Many of us know Dave Roper. He races for Rob Iannucci's Team Obsolete.
A fund raiser is going on to raise enough money to finish a film on Dave's life as a Moto Guzzi & other brands racer with huge credentials. Please see below. Thank you. Good fortune, R3~
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/motorcycle-man-speed-passion-obsession-sports#/MOTORCYCLE MAN: Speed. Passion. Obsession.
THE FILM
"Motorcycle Man" is a short documentary about a man who has pursued a single passion in life: motorcycle racing. Dave Roper has raced every year since 1972, competing on exotic vintage bikes at racetracks around the world and winning a reputation as a folk hero of the sport.
But Roper is hardly an adrenaline junkie. He takes a philosophical approach to racing, viewing it as a test of mental and physical abilities. As he enters his twilight years, Roper reflects on the unconventional path he has followed in life, the dangers he has faced and the sacrifices he has made.
Dave Roper, the subject of "Motorcycle Man." (Photo: Bagamor Media)
"Motorcycle Man" explores universal human themes—perseverance, friendship, obsession and aging—not just motorcycles and racing. It follows Roper from a workshop in Brooklyn to his home on Long Island to a racetrack in Canada, where he competes for two days. Along the way he encounters autograph-seeking admirers, old friends and fellow racers eager to test their skills on the track.
Dave Roper at the Team Obsolete workshop in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo: Bagamor Media)
As the story unfolds, viewers learn of Roper's colorful past, from his childhood in Connecticut to his military service in Vietnam to his years as a nuclear submarine welder. After embarking on his motorcycle racing career, Roper makes history in 1984 as the first American ever to win an Isle of Man TT, a notoriously dangerous race in the United Kingdom.
(Photos: Henny Ray Abrams)
The film features interviews with Roper, fans and admirers; Kevin Cameron, a well-known motorcycle journalist; and Rob Ianucci, owner of Team Obsolete, a historic motorcycle racing team for which Roper has raced for decades.
Kevin Cameron, technical editor of Cycle World magazine. (Photo: Bagamor Media)
"Motorcycle Man" celebrates the speed, sweat and thrill of motorcycle racing, while offering a meditation on craft, obsession and what it takes to pursue your dreams.
Dave Roper at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Ontario, Canada. (Photo: Bagamor Media)
THE BACKGROUND
I began working on "Motorcycle Man" on my own time in the summer of 2016, filming Roper at two locations in New York and a racetrack in Canada. After raising initial funds, I was able to hire an editor and we recently completed a rough cut that runs 33 minutes.
To finish the film, I'll need to raise more funds to cover the final phase of post-production—additional editing, sound design and mixing, color correction and original music. As part of that effort, I'm hoping to raise at least $15,000 here on Indiegogo. If all goes well, we plan to submit the film to festivals and eventually seek wider distribution.
So I'd like to ask for your support. Please consider making a contribution to help us bring this inspiring story to life. Any amount would be appreciated! And we're offering some unique rewards, including broken parts from Dave's bikes (pistons! gears!), posters and postcards, and even dinner with Dave!
Unable to contribute financially? No problem! Consider helping us in another way—by sharing this page with your friends and followers. We'd be very grateful.
Thanks for your interest, and I hope you'll consider joining our team!
—Daniel Lovering, director/producer, "Motorcycle Man"
THE TEAM
Daniel Lovering is a writer, photographer and award-winning documentary filmmaker. His first hour-long documentary, “Through the Place,” won the Best Architecture Film award at the 2016 New Urbanism Film Festival in Los Angeles and the Festival Director’s Award at the Queen City Film Festival in Cumberland, Maryland. An experienced journalist, Daniel has reported from more than a dozen countries. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Economist and Foreign Policy, among other publications. Daniel worked for eight years as a staff writer for The Associated Press in Asia and the United States, reporting on subjects ranging from business and politics to war and natural disasters. He began his career in film and television production, working as an intern on the children’s television series “Bill Nye, the Science Guy.”
Chi-Ho Lee is a film and television editor with over 15 years of experience in broadcast television, fictional and documentary feature films, as well as museum films. His broadcast work has aired on PBS, BBC, Smithsonian Channel, TV One, MTV, Animal Planet and NESN. Chi-Ho has also edited award-winning documentaries that have screened at film festivals throughout the country and abroad. In addition to his broadcast and feature work, Chi-Ho has edited numerous museum films for the Sant Ocean Hall at The Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, The National WWII Museum, The Peabody Essex Museum, and New England Aquarium. He has also edited a collection of video guitar lessons for the legendary musician James Taylor.
Clifford Anderson is an award-winning composer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. His music has been featured in film, games, and virtual reality, and honored by ASCAP and the Academy of Scoring Arts. Cliff helped design and run Berklee College of Music’s groundbreaking online music education program; founded the Boston chapter of the Ravel Study Group; served on the submissions screening committee for the Boston International Film Festival; and served as an industry judge in Emerson College’s student media awards for the category "Outstanding Sound Design For Screen." He has appeared on television and in print discussing the filmmaking process, and is a frequent presenter on composing for visual media.
NOTE: You don't have to select a perk to donate to the campaign. You can donate any amount by clicking the "Back It" button at the top right of the page. That will open a window that will give you the option of contributing an amount of your choosing or selecting one of the perks at a fixed amount. Thank you!
