Process, a NYC-based film and branded content production company, recently collaborated with Adidas and ESPN Films to create 'Pioneers,' a series of three cinematic short documentary films. Each film highlights a professional sports figure and debuts today on ESPN.go.com with The Mark Gonzalez Ride, directed by Marah Strauch (Sunshine Superman). Gonzo will also air on SportsCenter on Friday, December 18th in the 6-7PM EST segment.
Two additional films due out later this week include The Fosbury Flop directed by Clubhouse (Ballplayer: Pelotero; Schooled: The Price of College Sports) & Royal in Hollis directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini (American Splendor; The Nanny Diaries)
The creative teams set out to make the films in the spirit of ESPN Films’ acclaimed 30 for 30 series while also focusing on Adidas’ promotion of extraordinary individuals. The films were designed to be highly cinematic, with minimal to no product shots, and to each feel different and unique. It was important to Process, who developed the films’ creative approaches, that the filmmaking styles of each piece reflect the subjects and their identities.
Royal in Hollis tells the story of former NBA point guard Royal Ivey from his upbringing in Queens, to being the 37th pick of the 2004 draft, to being NBA journeyman, to now being a community leader. The Fosbury Flop is a stylized, whimsical account of gold medal-winning highjumper named Dick Fosbury as he went from a track & field nobody to redefining the modern highjump. Lastly, The Mark Gonzalez Ride celebrates skateboarding pioneer Mark Gonzalez, his personality, his motivation, and the history that became his legend.
“While each of the films is distinctive, they all deal with original thinkers, all people who charted unique paths and live outside conventions and rules,” says Tim Perell, CEO of Process.
A 30 Minute Compilation of all three shows will air on ESPN, Sunday, December 20th, at 6pm EST and ESPN2, Saturday, December 26th, at 2pm EST.
Click here to view The Mark Gonzalez Ride on the ESPN website.
Full Credits
The Mark Gonzalez Ride
Directed by Marah Strauch
Produced by Amalia Bradstreet
Executive Producer Tim Perell
Associate Producer Hannah shore
Director of Photography Vasco Nunes
Editor Eric Bruggemann
Composer Mike Sawitzke
Cast - Mark Gonzales
Spike Jonze
Nestor Judkins
Natas Kaupas
Raymond Pettibon
Ed Templeton
Crew
Production Manager: Ingela Travers-Hayward
1st AC: Michael Swaigen
DIT: Aaron Snow
Gaffer: Brian McCann
Key Grips: Gordon Christmas, Nelson Mestril
Sound Mixer: Colin Alexander
Production Assistants: Hans Kulla-Mader, Raiysa Epps
Los Angeles Crew
Production Manager: John Lang
1st AC: Luigi Ventura
DIT: Darren Roark
Gaffer: Kee Sun Kyung
Key Grip: Andrew Parrote
Sound Mixer: John Maynard
Production Assistants: Max Hollingshead, Louis Weissman
Post Production
Sound Post Facility: Fall on Your Sword
Supervising Producer: George Dellinger
Sound Designer: Rich Bologna
Archival Researcher: Sheila Maniar
Colour Correct Facility: Senior Post
Executive Producer: Josh Senior
Supervising Producer: Melissa Balan
Colourist: Alan Gordon
Video Conversion Facility: Different by Design
Conversion Specialist: Matt Radecki
Archival - Corbis
Deluxe Distribution
Brad Dorfman
Cheryl Dunn
Dwindle Distribution
Tommy Guerrero
Kamil Krzesniak
Aaron Meza
Damon Thorley
Photo Stills: Grant Brittain, Skin Phillips
Stills of Non Stop Poetry from The collection of Phil and Shelley Aarons
Original Artwork provided by Mark Gonzales and Muhammad Ali
Special Thanks Tia Romano Gonzales
Bod Boyle
Ryan Clements
Rick Charnoski
Mörizen Föche
Keith Gray
Joseph Guillette
Kazumi Asamura Hayashi
Don Hoffman
Kevin McGuinness
Buddy Nichols
Emma Reeves
Jim Theibaud
Dan Wolfe
ESPN
Executive Producers: John Dahl, Libby Geist, Erin Leyden, Connor Schell
Producer: Shaun Alperin
Production Assistants: Michael Huberman, Paul Williard
Production Managers: Maria Delgado, Tom Picard, Jennifer Thorpe
Additional Production Support: Roger Jackson, Michael Newman, Heather Scheer, Shelley Tabor
Executive Vice President, Global Strategy and Original Content Marie Donoghue
Royal in Hollis
Directed by Rober Pulcini & Shari Springer Berman
Produced by Amalia Bradstreet
Executive Producer Tim Perell
Associate Producer Hannah Shore
Edited by Josh Cramer
Director of Photography Rob Leitzell
Composer Garth Stevenson
Featuring Royal Ivey, Jennifer Ivey, Rod Ivey
Queens Chorus
Alinne Alves De Mello
Abdoulaye Konate
Sharmin Asha
Bill Leecock
Gabriella Callazo
Travis McKoy
Kyle Callazo
Joshua Quiroz
Kunsang Choezo
Marina Simovic
Edson Contreras
Limor Suss
Alejandra Diaz
Jim Walsh
Sydney Frank
John Wang
Production Manager: Ingela Travers-Hayward
1st AD: George Daratny
1st AC: Sharif El Neklawy
2nd AC: Connor Lawson
Gaffer Zachary Kangas
Key Grip Justine Berti
Sound Mixers: Jake Bloomfield-Misrach, Tim Race
Wardrobe Stylist: Louise Corbet
Hair & Makeup Artist: Angel Yu
Production Assistants Hans Kulla-Mader, Alex Svedlow, Kaelin Kelly-Sordelet
Casting: Vitamin Enriched Films
Casting Director: Kathy Foronjy
Casting Associate: Joseph Coburn
Casting Associate: Mary Anne Driscoll
Post Production
On-Line Edit Facility House of Trim
Assistant Editors: Susi Dollnig, Justin Spinks
Sound Post Facility: Fall on Your Sword
Supervising Producer: George Dellinger
Sound Designer: Rich Bologna
Animation Produced by Josh Cramer, House of Trim
Animation by Luis Aguirre, Nice Soft T-Shirt
Title Design: Teddy Blanks @ Chips
Archival Research: Sheila Maniar
Colour Correct Facility: Senior Post
Executive Producer: Josh Senior
Supervising Producer: Melissa Balan
Colourist: Alan Gordon
Footage of PSAL 1999 Basketball Championships courtesy of MSG Media. All Rights Reserved
Footage from Kwanzaa Kwest courtesy of Okera Ras
Photo of Run DMC by Ken Regan courtesy of Camera5
Jam Master Jay Mural painted by Kenya “Art1” Lawton
Special Thanks to
Rodney Copeland
Richard Levengood
Harriet Diaz
Sam Sneed
Joanne Feltman
Matt Tumbleson
Debora Jefferys
Matthew Wells
Travis Williams
For ESPN Films
Executive Producers: John Dahl, Libby Geist, Erin Leyden, Connor Schell
Producer: Shaun Alperin
Production Assistants: Michael Huberman, Paul Williard
Production Managers: Maria Delgado, Tom Picard, Jennifer Thorpe
Additional Production Support: Roger Jackson, Michael Newman, Heather Scheer, Shelly Tabor
Executive V.P., Global Strategy & Original Content: Marie Donoghue
The Fosbury Flop
Directed by Clubhouse (Ross Finkel, Trevor Martin, & John Paley)
Director of Photography James Laxton
Music Sam Retzer
Editors Jacob Lamendola, Jon Paley, Ross Finkel
Featuring Brett Molster as Young Dick Fosbury
With Tom Wade, Gary Lamb, Brian Redmond, Alexis Paine, Jovanna Nicole, Mary Katherine Malone, Charles Steelman, Ivy Bennett, David Serri, Shayok Chakraborty, Zach Whyel, Shane Goodwin, Kai Martin, and Dick Fosbury as Himseslf
Executive Producer: Tim Perell
Producer: Greg Gilreath, Adam Hendricks, John Lang
Associate Producer: Hannah Shore, Amalia Bradstreet
1st AD: Stuart Richardson
1st AC: Stephen Taylor-Wehr
2nd AD: Mariela Ferrer
Gaffer: Ryan Lynch
Best Boy Electric: Dereck Wilds
Key Grip: Tyler Johnson-Williams
Best Boy: Grip Mike Gardner
Grip: Abram Martirosyan
Sound Mixer: Dan Kloch
Costume Designer: Romy Itzigsohn
Asst. Costume Designer: Mikki Itzigsohn
Production Designer: Cindy Chao, Michelle Yu
Props: Brittany Ruiz
Lead Man: Brian Parada
Hair and Makeup: Desiree Falcon
Assistant Hair and Makeup: Kathleen Price
Casting by Lauren Bass
Background Casting by Dixie Webster-Davis
Storyboard Artist: Hans Wirachman
Post Production Services: Senior Post
Executive Producer Senior Post: Josh Senior
Colourist: Alan Gordon
Sound: TJ Dumser
AP Images
Archival Material Provided by Framepool, Historic Films
For ESPN Films
Executive Producers: John Dahl, Libby Geist, Erin Leyden, Connor Schell
Producer: Shaun Alperin
Production Assistants: Michael Huberman, Paul Williard
Production Managers: Maria Delgado, Tom Picard, Jennifer Thorpe
Additional Production Support: Roger Jackson, Michael Newman, Heather Scheer, Shelley Tabor
Executive Vice President, Global Strategy and Original Content: Marie Donoghue