Topping Point

Great message...has lots of hidden inspiration as well as the obvious

WOW....that was so cool!! =)

I'm diggin this

I'm looking forward to the full length, keep up the good work!

I was thinking the exact same thing. I always had a hard time reading books growing up and finally my mom got me a book when I was around 13 about my sport. I think PH Mullen did a fantastic job at telling the story of the guys training at SCSC for Sydney. And it's almost as if he gives hints about how the book should be a movie, like how he describes Tom Dolan's return to swimming, "the camera then cuts to a dimly lit pool and a dark shape moves across the water", or something of that nature. Although it would be difficult to do, Gold in the water would be an UNBELIEVABLE movie. Three cheers for bringing that up.

great movie but yea i would rather have the movie be more based on the whole life of a striving swimmer and the various problems he encounters

Also as a Kutztown (former) Men’s swimmer, I have high hopes for this movie and I believe the swim community will be greatly impacted by it. Thank you.

As a member of the Kutztown swim team, I want to thank you guys for all your hard work. The movie looks aweseome and I can't wait to see it!

Sports are by definition about something other than the sport themselves - they're games. If you really break it down, it ultimately doesn't matter what happens - the world will keep on going whether you win or lose. What matters is the significance of the win or loss to the individual. I think with the films you mention (SWIMMING UPSTREAM, SWIMFAN, and PRIDE respectively), swimming isn't done justice because you can't connect with this personal significance to the characters.

A really great example of this done well is a book called GOLD IN THE WATER. By the last chapter, you really care about whether or not Wilkens, Grote, Wales, and others win or lose - but it's because you know their background story and why it's important to them.

We were very aware of the concerns you bring up from the beginning, and I think you've underestimated us. We wouldn't try to make a substantive, non-cynical film unless we had some incredibly powerful aces up our sleeve. And most importantly, the feature-length film is commercial - yes, it's possible in the 21st Century to make a commercial film without baring chests and smoking a bowl as you say.

As a cynic yourself, you probably don't believe me - in which case I point you to the millions of other people who have accomplished something seemingly impossible and beaten the odds despite cries of doubt. Every field needs it's shake-up every now and then, we're just determined enough to be the next ones who do it.
Also, this wasn't a student project. So bring it on - this is great practice.

like the song too!

more thoughts on the movie...

i just cant see the movie ending well with the "end of the world" theme. most movie goers want a conflict and a resolution... is the middle east going to give us oil so we can have the olympics? i just think this would be too convenient. if the movie ends with no olympics, movie goers will feel left down.
also, "end of the world" movies kinda remind me of zombie/alien movies (28 days later, resident evil, war of the worlds, etc). i was waiting during the entire clip for a zombie to jump out of the corner of the screen and bite the swimmer.
i REALLY did like the clip though. it was shot VERY well, and i cant wait to see more. i love all the underwater and above water shots of the swimmer.
also, just to comment on previous statements. a documentary type of movie wouldnt be that bad. kinda like a swimming "Miracle." i would have to say any type of Doc movie would definitely end up as a movie/documentary (kinda like "Kinsey" which is another great movie about IU!).
i also kinda mentioned this earlier... swimming in other "swim" movies took the back seat to the other storylines, such as an abusive father, crazy stalker, or racism. id love a movie that focuses on swimming.

dark, festival art film at best in its present form. not commercially viable but hey, probably got a good grade as a student project. spin it into a buddy film, bare some chests, maybe follow the ficticious theme by having your champion smoke a bowl in a back room at a party full of non-trustworthy a-holes and maybe you can go commercial with this before london 2012. good luck!!!

nice mohawk

I think that's called a documentary :)

Found this from the Ontracc press release:
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TOPPING POINT follows American swimmer Adam Rand as he fights for his chance to compete in the Olympic Games. He's only a few months out from fulfilling his dream when a sudden disruption in the supply of Mid East oil sends the US economy into a second Great Depression. Food shortages and a lack of electricity make training nearly impossible, and rising tensions between the West and East threaten to preempt the Games with a massive World War. Fearing the consequences any conflict could bring to his home and family, a Middle Eastern oil billionaire, Ansari, decides to funnel his money into keeping the Games on schedule and, under the guise of another company, sponsors Adam's Olympic efforts. Ansari hopes that Adam's story will inspire a nation to rise from its economic setback and come back stronger‚ as long as the source of Adam's funding is kept secret.

But I agree, there should be a big emphasis on how it's a struggle for EVERYONE to get by, and that Adam goes above and beyond by training in spite of all the hardships faced by everybody else. That's how he stands out, that's how he inspires people. He should just barely find time to train, it should be really inconvenient, a real pain in the ass, so everyone else in the audience knows that they would have quit long ago and that's what makes Adam a role model (and makes swimming a sport for the persistent survivors).

I love the whole swimmer trying to make olympics storylines and all the adversity he goes through. I think that should be the basis of the movie. You have a swimmer who does whatever it takes works jobs opens the pool etc. How he wont give up his dream eventhough everyone else his friends family give up on him. I think the end of the world jsut kills the swimming part. I think the whole struggling to reach the dream with both the swimmer and dancer makes a great movie and can appeal to not just swimmers and dancers but all athletes who all go through this, a more general audience. Just my opinion but great swimming scenes and great portrayal of the life. I just think the end of the world may damgae this part

I think where you want to go with this movie depends on what the target audience is:

If its just the swimming community, then all you need are the swimming shots and everyone will be pretty much happy.
However if you want a broader audience and studio backing the story also has to be good. A non-swimmer wont be really awed by the swimming, they will be looking for a plot where they can partially identify or at least care for the main character and his motivation to keep swimming. But for that to happen you can't have illogical twists within the story:
The previously mentioned clean water.
If he's using a blanket at home you can be pretty sure the pool is also going to be cold, so at least have the swimmers shiver in the water (it also makes the sacrifice bigger, training outside the comfort zone).
Why does he train in the dark? If there are no jobs and nothing to do during the day, then why doesn't he go when there is natural light (plus I guess in an economical meltdown there will be riots and probably a curfew imposed for the night time). Then again, if you have him lets say work during the day just to get food and then goes off swimming... (You don't necessarily have to show this, just hint with cutsceens of him going to/coming back from work)
The end of the world as a background isn't a bad idea, but the main character has to be more involved with his surroundings. Have him fight through everyday life and then go for his dream. No one is going to care for someone, who's biggest problem during such a crisis is that he can't go swim. But if he suffers through the day like everyone else and after that still fights for his dream, alone, clutching for the last little drop of normality in all the turmoil, then more people are going to relate to him.
I know this sounds sort of cheesy and you can probably think of better ways to get the message across, all I'm saying is the swimming footage wont be enough to sell this outside the swimming community, which means whoever watches this will probably care for the swimmer and not for swimming itself.

maybe a good story line would be swimmers that werent allowed to compete in the 1980 Summer Olympic Games at Moscow due to the American boycot? or James "Doc" Counsilman at Indiana University? *trying not to be biased* hehe

Swimming scenes are authentic, otherwise I would not go pay money to go see this... swimming and end of the world??? not quite the right mix

There may be a stigma against commenting on your own work, but I don't want to pass up an opportunity to get some good feedback.

I've also had the privilege to go behind-the-scenes of big meets like NCAAs and Trials, and I agree: there's enough in that personal struggle to make a great story, without the need for any apocalyptic scenario.
That said, sometimes it's best to let your instincts guide you. I feel that swimming - even in it's rawest moments (e.g. the swimmers I saw in race ready before each final) - has relevance to a lot of the circumstances happening around the world today. Moreover, I think the kind of people the sport produces will be best equipped to deal with the challenges that we'll all face in the coming decade.
So, it might seem like the apocalyptic scenario is just a gimmick that will distract from the personal/internal struggle of a swimmer making it to the Olympics - but I think putting these two elements side by side (the personal struggle and the global problem) will ultimately resonate with swimmers everywhere.

swimming upstream was a great swim movie, but again, focused too much on the abusive father.

i've had the privilege to experience what goes on the deck and behind the scenes of olympic trials, nationals, etc... i think it would be great for swimmers who havent experienced this to see it through the eyes of the camera. the idea behind this movie is good, but id just rather see a movie about a swimmer making it to the olympics, rather than a swimmer struggling to live and swim.

hopefully im not the only person that feels this way.

i've been waiting for a great movie that focuses on swimming with REAL swimmers! but...

im afraid this movie will focus too much on the world coming to an end, OR a love story with the dancer...
there are so many good sports movies that are just about the sport and the athletes, why cant there be one of these for swimming too? i didnt like "SwimFan" as much as I would have liked to cause it focused too much on the relationships and the crazy stalker girl; and i didnt like "Pride" as much as i would have liked to because it focused too much on racism and the rough neighborhoods.
i understand that the movie needs to appeal to the masses, but i also know swimmers have been waiting for a movie that they can relate to, and wont watch and say "swimmers dont do that!" or "these people dont look like swimmers!"
i just feel like

wow... very original story. This pitch is smarter and more original than half of the movies out there!

Its looking good. I think we'd all want to see a real swimming movie. Any date set for releasing the short?

Erik

Just posting my reaction to the short film version:

First, some praise for the authenticity of the swimming scenes. It was an excellent move going with seasoned swimmers as the actors in the short film. The little things that go un-noticed are the most important details to making the swimmers look believable. I remember in the movie SwimFan, the swimmers looked too 'put together' as if the director observed swimmers in practice for a couple days and tried to recreate the look in the actors. A lot of details were off with that approach, such as having swimmers wear their goggles like a necklace (that I've never seen a real swimmer do). So kudos to getting the portrayal of swimming spot on.

Second, the premise is abundantly clear. The use of news anchor voice overs as narrators clearly sets up the story background. Although this could be accomplished in a variety of other ways in a feature length movie, this straight-forward approach works for the run time of the short film.

The editing was great, and showed the tedious transition to and from practice over and over again.

Also, I really liked the lighting. The story line gives the swimmers a reason to swim in the dark, and that looks really cool. The lighting at the end works on a dramatic level, but obviously goes against the lack of electricity set up by the story. So on an artistic level this works very well, but I can see how it would bother some people who stick rigidly to the premise (this also includes the idea that the pool filters wouldn't be functioning... something you have to just look past for the sake of progressing the story--and ask yourself if you would have actually enjoyed the film more if there was murky gross water in the pool.)

A couple suggestions/comments etc:

There is one shot where I have a problem with the lighting. During the strobing light sequence at the end, the lighting works as an artistic interpretation of the chaos going on in the world. However, there is an underwater shot that shows the swirling searchlights up on the ceiling. I think this detracts from the artistic use of the lights because you can see a physical light spinning around on the ceiling. I think the lights in the end sequence should remain 'unseen' in order to promote the idea that the lights are an artistic metaphor and that there really aren't swirling strobe lights that magically appear in the pool.

One final comment. The apartment set kinda threw me off a little. If I didn't have electricity, I think I would still hang my swimsuit and towel in the bathroom rather than over the stove. It seemed a little forced or obvious. My idea to make the apartment look bare and cluttered at the same time would be to have the counter tops covered with empty cans, keep the walls solid white, and make it feel more like camping. Maybe an LED lantern instead of candles. The apartment is the only scene in the film that uses candles, and in the future dystopia that the film portrays it looks like LED lights are available since the dancer had several of them to use at rehearsals.

Overall I think it was a successful project! It gets the imagery and plot across that hopefully studios will appreciate and want to get behind.

Feel free to comment on my comments, love it or hate it... the more input Ontracc gets from the swimming community the better the final result will be!!

wow is all i have to say

Visuals are fabulous! Am awed by how you moved the story along using voice overs. Underwater scenes are my favorites. Can't wait for feature length to see where the story leads...

Awesome!! Can't wait!

@ Akos Fabian : Interesting topic although we are talking fictional movies here. Maybe they're using ozone? or silver/copper ionization? I don't know. I found this link FYI... http://piscinasana.wikidot.com/united-states

looks great, hopefully it'll be a hit. good luck!

I would kindly like to point out that a large portion of total plant biomass lives in oceans in the form of algae... salt water is not going to inhibit the growth of bacteria and algae.

Great footage, hope you guys get some studio support!

One question however does cross my mind: with no electricity to run filtration and no money for chlorine, how does the pool stay clean and not make the swimmers sick?