"You should do a documentary about ME!"

[Mike Pulcinella]

For those of you considering shooting a bodybuilding or lifting documentary, be sure to choose your subject carefully. As anyone who has done video editing will tell you, it is very time consuming. Your choice of subject matter must be worth the time you will put into it.

Because of my work with Raising the Bar and Beyond the Pain, people are always coming up to me and saying, "You should do a documentary about ME!" I understand that everyone has a story to tell and that their lives are dramatic to THEM but it is the rare person whose story is interesting enough for OTHER PEOPLE to watch.

Here is my response to people who seriously make this request of me, expecting that I will begin taping them right away:



1. In the past year have you thought to yourself at least three times, "Oh MAN! I wish a camera crew was here to catch what just happened!! That was AMAZING!"

2. When you feel like a failure, are in pain, crying and looking like shit are you ready to have a camera in your face and tell the world about it? After you call the ambulance will you call ME?

3. Can you express your innermost thoughts and feelings eloquently? Have you thought enough about your chosen sport or profession that you can say something new about it and say it in a way that is entertaining and revealing?

4. Can you sustain this level of energy and intimacy for at least a YEAR? That's the minimum amount of time I think it takes to get enough good stuff to make a documentary worth watching.



A good subject must be able to answer a resounding “YES” to all of those questions.

 

[Mike Pulcinella]

i am about to begin editing that doc about Mike Sheppard (i am almost done with shooting) and i am praying my story has enough drama. at this point though i have put in so much work i gotta finish it no matter what.
even in weddings i shoot, if the bride and groom or even a best man is a good subject matter it helps the doc as a whole.

anyway, you should make a documentary about me. -STEELE

really, you should.

LOLL! I was thinking about you when I wrote this because I know you were having some trouble getting Mike to agree to post-contest interviews. How is that going?

 

[tkav1980]

id ask you to do one about me but if you did the min that thing got out men in white coats would come take me away...well at least thats what my girl believes.

 

[Chrisco915]

For those of you considering shooting a bodybuilding or lifting documentary, be sure to choose your subject carefully. As anyone who has done video editing will tell you, it is very time consuming. Your choice of subject matter must be worth the time you will put into it.

Because of my work with Raising the Bar and Beyond the Pain, people are always coming up to me and saying, "You should do a documentary about ME!" I understand that everyone has a story to tell and that their lives are dramatic to THEM but it is the rare person whose story is interesting enough for OTHER PEOPLE to watch.

Here is my response to people who seriously make this request of me, expecting that I will begin taping them right away:



1. In the past year have you thought to yourself at least three times, "Oh MAN! I wish a camera crew was here to catch what just happened!! That was AMAZING!"

2. When you feel like a failure, are in pain, crying and looking like shit are you ready to have a camera in your face and tell the world about it? After you call the ambulance will you call ME?

3. Can you express your innermost thoughts and feelings eloquently? Have you thought enough about your chosen sport or profession that you can say something new about it and say it in a way that is entertaining and revealing?

4. Can you sustain this level of energy and intimacy for at least a YEAR? That's the minimum amount of time I think it takes to get enough good stuff to make a documentary worth watching.



A good subject must be able to answer a resounding “YES” to all of those questions.

Hey Mike......I didn't know you were over here.

YES! Get your butt over here. LOL. How about we make it a live radio, webcast video compilation piece?

 

[Mike Pulcinella]

Hey Mike......I didn't know you were over here.

YES! Get your butt over here. LOL. How about we make it a live radio, webcast video compilation piece?

I've been here for a while! Pro Muscle has been very good to my brother and me and we've made some good friends here.

My, you have high aspirations! You come up with the budget and it's a done deal!!

 

[Chrisco915]

I've been here for a while! Pro Muscle has been very good to my brother and me and we've made some good friends here.

My, you have high aspirations! You come up with the budget and it's a done deal!!

"Heavy" sent me this way the other day. When I saw your thread I couldn't resist.

My winning lottery numbers ti cover the budget are.....4.....7.....18.....26...

 

[nziegs]

steele

i am about to begin editing that doc about Mike Sheppard (i am almost done with shooting) and i am praying my story has enough drama. at this point though i have put in so much work i gotta finish it no matter what.
even in weddings i shoot, if the bride and groom or even a best man is a good subject matter it helps the doc as a whole.

anyway, you should make a documentary about me. -STEELE

really, you should.

yo man, if you see this you should clear your pm box

 

[Mike Pulcinella]

Funny you should mention this. I just had breakfast
in the city Sunday morning with a producer who is in
the very early stages of a new a documentary film (not
bodybuilding).

You are correct. And it takes a bloody long time even to
get it off the ground; your subject must be truly interesting
to somebody other than yourself and be able to withstand
the test of time and scrutiny under the lens, and after
editing, etc . . .

I just listened to a podcast with Chris Bell of Bigger, Stronger,
Faster fame and he said they shot something like 200 hours
of film to get the 105 minute run time.

That sounds about right. The generally accepted shooting ratio is something like 15 or 20 to 1.