Gary, I am a fan of some sports but I have not seen these docs. I knew about them and for some reason I felt that I should get them for my library's collection. You have just given me the final push on them and next fiscal year I am getting these. Goes to show the power of the moving image. thanks jhs
John H. Streepy Media Services Supervisor Library-Media Circulation James E. Brooks Library Central Washington University 400 East University Way Ellensburg, WA 98926-7548 (509) 963-2861 http://www.lib.cwu.edu/media "Hand to hand combat just goes with the territory. All part of being a librarian" -- James Turner "Rex Libris" Transitus profusum est nocens! >>> <ghand...@library.berkeley.edu> 5/17/2011 9:41 AM >>> Hi All It's a weirdly rainy Tuesday here, and I'm listless...so I thought I'd share an amusing (for me)flash of cinematic illumination I had recently. I've been a juror for the New York Film Festival for the past 10 or 12 years. Up until the last few years, I was just a name on the masthead (not wanting to shell out for a trip to NY each Fall). Recently, however, the judging has gone online...a really fun thing to do. Somehow I got slotted in a strange mishmash jury category: ads, PSAs, tourism and industrial promos, industrial films, and the odd doc. Here's where the illumination comes in: The group I've judged over the past few years has included a number of ESPN documentaries. Now I gotta tell you: you could search high and low, far and wide on this planet and not find anyone LESS interested in or informed about sports than I. (I've been at UCB for close to 34 years and have never attended a game and I just learned recently that the San Jose Sharks are a hockey team)...does that tell you something?) Nonetheless, I watched. Well, I was blown away. Some of these films were made by big names: "Muhammad and Larry" by Al Maysles; "The Band That Wouldn't Die", by Barry Levinson; "Kings Ransom:, by Peter Berg; "The Lost Son of Havana" by the Farrelly Brothers; "No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson", by Steve James. Others made by folks I haven't heard of. In all cases, I was absolutely enthralled by the high drama and skillful storytelling...really amazing stuff. Which just goes to show that in competent hands, almost anything that goes on in the world can be revealed to be worth filming and watching. The good news is that I just discovered that most of the stuff I watched (and more) is available on home video DVD: ESPN Films: 30 for 30. Check it out. gary Gary Handman Director Media Resources Center Moffitt Library UC Berkeley 510-643-8566 ghand...@library.berkeley.edu http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC "I have always preferred the reflection of life to life itself." --Francois Truffaut VIDEOLIB is intended to encourage the broad and lively discussion of issues relating to the selection, evaluation, acquisition,bibliographic control, preservation, and use of current and evolving video formats in libraries and related institutions. It is hoped that the list will serve as an effective working tool for video librarians, as well as a channel of communication between libraries,educational institutions, and video producers and distributors.
VIDEOLIB is intended to encourage the broad and lively discussion of issues relating to the selection, evaluation, acquisition,bibliographic control, preservation, and use of current and evolving video formats in libraries and related institutions. It is hoped that the list will serve as an effective working tool for video librarians, as well as a channel of communication between libraries,educational institutions, and video producers and distributors.
