Flik'D DVD Magazine

2005 Innovation Grant Project

Goal
Flik'D is an Ultimate Frisbee DVD Magazine.  Each issue will contain several "articles" or short documentaries of tournaments, teams, events and Ultimate culture, package together in a slick DVD package with motion graphics and steamin' hot tunes. This "pilot" issue will be the means by which we attract investors and distributors for full production in regular 6 month releases.

Progress Update
The majority of the work done on the Flik’D project to date has taken the form of generating interest and buzz from the local Ultimate community. The production days themselves (4 to date) have been smooth and successful, a combination of gathering necessary footage and interviews and experimenting with the photography of the sport.

We attended and filmed game play at tournaments and met and filmed some short interviews of players from Canada and the United States. I also spent my time meeting and cementing relationships with many players and organizations around the Vancouver area. Based on my background as a filmmaker and the professional approach I endeavored to bring to the filming, the response has been great.

Some of our successes include:

• securing free jerseys, shorts and discs from Gaia Ultimate for the 16mm shoot,
• obtaining significantly discounted film stock,
• negotiating free camera and lighting rental.

Production
There are several “ideas” that we’re developing under the Flik’D title. The most significant of which is the trailer for the DVD, however while shooting footage for the trailer we were also experimenting with different camera angles, shutter speeds and moving shots (a small crane or gib-arm) the results of which will become useful in future projects.

In addition to the tournament shooting and interviews, we put our slow-motion shoot into effect and went to camera on August 6th 2005. With a cast of 12 top –tier players many of whom had just come back from the World Games in Germany and a camera crew who graciously volunteered their time, we captured some incredible Ultimate action with three cameras. The multi-angle element will allow us to create some dynamic effects in editing.  We shot with two 3-CCD video cameras and one 16mm slow motion camera.

Impact on the Community
I feel that so far the project has been very successful.  I have found participants to be very excited and supportive and very willing to contribute however they can.  Perhaps the most promising development is that without having even finished the trailer I have attracted the interest of three independent parties who want to invest in the films, which is the primary goal of making the trailer in the first place. Players and Ultimate organizations alike seem to be attracted to their project’s approach to the sport that stresses the beauty, flow and culture of the game.

We are about to enter the post-production phase of the process where we will transfer the film, and begin editing, visual effects and sound design. We plan to shoot additional footage to put together a trailer that has content as well as style. We expect these “pick-ups” will be shot on video and will be predominantly in the form of interviews.

Michael Hall

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