Posts Tagged Wilt Chamberlain

Jayhawkers Update (with awesome pics!)

Posted on: October 26th, 2012 by jayhawktalk No Comments

Courtesy of Grant Franklin Fitch

Editor’s Note: The following is courtesy of Katherine Hollar (via Producer Scott Richardson).  She is a huge KU fan and great follow on twitter at @katiehollar. We met at a KU basketball game in Lincoln when she tried to run me over with her car (allegedly). She’ll be providing JHT ongoing updates about an exciting film project coming soon to a theatre near you!

Those of you who attended Late Night in the Phog got a sneak preview of “Jayhawkers,” the film about Phog Allen, Wilt Chamberlain, Kansas basketball and the sociopolitical climate of the 1950s. Producer Scott Richardson provided Jayhawk Talk with an update on the project. Stay tuned for more, as the filmmakers get ready to take Jayhawk basketball to the big screen.

I understand shooting is done – what happens now? 

We are just now starting the process of post-production, which includes editing, music scoring, special effects, etc.  We’ll also be working on developing a marketing plan and our strategy for festival submission.  For an independent film such as this one, premiering at a major festival can be the best way to begin the distribution process.  All of this will take several months.  Oh yeah, we are also seeking additional investments to cover the cost of post-production and marketing.

What was the biggest surprise with that process?

This whole project has gone surprisingly well.  KU has been wonderful to work with.  Lawrence, as usual, is a terrific host town for filmmaking (and other arts endeavors).  The interest that has been generated by this film has been very encouraging.

How did you simulate Allen Fieldhouse in the 1950s here in the 21st century?

Our director Kevin Willmott worked closely with cinematographers Matt Jacobson and Jeremy Osbern to create a dramatic look that emulates the classic 1950s basketball photos – dark backgrounds, with the players well-lit.  The basketball shots will have that same visual feeling.  We are lucky as well to have developed a very solid crew here, so the wardrobe and production design really helped sell the period look.

Is there a scene that came off particularly well, or that strikes you? What is it?

Phog Allen, played by Kip Niven, is the central character in the film.  His scenes with Coach Harp (Blake Robbins), Chancellor Murphy (Jay Karnes) and Wilt Chamberlain (Justin Wesley) will be pretty potent.  The scene where the Chancellor tells Phog that he has to retire is one that really stands out in my memory.

Are there still opportunities for Jayhawk fans to get involved and support the film?

Absolutely.  We are continuing to raise investment funds for the production LLC for post-production and marketing. If readers are interested, they can contact us through the Jayhawkers Facebook page.

For more pictures, check this out: Grant Fitch Photography

 

Jayhawkers Kickstarter Campaign

Posted on: July 14th, 2012 by jayhawktalk 1 Comment

(Editor’s Note: The following is courtesy of Katherine Hollar.  She is a huge KU fan and great follow on twitter at @katiehollar. We met at a KU basketball game in Lincoln when she tried to run me over with her car (allegedly). She’ll be providing JHT ongoing updates about an exciting film project coming soon to a theatre near you!)

Last week on this blog, we introduced Jayhawkers, the Kevin Willmott film about Phog Allen, Wilt Chamberlain, Chancellor Frank Murphy and their effect on college basketball – a parallel to the Civil Rights movement that changed the country.

The film is in pre-production now, but to keep moving forward, the filmmakers need your help. The Jayhawkers team has launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise $50,000 by August 2. Any amount is appreciated, and donors at all levels will be rewarded – my favorite incentive is the game of HORSE against former Jayhawk and NBA star Scot Pollard (an executive producer).

Please give what you can. I am donating because I love my school, I am proud of our basketball tradition, and I am prouder still of our progressive heritage.

 

Jayhawkers Movie

Posted on: June 29th, 2012 by jayhawktalk 2 Comments

(Editor’s Note: The following is courtesy of Katherine Hollar.  She is a huge KU fan and great follow on twitter at @katiehollar. We met at a KU basketball game in Lincoln when she tried to run me over with her car (allegedly). She’ll be providing JHT ongoing updates about an exciting film project coming soon to a theatre near you!)

The Phog soon will roll onto the big screen.

Now in pre-production, Jayhawkers will tell the story of how Phog Allen and Chancellor Frank Murphy recruited Wilt Chamberlain from Philadelphia to play at Kansas…and how a group of unlikely allies changed college basketball and Lawrence in a parallel to the Civil Rights movement that changed the country.

At the helm of the project are writer/producer/director Kevin Willmott and writer/producer Scott Richardson. Willmott, an associate professor of film at KU, has directed two films (C.S.A.: Confederate States of America and The Only Good Indian) selected to the Sundance Film Festival. Richardson, a KU alumnus, has produced multiple projects for The History Channel and has written and consulted for many leading entertainment outfits, including A&E and AMC.

A full synopsis is available at www.facebook.com/jayhawkersmovie. The film will weave together the father of modern basketball coaching, the most legendary basketball player of the modern era and the tension of racism and segregation – only one year after Brown vs. Board of Education in Topeka, just 20 miles from Lawrence. As the filmmakers state, “The struggle for dignity and civil rights on the court would bond a team and change a town forever.”

The movie’s climax will come during the triple-overtime 1957 national championship game against the University of North Carolina, a game that has been called the greatest in college history.

More details will surface soon, but the movie will be shot in Lawrence (and the Fieldhouse), and Kansas fans will be tickled by the casting pick for Wilt Chamberlain, to say the least.

We talk a lot about tradition with Kansas basketball, but too often that conversation focuses on banners on the Fieldhouse wall, not the heritage of the Free State progressives. Jayhawkers will honor both – and fans will have opportunities to get involved. Like the Facebook page. Be an extra. Donate a few dollars, once the crowdsourcing effort is underway. Help Willmott and Richardson show the film community – and the nation – why we pay heed.