CARTERRODMANMEDIA
The Road to The Show
Follow one of the best young hockey players in the 2014 NHL draft on a journey over several years until his dream of pro hockey comes true. Meet the family, friends, and teammates that have made it all possible. See the hard work, passion, dedication, adversity he has overcome, and the incredible people who inspire him.
There are awesome rewards for investing (and more to come) so be sure to donate and then refer your friends by clicking the sharing buttons, or if you don't have an account you will be presented with a special URL immediately after contributing –on the completed contribution landing page, under "Spread the word!") wins a PRO STOCK NEXUS 1000!
Winners will be announced on Facebook and Twitter, so be sure to like and follow us!
The Story
Hockey brings us together.
The long nights spent out on the pond after school, playing the game we love with old friends, and some we met just that night on the ice... There's something about hockey that can't be put into words, it needs to be shown, it needs to be experienced.
Whether it's a pick-up game on one of Minnesota's 10,000+ outdoor rinks, the DNR calls lakes, or a high school state final that brings in 20,000 people, hockey is the sport that keeps Minnesotans warm in the frigid winter.
You can turn on your TV this week to watch the Stanley Cup Finals. When you do, you'll witness men playing a difficult game and making it look effortless. When it's all said and done, you'll see a man lift Lord Stanley's Cup above his head. Look hard and you'll catch glimpse of the 6-year-old kid he was when he first dreamed about winning the cup.
We see know the dream, we witness the results, but rarely lay eyes on the years of hard work and sacrifice these men have put in. Until now.
"The Road to The Show" follows Keegan Iverson, a young NHL prospect in pursuit of that dream.
At 14, Keegan is faced with a decision: Stay in Minnesota or leave the State of Hockey for a professional league that produces top NHL players year in and year out.
High school hockey in Minnesota is a beloved past time, a passion, an obsession. Young men experience press conferences, devoted fans, and a state championship with 20,000 screaming fanatics packed into the Excel Energy Center.
The story continues over the next three years as Keegan continues to succeed with the Western Hockey League's Portland Winterhawks, boasting a 2013 WHL championship, a silver medal with Team USA in the 2013 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka Tournament, and 42 points in 67 games this season. Mock drafts show Keegan being taken between the 1st and 3rd rounds in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft this summer.
Follow Keegan on his journey from his freshman year of high school, through the WHL, into the NHL. Meet the family, friends, and teammates that have made it all possible. See the hard work, passion, dedication, adversity he has overcome, and the incredible people who inspire him.
In our third year of production, I assure you that this is an incredible story. With our current budget I can tell it in an average way, but with your investment I can tell it in an extraordinary way.
I Need Your Help
If you like the concept and would like to see this film become a reality, please spread the word as widely as you can to all your friends and colleagues.
If you use social networking sites and blogs please take every opportunity you can to mention our campaign as we really need as much support as possible! Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Vine, Blogs, handwritten letters to your 3rd grade pen pal, anything helps!
This film tells a remarkable story which is why I want it to be as high quality as possible. The production quality needs to reflect the quality of the story, and the only thing standing in the way of that is funding. It doesn't matter if you're in Portland, Minneapolis, Dallas, or Denmark: we need you to be a part of the team by spreading the word!
An Indiegogo campain to fund the project launches on June 9! Be a part of the journey, fund The Road to The Show today!
The Impact
This is a valuable project because it isn't just a hockey story, it's a human story. This is also something that has never been done before. No one has followed a top NHL prospect with a camera over several years, usually a majority of the footage is compiled after the fact.
This one of a kind story deserves to be told, and I am confident that it will impact the audience in a variety of ways. I know that if it is made the right way, it will inform, entertain, and celebrate the game of hockey.
Being a Minnesota native at Baylor University in Texas, I also hope to show this film in festivals in around Texas. It is a dream of mine to help grow the sport in the Lone Star State. I want to inspire kids to play the game so many of us are passionate about.I know "The Road to The Show" has the potential to do that.
Rewards!
We've got a bunch of cool rewards that you can check out on our Indiegogo page.
REFERRAL CONTEST: If we reach our goal, the person with the most referrals wins a Pro Stock Nexus 1000!
Make sure you are signed into your Indiegogo account so I can track your referrals. Click one of the share buttons and you will be given a custom link, (you can either share on facebook or tweet it from right there, or copy and paste to your blog or any other site)this way I can track who clicks on that link and then goes on to donate. If you aren't signed in, I can't tell.
Making an account takes a few seconds.
Thanks! Refer and win!
If you're a business that wants to be a corporate sponsor (your logo will be in the end credits!) or you'd like to donate an item on my wishlist , send me an email at Carter_Rodman@Baylor.edu or theroadtotheshowdocumentary@gmail.com
Risks & Challenges
One risk is that I don't have an exact date of completion. It is estimated that Keegan will be drafted this summer, and play one or two more seasons in the WHL before signing with an NHL team. Therefore, the greatest risk really isn't one:more content and more potential story lines.
Distance is another challenge. I cannot be at all 70+ games, however 3rd party footage, consistent communication, and the ability to travel for big games and events is easy with the proper funding.
Another challenge is that this is the longest film I've ever made. I've made a couple 10 minute narratives and several 3, 5, and 8 minute news features, but never a 60+ minute film. Thankfully I have the mentorship of multiple professors at universities in Minnesota and Texas who have years of experience in documentary filmmaking. I'm confident that my unique eye and creativity and this one-of-a-kind story will bring about an outstanding end result.
Here I am, after filming a game, with a group of Minneapolis hockey players I grew up with. We are throwing up a 13 to show support for Jack Jablonski, who some of the boys had the privilage of playing with.
See updates about Jack's continued recovery on caringbridge and check out the site for his foundation.
This was taken after Breck won the the Section 2A final and advanced to the State Tournament in 2012.