City as home, we’ve established a reputation by showing our work annually 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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