About this project
The Film:
Bike Love is an experiential narrative documentary film about Kara Minnehan's bike riding quest in Portland, Oregon. On December 1, 2011 Kara gave up her car for the purpose of experiencing the city's bike culture firsthand. Throughout the experience of living without a car, Kara is introduced to a new world, along with a range of challenges, allowing for self-exploration and personal growth.
The film brings life to the motorist-to-cyclist change process - themes of feminism, fashion, community-building, sustainability and comedy are brought to life within the foundations of Portland's cyclist community. The film reaches out to the "bike curious" - those who are interested in bike riding, but are too busy to make time, too nervous to try, or too scared of change. The documentary also illustrates how bike riding can be used as a part, or full-time mode of transportation, and how it is a viable and accessible option for anyone, with a focus on women.
We started filming in November 2011 and will film through May of 2013 to premier the film on June 8, 2013. The film will be a 90-minute feature length documentary, which we intend to submit to a variety of film festivals, including "Filmed by Bike" and "Sundance" and more. The film will include interviews, personal stories, and information about Portland and other bike-friendly cities around the world. On June 8th, we will host a "Bike Love Festival", which will entail a Bicycle-Themed Fashion Show, the Film Premier and the publication of our companion photography book "Girls on Wheels", and a post-film concert featuring our soundtrack artists.
The Book:
Bike Love Documentary Project will also create a companion photography book, "Girls on Wheels", which will feature the inside story of the production process and characters in the film, as well as a diverse array of photographs of female cyclists in Portland, Oregon.
The Soundtrack:
Bike Love Documentary will compile a soundtrack for the film featuring local artists such as Tyler Stenson, Naomi Hooley, Luz Mendoza, and the Shook Twins. Following the premier of the film will be a show featuring live performances by a few of our artists.
Bicycle-Themed Fashion Show:
In June 2012, Bike Love hosted a bicycle-themed fashion show at Multnomah County Bike Fair to mark the end of Pedalpalooza - an entire month of daily themed bike rides in Portland, Oregon! On June 8, 2013 (the day of the film premier) Bike Love will host a 2nd Annual Bicycle Fashion Show, featuring local and international designers. Bicycles, bike apparel, bike vintage, and everyday fashion with a bike twist will be featured at the show!
Fundraising Goals:
We are fundraising to cover production and event costs, including equipment and venue rentals, and labor costs, for videography, audio, and editing.
Risks and challenges
Here are a couple of challenges that we anticipate as well as the solutions that we have developed as a team.
1. Identified challenge -
Filming outside during the winter, where we expect to encounter rain and other weather conditions that may require special equipment.
Solution -
We will draw from a wide variety of techniques to remedy this problem. We will plan multiple shoot dates each month in case we have to cancel a shoot due to weather. We will also identify film shoot locations that have covering, such as college campuses, downtown, or parks. When needed, we will use a canopy and umbrellas as well. Additionally, we have access to a GoPro HD Camera, which is water proof.
2. Identified challenge -
Filming a moving target (i.e. person(s) bike-riding)
Solution -
We have identified film shoot locations that allow our videographer to film bike-riders from varying distances. We have also practiced filming from the wheel and handle bars of bicycles by mounting our HD GoPro camera to the bike frame. Furthermore, we will utilize bike trailers and cars as needed for filming.
3. Identified Challenge -
We want to create a documentary that is both educational as well as narrative-driven. We do not want our film to lack character development.
Solution -
In order to create a compelling story arc, we will employ the changing seasons as chapter markers. Additionally, we will follow Kara's journey as she braves the elements and learns what it truly means to live car-free.
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Funding period
- (40 days)