The ask.

The Boys of Summer - Second Base, sequel to the award-winning first documentary, began principal photography on March 13, 2014. We need your help. Please visit our kickstarter page and share it with your friends and family.

 
The ask. This is the time in a fundraiser when many, including myself at times, turn the channel, click the off button or scurry off to do some laundry. It’s uncomfortable asking for money and it’s uncomfortable being asked. You’ve been warned.

And so I’m asking – boldly, brazenly and openly for your financial support of the documentary sequel to Boys of Summer. The original film proved our intent and worth. In the last ten years the story has grown in many ways, as my dad explains briefly in this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwAzpE4Qq9g).

We are less than two weeks away from the end of our campaign. We achieved the first leg of the trip during Spring Training in Phoenix earlier this month. My dad has been granted free treatment at an interesting and progressive health center in Las Vegas called Superior Health Solutions. He’s also been accepted to have a biopsy of his skin cells grown and developed by the New York Stem Cell Foundation. Both agencies have given me open access to document the process as part of the new film.

I’ve kept our costs as low as I can, accounting for flights, lodging, ground transportation and food in our travels to the six baseball parks that have been built since 2004 and a return to the Field of Dreams. This film is an important case study that demonstrates how one man has dealt with his disease, his life and his family against the backdrop of America's past time. He is an inspiration. Watching him you will laugh, think and cry; what more could you ask for?

Please donate and share this link (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/robertcochrane/boys-of-summer-second-base-reboot) with others so they might do the same.

Thank you,


Robert Cochrane
Director, Producer “Boys of Summer”

Spring Training - Cactus '14 (part four)

The Boys of Summer - Second Base, sequel to the award-winning first documentary, began principal photography on March 13, 2014. We need your help. Please visit our kickstarter page and share it with your friends and family.

Our final play for spring training involved a few things: first off, the closing night at the Nine Conference. The baseball/academic conference, which is run by Trey Strecker of Ball State University, is a great grouping of mostly university professors who get together annually during spring training to share their latest and greatest in how baseball impacts society. I was honored to speak on the documentary film panel Thursday night and sorry that I didn’t participate in anymore events until this one on the closing night. It was, however, very enjoyable.

George Gmelch, Professor of Anthropological Studies at the University of San Francisco, discussed his career as a minor league prospect with the Detroit Tigers in the 1960’s and contrasted what the game looked like then to how it looks now. I was fortunate enough to sit down with him for a few moments on Sunday morning. I will post a few clips from that interview soon.  

The takeaway from the weekend was one of empowerment, a feeling one only gets when he goes on the road. Add a family to that mix and it becomes all the more potent. I was very proud of my two and four year old for handling themselves as well as they did and embracing the adventure. This trip set a new mark for us as a family – with this, we will be able to reach out and explore new areas and landmarks via cars. Ten years ago, my father and I did just that when we travelled to all 30 MLB parks for the original Boys of Summer. Road work is tiring stuff – and incredibly powerful. Seeing places, meeting people, having your entire world view shifted…incredibly powerful indeed.

One of the greatest parts about this trip was the vehicle – not just our literal little family minivan trickster, which held up admirably, but the metaphorical vehicle that is baseball. Baseball brought us down to Phoenix. A quest for renewal. A desire to see winter put to bed and the Boys of Summer reawakened. A chance for hope to rise again, in the face of long, seemingly impossible odds. To see grass grow. To listen to the crack of the bat. To hear leather pop as the ball smacks into the lower pocket of the web. Nachos, hot dogs, pretzels, get ‘em while they’re hot and make sure to thank Grandpa with a hug and a kiss.

We don’t have a single donation for our kickstarter campaign, which is the bare minimum money that’s supposed to get us to the six parks we need to see this summer to complete the structural elements of the sequel documentary. In Field of Dreams, it was said if you build it, they will come. I do believe we have built it, now we must let more people know it is here so they may come. I appreciate your help in that regard.

Thank you and play ball!

Please visit our kickstarter page and share it with your friends and family.

Spring Training - Cactus '14 (part three)

The Boys of Summer - Second Base, sequel to the award-winning first documentary, began principal photography on March 13, 2014. We need your help. Please visit our kickstarter page and share it with your friends and family.

 The cream pie was sweet, sweet redemption. I hatched the thought for doing just this earlier in the week, but had no idea if Josh Reddick would go for it or not. It turned out as well (click for video) as – perhaps better than – I could have hoped.

I also forgot to mention that I got a foul ball for Giuseppe while we were waiting for Josh. This was a big deal, in particular, because at the last two minor league games here in Las Vegas, I failed to get a ball for Giuseppe when it looked like we had a shot. This led him to believe (in his hysterical three-four year old mind) that he would “never, ever get a baseball!”

We didn’t even worry about going to Surprise for the game – the experience of the foul ball, the pie in the face and our memorable conversation in the park all by ourselves (click for video) were plenty for the day. We went back, enjoyed the pool, then had a nice family night out.

Day Three started off much better than Day Two. Our scheduled interview with DBacks AJ Pollock took place exactly as we hoped. Many thanks to DBacks PR chief Casey Wilcox for setting us up. AJ couldn’t have been nicer and his story about his relationship to Parkinson’s is worth hearing (link to video will be added soon – check back!).

Today was the day to finally see a game. Happily, it was the Oakland A’s and this time at the park close to our hotel. Mom wasn’t feeling well and Annamaria needed a break from the kids, so it was just me, Dad, Giuseppe and Francesca. We got there just as the game was starting, which was fine. We were there to enjoy the experience than watch a game traditionally. Let’s be honest, having a two and four year-old has you doing exactly nothing traditionally.

I was able to drop dad off close to the park so he didn’t have to walk so far. We got into the park and immediately saw our seats were filled by another fan. That’s always a bit annoying. Rather than make a thing out of it, Dad and Giuseppe took the row just one down from what should have been ours, then Francesca and I went for snacks. By the time we hunted down Francesca’s pretzel, Giuseppe was looking for me. Thankfully he hadn’t dragged Grandpa too far. By some great blessing, there are picnic tables in deep right field just above the bleachers. We sat at one to eat – avoiding cramming together on the bleachers. It was perfect. The kids got pretzels, nachos and even cotton candy thanks to a very generous Grandpa. I got to keep one eye on the game and the other on our tribe. I also shot some fun pictures and video.

Not only that, but Brandon Moss and Josh Reddick went back to back with home runs in the bottom of the first. Reddick’s shot was 450 if it was a foot – an absolute bomb pulled down the right field line and bouncing far into the practice field next door.

We made it to the third inning in an extremely slow game before Giuseppe and Francesca had enough. On the way out, we did find one last surprise for Giuseppe – which can be seen here (link to video will be added soon – check back!).

Please visit our kickstarter page and share it with your friends and family.

Spring Training - Cactus '14 (part two)

The Boys of Summer - Second Base, sequel to the award-winning first documentary, began principal photography on March 13, 2014. We need your help. Please visit our kickstarter page and share it with your friends and family.

 
Day two of Spring Training started early. Dad and I made the short drive to Phoenix Municipal Stadium, the A's home for one last Spring Training (they move to the Cubs old digs, Hohokam, next year). We were the first ones in the parking lot. This was yet another reminder of National Lampoon's Vacation (empty Wally World...). Learning nothing from Clark, we parked up front. Even from the rock star parking, it was a bit of a hike to the park across a foot bridge. I became very aware of my dad's struggle to walk. He uses walking sticks, which make his effort a bit easier, but it's still labored. You'll never hear him complain - which worries me. I have to keep my eye on him and try to anticipate when he's had enough.

The A's PR office was closed. A lone clubhouse staff member spotted us snooping around and said the guys arrival time actually got pushed back by about two hours. Normally, this might bother me. But with my dad, an empty ball park and a camera, I'll roll the dice. We walked in and looked around. Phoenix Muni is not known as one of the better spring training venues - in fact, it's known as one of the worst. But sitting in it when it was empty made it absolutely beautiful to us. I interviewed dad for the first time in our new adventure and it was like ten years ago was yesterday. He does very well in front of the camera. He's incredibly generous with his feelings, thoughtful with his answers and quick with a joke at an unexpected moment. He was also very patient as I went through about ten minutes of teching the audio I couldn't get to produce a signal. I love my dad.

Another father and son, this one about 40 and eight years old, respectively, poked their heads in the park. We immediately struck up a conversation. I asked if I could interview them and they said yes. Then there was a rabid A's fan from Fresno. Then a mom and son who told us that the day's game wasn't even being played at Phoenix Muni, but rather in the aptly named city of Surprise some 35 miles northwest. Between the closed clubhouse, the tech issues and this news, something told me I was really screwing things up. I was a bit nervous I was on a fool's errand with this entire journey.

It was finally 9:30 - time to check out the clubhouse. That story, and the resulting video with my son are covered best in this link.

Spring Training - Cactus '14 (part one)

The Boys of Summer - Second Base, sequel to the award-winning first documentary, began principal photography on March 13, 2014. We need your help. Please visit our kickstarter page and share it with your friends and family.

 Simply making the trip to Phoenix was a big deal. For anyone who's ever been on a family road trip, particularly from the parental side, or if you've seen National Lampoon's Vacation, you know what I mean. We loaded up our metallic green Town & Country minivan to the hilt, strapped in the kids (no Aunt Edna), and headed south. I got us there, but thankfully the rest of the car was sleeping or they would have to endure and, worse, probably would have questioned my unintentional scenic route that added roughly an hour to a journey that didn't need it. For the record, my wife only suggested we should ask for directions once. I, of course, said no.

It's the small things that make family road trips so great. When we arrived at our first night shanty - and that's being polite - we convinced the kids to go back to sleep so they could have waffles tomorrow morning at the "Continental Breakfast"! The name sounded just regal enough to put them back to sleep with a smile. The next morning, my four year old, Giuseppe whispered me awake with the repeated word: "Waffle? Waffle?"

We did. The joy he got out of sitting in the lobby and picking out his own yogurt, pouring an orange juice out of a machine ("so cool!") and having a perfectly round, hot golden waffle put him firmly in hog heaven.

We moved on to our next hotel, where the Nine Baseball Conference would be held. The hotel was a significant upgrade. The pool immediately had the kids jumping out of their shorts. Grandma and Grandpa's flight arrived and we went to lunch. That night, I was part of a three-person documentary film panel about baseball. It was an excellent discussion.

That night, I had a hard time sleeping. I was very nervous about the next day. I had a press credential to be in the clubhouse of my beloved Oakland A's. I had a plan to talk to certain players who I thought might have an inherent relationship to Boys of Summer. Would they talk to me? What was the proper etiquette for the clubhouse? What if I struck out in my attempts? Would this be a wasted effort? How was my dad feeling? Would my wife be okay with the kids?

Worry, worry, worry. So it goes in the mind of a father, son, and independent filmmaker in a high stakes poker game.

Boys of Summer - Rounding Second Base

The Boys of Summer - Second Base, sequel to the award-winning first documentary, began principal photography on March 13, 2014. We need your help. Please visit our kickstarter page and share it with your friends and family.

We begin principal photography next week in Phoenix during Spring Training. My wife, two young kids and both of my parents will be joining me. I say joining me because the initial drive to go on the trip came from being invited to speak at the Nine Baseball Conference. I'm honored to be around this group of great academics, baseball fans and fellow filmmakers. I plan on interviewing several people from the conference for the new film.

Beyond the conference, I have a press pass for the A's/Royals match-up on Friday, Mar. 14. It will be fun bumping around the clubhouse and scrounging for interviews for the new film. We'll also be speaking with Dr. Holly Shill, who we interviewed for the original documentary.

It's exciting and a bit scary to be taking this project on again. It was so immersive and, for the goal at hand, necessarily so. This film is going to be quite different. My dad is much more a case study this time and we have some exciting medical professionals helping us out. He's also in quite a different place with the disease. I'm in a massively different place of my life. To place these films side by side, I think, will be a very powerful marker of the passage of time.

The rebooted kickstarter page should be up within a day or two. We're putting together a local fundraiser here in Las Vegas, as well. This go-round, originally proposed as another 30-stadium trek around the country, has been changed dramatically to be fair to my dad - that type of schedule simply wasn't going to be fair to his health. We will go to the six parks built since 2004. Those are: New York Yankees, New York Mets, Washington Nationals, Miami Marlins, St. Louis Cardinals and Minnesota Twins. We will visit the Field of Dreams in Dyersville, IA once again, too as it was the heart of why we went.

There are a number of specific details to come in the next couple of days. I look forward to sharing them with you. For now, I'll hope that you're all awakening to the spring, a new day in baseball and new hope; 'tis the season for such eternal musings.

Boys of Summer Book - Entry #146

You can see the complete film "Boys of Summer" for free by clicking here. 

100% proceeds go to the Michael J Fox Foundation. 


Monday, March 27 - Bob

Scottsdale, AZ

Get up and get to the gym -- their gym here is spectacular by the way; no broom closet with a belt-driven bike by Jack LaLanne and two mismatched dumb bells -- no siree, me. 

We head off to the A's game in Tucson. 

And...then...we...hit...trrrrrrrr.....aaaaaa......ffff.....iii....cccccc.....

No joke. After about 15 minutes of it, I say to dad how 'bout we scrap it and go catch a game up in Phoenix? He's cool with it, so across the median we roll and northbound we are. I have a pee-panic moment -- you ever get that where you have to urinate INCREDIBLY BADLY and you're driving and there should be a McDonalds or a Starbucks but there isn't and...thankfully there's construction all over Phoenix and that means port-a-potties (Or KIBO's for you Iowans)? 

So anywho, we get to the game and our ol' pal from Houston, Rudy Wrabel, is here. It was a pleasure to see him and his brother, Stephen. We also met Rudy's friend Scott, with whom he'll be making his own 30-ballpark trip this summer. Very cool. 

The game is fun but ends in a 4-4 tie after the Cubbies rallied from a 4-2 defecit in the bottom of the 9th. After the big rally the umps left the field. I guess that's pretty much that. The Cubs fans declared since they scored the last runs they won. The White Sox fans begged to differ. Good stuff. 

We went up to Frasher's Steakhouse in Scottsdale after the game which was kind enough to let us pin up a couple of posters for the screening. I had an awesome veggie burger -- I know that sounds odd to you meat-eaters but it really was delicious. 

Then it was off to the film festival. They were thrilled to see us -- took pictures, got us our passes and all that. Dad and I went into an independent film from Puerto Rico. It was pretty good -- Dad's first experience in a film festival (not including Boys of Summer). 

The festival director took me into the theater we're going to screen in on Thursday -- whoa. Talk about goose pimples. 580 seats. Biggest screen in all of Arizona. We work out some party details for Thursday -- it looks great. 

Boys of Summer Book - Entry #141

You can see the complete film "Boys of Summer" for free by clicking here. 

100% proceeds go to the Michael J Fox Foundation. 

February 1, 2006 - Bob
Walnut Creek, CA

Even though Sundance, in and of itself, was a bust for us, there are a number of positive things happening.

Mike O’Leary, our contact from Phoenix has helped us with a contact at Harkins Theaters (the local chain there). I pitched the film to them with the idea of having a week-long screening during spring training and they are considering it. As baseball zealots across the country travel to Arizona for spring training, there is an excellent built in audience at that time who could take the story of the film with them back to their home market (opening up more screenings across the country).

I’ve also sent out 100 invites to various production/distribution companies in Los Angeles. Even if we get a little bit of interest, maybe someone will send one of their unpaid interns an hour (depending on traffic) east to check out out little film.

The mo' is rolling forward!
e-mail invite:

Subject: Boys of Summer in Riverside International Film Festival

Here's the details:

Tuesday, Feb. 21 6:30 PM
Location: University Village Theater 4226 Highland Pl, Riverside, CA 92506
Cost: $8 adults, $5 students

We are an official entry, with the prize being help in doing a digital to film transfer (huge help -- big cost) -- so please invite lots of people!
Feb. 10, 2006
Further Acceptance!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Your Documentary has been accepted for the Sport Movies & TV – 1st Mumbai International FICTS Festival.

Organized in the heart of world’s biggest film Industry BOLLYWOOD (in Mumbai, INDIA) where close to 1000 films are made every year, “Sport Movies & TV – 1st Mumbai International FICTS Festival” gives an opportunity for the filmmakers to come and interact with this throbbing film Industry to network and collaborate to jointly make more films.

The high turnout expected (all shows are likely to be packed) at the Festival will have a dynamic mix of Industry professional viz. FILM FINANCIERS, PRODUCERS, DIRECTORS, FILM STARS and regular film buffs thereby providing opportunities to be seen around and mingle with the best.

At stake are Golden Ten Awards and Silver Ten Awards for BEST FILMS / SHORT FILMS / DOCUMENTARIES in each category. The winning
films / Documentaries will get a direct entry in the Milan edition of the Festival, which takes place every year in October in Milan, Italy to compete for for the Guirlande d' Honneur worth thousands of Euros.

Films are to be judged by a top Jury comprising Professionals from the world of Cinema, Advertising, Sports and Media. There will be ample opportunities for filmmaker such as you, to interact and promote your film with many stalwarts of Bollywood, ranging from the field of direction, production to distribution. Filmmakers also get a chance to mingle with the biggest Indian and International stars at the Grand Awards & Closing Ceremony Night & Party where the stars will come out to celebrate this grand event. The topline Media will be there to witness the Winners from each category.