Midwest Ski Resort Film -- Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan

N

Namic56

New member
Hello NS

community,

I am a senior at Loras College in Dubuque

Iowa, and I'm currently an intern

with ABC in NY. In order for me to graduate in May I need to create a project

that has a massive production value, and summarizes all that I have learned over

the past 4 years. Please read the below email that I am sending to prospective

resorts to see if your interested, if you are, please read further for what I’m

asking of NS members

--------|||||-------------------|||||-------------------

To whom it may concern:

My name is Marcus Soukup and I'm a senior media studies major at Loras College

in Dubuque Iowa. In order to graduate from Loras I have

to create a final project that summarizes my studies in a major media project.

The project that I would like to tackle is a Midwest Ski Resort television

show; a singular episode that takes a look at the major resorts in the Midwest

in Iowa, Illinois,

Wisconsin, Minnesota,

and Michigan.

This project is in its infant stages, but I am just testing the waters between

all the resorts to see what the participation level will be.

My ideal projection for this project would be a spotlight on each resort

with accompanied with a montage of clips of the area's best skiing and

snowboarding talent, with possibly a local band's original music.

With the spotlight we would cover the brief history of the resort, why

people should come to the resort, the different areas the resort has to offer,

a tour of the runs, possibly even some behind the scene footage of your snowmaking

ability or some other portion of your resort that you would like to spotlight.

With the montage if you would happen to know of some of the best talent in

the area that I could get in contact with for the shoot. It would be ideal to

line this up ahead of time with the local talent, but if not we'll be bringing

a few of our own skiers, but would prefer the local edge.

The overall aim of this piece is to tell the viewers that although CO is the

mecca of skiing in N. America, that they don't

have to go the distance to get an amazing ski/snowboard experience at their

local resorts. With these spotlights, I would project an increased interest of

these local ski resorts across the Midwest. As

I said this project is in its preliminary stages, but the end goal would be

distributing this program in all the states involved to the local cable

stations, as well as any broadcasting station that would air it.

Our timeline for the shoot will follow as such: my internship will be

over in the middle of January, which I'll then head out to CO with my friends

family for a ski vacation for the rest of the month. During this time I'll be

getting shots of CO from the various resorts and possibly having talent lined

up to be there as well to shoot an intro about how CO is so amazing, but why

travel all this way when you have so many hidden gems so close to home. Then

when I come back for the semester starting on the 28th of January, I expect

that following week and every weekend after that until the snow melts, that we will

kick it into full gear and film as much as possible at all the resorts.

The only necessary monetary contribution from the resorts would be lift

tickets and ski rentals for the crew on the day of the shoot. Some of us,

including myself do have our own skis, but some do not. If you could contribute

any more to help cover the cost of video equipment rental, tapes, gas, hotel

accommodations (for those resorts that are many hours away). If you would

happen to know if your sponsors are willing to fund such a project, or know of

any businesses in the area that would be willing to contribute, that would be a

great help.

If you're a little leery about a student doing a project on this scale, I am

not your usual student. I am currently in NY because I was accepted as an

intern with ABC for the show, Good Morning America. When I'm at home I

freelance for the production company, Metro Studios(www.metrostudios.com),

as well as Mediacom, the local cable company for the local access programming.

Up until my leave for my current internship I directed our campus sports show,

SportsZONE, which recently won the award for best college program in the Midwest. I have also participated in multiple

projects/commercials which have one state and national awards.

This project will determine if I graduate or not, so trust me when I say,

that I will put my heart and soul into the project. I am a avid skier and media

student, and to combine my two passions into a project, such as this, will mean

great things for those involved.

I hope you can find time to consider this project, I know I'm getting

excited with the snow falling, my co-workers who live out in Jersey tell me

about the 3inches on the ground they just received, and it's making me jealous!

I hope to be in contact with you soon .

Thank you.

Marcus Soukup

Namic56@GMail.com

(c) 319.202.0191

Loras College

1450 Alta Vista St.

Dubuque IA, 52001

--------|||||-------------------|||||-------------------

OKAY! So, if your on board, I’m looking for some on-camera

talent that can kick some ass on the slopes, and be composed while in front of

the camera. I’m also looking for local talent who can tear it up on their local

hill and be filmed. ALSO if you have a band and some original music that you

would like in the movie, I would love to hear it. This project is in its infant

stages, but as I already see resorts in the Midwest

opening up, it’s time to start planning my project. I am in NY until the beginning

of Jan. which I’ll then be going to CO for two weeks or so, in which I will be getting

some footage of the views up there for broll in the film.

Now some of you might be thinking, wtf is Loras College?

Loras has an amazing media program, we have access to HD cameras, a stedicam, a

15’ jib, and we have an Apple Mac lab of 15 new desktop macs, which are backed

by our 9TB SAN. We’ve won multiple awards across the state/Midwest and even a

few of us have won some national awards. I hope that you take this as a serious

request, and if you would like to participate, please let me know!

Also, if you happen to be a local company who would like

their name attached to this film in exchange for financial support, please

contact me as well.

Thank you all for your attention, I look forward to this ski

season!
 
lol, yes I haven't sent it out officially yet, I'm just anxious to start, and as I wait for my professor to send me back an edited version, I thought I'd post my draft of the letter to just get feedback from the masses.
 
i think the music idea is pretty sweet. in welch you could go to hob goblin in red wing and get like some celtic music and in duluth horner works with those guys making their music videos im sure they would be down.
 
Thanks for the suggestions so far.

I just want to clarify -- The focus of the piece isn't the talents of the locals, but reality that you don't need to go all the way out to CO for a good time, that there are plenty of resorts in your backyard. So there would be interviews with the staff at each location, tour of the facilities, etc. Don't get me wrong, as I said there will be a song and dance portion where the local talent, both abilities on the hill and with musical instruments. I want to marry both your typical ski video with a marketing piece on the resorts of the area.

Thanks guys for the suggestions --- keep em coming!
 
i think the skiing community is what makes it more fun here. i mean we basically know everyone. out in colorado you know no one.
 
i think the community of people at these resorts would enhance their ski/snowboard experience.
 
I'm lovin this new feedback!

ALSO keep in mind, that nothing is set in stone -- This is all a theory, and can be changed.

The reason I brought up the last point, is my professor would never allow me to do your typical ski video with music. He needs high quality production value, so that means well lit interviews, creative shooting, using multiple equipment situations, such as the jib, dolly, steadicam, etc..

Now if I were a student in CO -- then your skiing with music could work for my professor because it deals with a great deal of producing and production value to get up to those peaks to shoot. But since I am geographically located in the midwest next semester, the production value for video taping you guys tear it up on the local hill, just isn't enough. Unless there is some crazy story out there about one of you who was on the brink of death, but then skiing saved your life or something --- then I could do a documentary.

But anyways, things can always change --- keep the feedback coming!
 
Do you have a list of ski areas you plan to go to or is that still up in the air?

Because like daveb said, there are very few ski areas in the midwest that can actually compare in anyway shape or form to resorts out west. But its not like you could go to all of them anyways. How many ski areas were you thinking?
 
Here is the link to the Good Morning America: NOW piece.

This is the segment that was produced 100% by me! It has Lynsey Dyer and Seth Wescott being interview with GMA: NOW along with footage from Warren Miller's new film, Children of Winter --- I've seen it like 5 times over this past month - it's awesome!!

So anyways, here it is!!!!!

http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=6167166

 
I wouldnt say that. On any given day, I know at least half the skiers in the keystone park, and I missed 4 months last season. It's not as big and filled with pros as you think.
 
undefined Ideas Ive thought of... there is a college program in Ironwood, MI that has a Ski Area Management Program.. Many intresting ideas there..... Student run ski hill, 'ski bum life-in-training', maybe a follow up of past grads in/out of the industry. ..... I like youre idea of behind the scene of a ski hill.... I could write a book of all the crazy things, people and stuff ive seen in the industry. ....... History of the midwest.. things like how Fred Pasbt started the midwest skiing movement in the 30's, the perfection of snowmaking and how it started here, the SMI Snowgun factory in Midland, MI,,,, the Ski Hall of Fame in Ish-pa-tucky...... the mom and pop ops that still make it today in the age of newer and better, and their life long dreams of skiing in the heartland...... 2 am ski sessions in the metro areas, who's out at that hour,.... ski seasons in Cincinnatti as long as seasons in Detroit, and how they do it,,,, death of the surface lift, and how they created what we have now....
 
That's some great suggestions! I didn't know about the snow gun factory in MI -- thats going on my must have stops for this project! I didn't know about Fred Pabst either, could be a brief history lesson for the piece.....I didn't know about the museum either..........interesting

I'd like to pick your brain some more
 
The majority of the Park Crew at Wild mountain is made of skiers. and management is pretty stoked on us this year so if you were interested in Wild we could probably help you work with them to make something happen.
 
IDEAS:

1. Marquette Mountain will do pretty much anything you need for your filming: Crazy good riders, with a HUGE park, Back county cliffs in bounds and real powder days, especially around when you plan on shooting. Vern (GM) and Myself Brandon Croney, are also graduates of the SKI AREA MANAGEMENT program from Ironwood that was spoken of a few topics ago. I pretty much have anything you need from Snowcat avaliblity to beautiful scenery of Lake Superior, and I can set up any photo shoot I want, at any time.

2. SKI AREA MANAGEMENT (SAM program) is a very good Idea, I am a graduate about 8 years ago and now I own my own ski store. But many kids from that 2 year program end up staying out west after thier interns, and others are now General Managers of resorts, my best friend & (SAM)is now the GM @ Crothed Mtn, NH

IRONWOOD Community College JIM VANDERSPOOL 906.932.4231 ext. 269

3. I am BRANDON CRONEY I just open a Twin tip Specific ski shop called THE COMPOUND, I have been the freestyle coordinator at Marq Mtn for events like MIDWEST SUPERPARK and the MM Affiliates youth freestyle team. Marquette is a very chill scene and I truely beleive andmany would agree that Marquette is one of the best places in the Midwest for a lot of things.

I can help you with many things for your story please feel free to call. (906) 360-7262 or store number (906) 228-SNOW or email bcroney@gmail.com

4. MT BOHEMIA. 2 hours north of Marquette THE ONLY brand new ski area in the midwest in the last 20 years. "Backcountry ONLY" they don't even own a groomer.."THE ALTA of the MIDWEST"

Lonnie the owner is awesome and would totally be helpful to you.

5. THE PORKIES "CAT skiing" with an old LMC touring cat, also owned by the bohemia owner Lonnie. I am not going to give Lonnies info out online, but you an call me and I will help with that info.

Well thats some ideas for you an if you wish to call me I can help you maybe organize your trip around the midwest, I know more GM and employees of other mountians, but it would take al night to type.

Peace-

BRANDON CRONEY

The COMPOUND

(906)360-7262

bcroney@gmail.com
 
I've been living here for four years, I'm 17 so no college yet. Our crew consists of like 5 or 6 boarders and me as pretty much the only skier. But we spend alot of time up at sundown and will probably be filming or looking for someone to film with this winter.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top