WHY MAKE A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT DAVE McCOY?
For those who
admire the rags to riches American hero story, for those who believe that leadership is about building a team spirit and bringing out the best in people, who insist that life is about loving the road each step of the way, I want you to meet Dave McCoy:
In the 1940's, without a dime to his name and against the advice of ski experts, Dave McCoy began to build California’s Mammoth
Mountain into one of the most successful ski resorts in the world, revolutionizing the ski industry along the way. But even more alluring than
what he did was how he did it. With unrelenting kindness, he inspired others to
become part of his vision. Motivated by creating something great, not by making
money, he found no job too complex to tackle, no ditch too mundane to dig. A
natural leader, he coached people to do their best and made it clear that
having fun was integral to the daily requirements of his unwritten business
plan.
Though he'll turn 100 in August, Dave McCoy is still the vital, brilliant, engaging man that built Mammoth. He still honors community, listening to and answering the needs of the people. He is still pursuing new dreams and still inspiring everyone around him.
We want the world to know about this amazingly influential person. Our storytellers are the people who
have had their lives touched by Dave. The mosaic of their personal stories will
inspire those who see the film to follow their dreams, be kind, be generous,
and as Dave would say, “have fun along the way.”
WHO AM I and HOW DOES DAVE MCCOY FIT INTO MY
LIFE?
My name is Tim
Ford. Before the great recession of 2008
I made a decent living in Hollywood producing and directing music videos and
commercials, mostly for the Walt Disney Corporation. I had been on a three-year
streak with the Mouse (as we call Disney in the biz), making videos for acts
like The Jonas Brothers, and arranging live concert films for Miley Cyrus as
Hannah Montana. The work made me happy, because at the end of the day I knew it
was making kids happy.
When the 2008
financial collapse happened, film work in Los Angeles slowed to a crawl. I
found myself with too quiet of a phone and too much time on my hands. But with
winter around the corner and me wanting to make the best of my situation I said
to myself, “You’ve always wanted to
teach skiing, now’s your chance!”
I drove to a local LA ski resort (not Mammoth Mountain) and applied for a job. They hired me on the spot. My new life had
started: Monday through Thursday I spent
in Hollywood trying to drum up work, while each weekend I spent happily in the
mountains teaching children and adults the thrill of downhill skiing.
One weekend evening
in January of 2009, after a long and exhausting day of teaching, finally home
in my ski club's snow-covered cabin, I sat collapsed in a torn chair next to a
fire in the giant stone hearth, grumbling with my co-workers about how bad the ski
area management treated us. A memo had been issued from on high that morning.
In order to accommodate customers who had been complaining about long
lunch lines, employees would now be forbidden from buying lunch between the
hours of 10 am and 3 pm! Essentially, for instructors that meant no lunch
at all.
As we sat around
the hearth, up in arms about this latest token of appreciation from our resort
leadership, Rick, the president of our ski club, stepped into the room. Shaking
his head, he bellowed, “Are you surprised? Those guys don’t know what they’re
doing up there!”
We turned and
stared. Rick continued, “Dave McCoy
would have had hamburgers, hotdogs, and a big pot of chili up in the patrol
room for you guys. He knew how to run a mountain. If they’ve got a
long line at lunch, then they can afford something for the workers.”
I naively asked,
“Who’s Dave McCoy?”
A hush fell over
the room.
“You don’t know who
Dave McCoy is?!?” yelled Rick.
Louder and more
animated, he went on, “Dave McCoy started Mammoth Mountain. He was the real
deal. He knew how to build a ski mountain and knew how to run it. Not like
these jokers over here. Dave had great ideas, common sense, and knew how to
take care of his employees. I was lucky enough to work alongside him at Mammoth
in the sixties and seventies.”
Rick was not the
type of guy who idolized. He paused. Then
quietly but firmly, he concluded, “Dave McCoy is my hero.”
That was it. I was
hooked. Dave McCoy became a legend in
my mind, an exciting, powerful person living life with the ethics I believe in. Every night at the end of my shift, I would corner Rick asking
for more Dave stories. He told me about all the crazy lifts Dave put up and how
he invented a hundred ways to make skiing better for everyone. He talked about
how Dave would blast rock and push dirt to get the fall line of a ski run just
right, somehow leaving the run looking just as natural as if he’d found it that
way. He told me about people getting lost in snowstorms on the backside of the
mountain and Dave knowing where they were just by the trees they’d describe
over the walkie-talkie. He talked about how Dave was completely dedicated to
his sport, his employees, and his customers, how he put them all before
himself.
Later in
2010, as the economy started to improve and companies needed filmmakers, my Hollywood
phone starting ringing again. Soon I was too busy to teach skiing. Though it was hard to say goodbye to the ski
club and my new ski instructor buddies, it was Dave McCoy who lingered in my
mind. I didn’t even know him, yet he had become my hero. I’d find myself on film
sets, in the calms between all the hustle and bustle, pondering Dave and the
stories I had heard back in the snow-covered cabin. Sometimes during lunch on
set someone would bring up skiing. “Do you know about Dave McCoy?” I would ask,
then launch into telling one of my second-hand stories.
It didn’t take long
until a coworker at the table remarked, “Wow, a documentary about that guy
would be really cool!” I quickly agreed, walked outside, and started making
phone calls.
Before too long I
was talking on the telephone to Dave
himself. Amazingly, he invited me to
his house in Bishop. I was nervous when I first walked into his office. What would he be like?
Would he be open to me? I knew that he was still active, that he was the main force behind Cerro
Coso College successfully operating in Mammoth and Bishop, but would he shine in
other ways?
The man exceeded my wildest expectations. There he was, sitting behind his desk, welcoming me with a bright smile on his face and a playful light in his eyes. His walls were
covered with accolades and framed photos showing a small fraction of the fun
and adventure he’d been responsible for over the years. He reached his hand across the desk, I gave him mine, and with a jovial jerk
he threw me off my balance. He chuckled at his prank as we sat down and I
instantly knew that despite being 98 years old, Dave McCoy still was still as spunky and charismatic as I had imagined him to be.
I told him about my
ideas for the film and why I felt it was important. He asked questions,
listened to me, then said he didn’t know how interested he was in the project, since he didn’t think he had done that much and wasn’t much of a bragger. His enthusiasm perked as he showed me his latest photographic venture, wild
horses in Nevada wildlands, photos he had taken on one of his back-country off-road rides. Next, he showed me the new solar
panels that powered his house. Then the grand prize: an electric, solar-powered all-terrain vehicle he had
designed and was building. I asked him why he wanted to build an electric
off-road golf cart when he already had a gas one. He looked surprised, then
grinned and said with a twinkle in his eye, “The price of gas!”
A couple of
meetings later, Dave agreed to let me make the film. He gave me a smile and
said “Well, better get started if you’re gonna get done. And don’t forget to
have fun with what you’re doing!”
WHERE ARE WE NOW?
Last year, I put
together a great team who has been willing to work on the Dave McCoy doc during
spare time between other gigs. The film is 50% shot, with many interviews and
much B-roll. But this is a big story and
we still have a long way to go to tell Dave’s story the way it should be told. We’re
proud of how far we’ve taken this project with the resources we’ve had at hand,
but we are at the point where we can’t go forward without real funding.
As filmmakers who
have worked successfully in Hollywood throughout our career, we started the McCoy
documentary with a traditional approach including a short pitch film that we e-mailed around town. We’ve received a very positive response from
potential investors and distributors and have built a lot of momentum that we
don’t want to lose, especially with ski season approaching. Yet, our film remains penniless. Rather than wait for traditional
film funding, we’ve decided to seek funding through crowdsourcing.
It’s our hope that
Dave McCoy’s story and the approach we are taking will resonate with and excite
a large and diverse group of people. Whether you personally know Dave
McCoy, if you are a skier/snowboarder interested in ski history, or if you like
films where a guy finds success in business while putting people first, I hope
you’ll give us a little piece of financial encouragement so we can make this
film a reality.
$150,000 IS OUR FUNDING GOAL
This sum will
ensure we can:
-
Film the remaining interviews we need to finish the film
-
Hire a documentary film
editor and begin our off-line edit
- Fulfill our perk promises
- Pay our Indiegogo and credit card fees
$150,000 will represent a fantastic first investment in our movie and encourage other film financiers to invest in our film. If we do secure more funding the project will be bigger and better, but $150,000 will give us the ability to continue and complete the film the way we've envisioned it: A story about an ordinary guy who worked tirelessly to make people happy, while proving a business can make a profit, support it's community, and inspire people; without needing to put the screws to anyone.
PLEASE MAKE A $1 DONATION
We would rather have 150,000 - $1 donations than 1 - $150,000 donation. This campaign exists to prove that there is an audience for this story, and if you've read our pitch this far then it's likely you agree it's worthy of a film. Please take a second to make a 1$ donation and your support of this movie will be counted in our contributor number, then help us spread the word about our campaign so we can get 150,000 donations!
Many Thanks; and SKI you later,
Tim Ford & The Crew.
PERKS
For donations in excess of $1.
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You’ll receive a digital download of the film Dave McCoy And The Mammoth Plan when it’s complete, as well as regular updates about our progress.
We’ll ship you a DVD version of the film when it’s complete, in addition to a digital download pass.
Please add $10 for international shipping.
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For $50 you’ll get the digital download of Dave McCoy And The Mammoth Plan, plus a free hot ski or board wax and machine buff at Kittredge Sports ski shop in Mammoth Lakes for the 14/15 winter season.
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For $50 you’ll get the digital download of Dave McCoy And The Mammoth Plan, plus a free hot ski or board wax and machine buff at P3 snowboard shop in Mammoth Lakes for the 14/15 winter season.
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We’ll ship you a pound of fresh-roasted coffee from the best coffee shop in Mammoth Lakes-- Black Velvet Coffee. You’ll also receive a download link for the completed film.
Please add $10 for international shipping.
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When Dave McCoy ran Mammoth, he only had two rules for his employees:
1. Have Fun.
2. NO FACIAL HAIR.
“No facial hair” of any kind is a pretty tall order, but Dave was so loved from his employees that it inspired an “I Shave for Dave” T-shirt. We’re recreating this shirt at the $75 dollar level. You’ll get the shirt-- men’s size S, M, L, or XL-- plus a digital download of the completed film.
Please add $10 for international shipping.
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We’ll mail you an original “Dave McCoy and The Mammoth Plan” Tee-shirt, plus a digital download. You’ll love it.
Men and Women size S, M, L, or XL.
Please add $10 for international shipping.
Why not head to Mammoth Lakes for the weekend and experience Dave’s work first hand? We’ll give you a free ski or snowboard rental package for 2 people for 2 days, from Kittredge Sports Ski Shop or P3 Snowboard Shop.
We’ll also get you half-off a 2-day car rental from the Mammoth Lakes Hertz. You’ll also receive a download link for the completed film.
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(Some blackout dates apply: Not valid Dec. 20, 2014 - Jan. 4, 2015; Jan. 17-18, 2015; Feb. 14-15, 2015; April 4-5, 2015. Hertz rental car limited to $40 discount per rental day.)
Nowadays Dave’s passion is nature photography, but he’s been taking photos his whole life. At the $100 level you’ll be able to choose from a small selection of Dave’s favorite work. We’ll mail you a high-quality 8 x 10 glossy print of your choice, along with the DVD and digital download.
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Please add $10 for international shipping.
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We’ll send you a hardcover copy of Robin Morning’s beautiful book, “Tracks of Passion,” which details the history of Mammoth Mountain Ski Area and Dave McCoy’s path to greatness, signed by Robin and by Dave himself. You’ll also get the DVD and download link.
Please add $10 for international shipping.
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For $300 you’ll get both the high-quality 8 x 10 glossy Dave McCoy Print AND Robin’s Morning’s Book “Tracks of Passion,” signed by Dave and the author. You’ll also get the DVD and download link.
Please add $10 for international shipping.
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At this level we’ll take the print described above, increase the size to 16 X 20, have it signed by Dave McCoy himself, and then professionally frame it in the McCoy Garage. You’ll also get the DVD and download link.
Please add $10 for international shipping.
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Join director Tim Ford and members of the film crew for a day of skiing at Mammoth Mountain. We’ll get your lunch and your lift ticket and tell you all about how we put the film together. Plus you’ll get the DVD, download link, a copy of Robin Morning’s “Tracks of Passion”, and our eternal gratitude for your generosity.
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If you can contribute $1000, you’ll get a special thanks in the credits, plus get 2 tickets to premiere parties we have in Mammoth Lakes and Los Angeles. You’ll also get the DVD, download link, a copy of Robin Morning’s “Tracks of Passion” and a t-shirt of your choice. You can also come to the wrap party, where everyone there from the film crew will personally thank you for being such a great person.
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For a $5000 contribution we’ll add your name or your company’s name to our credits as an associate producer of the film. You’ll get tickets to our premieres and wrap parties, as well as both t-shirts, a signed 16 x 20 framed print, the book, and a surprisingly long thank you note from Director Tim Ford. And we’ll send you a few DVDs to pass out to your friends.
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Dave McCoy and The Mammoth Plan is still looking for one or two co-executive producers. These producers will get their name or their company name and logo at the beginning of the film, as well as on our promotional materials and press releases. Of course we’ll get you all the perks from the $5,000 level, a bunch of DVDs, and pretty much anything else you ask for, within reason. Plus, just for fun, a 14/15 season pass at Mammoth Mountain for you or the Ski-lover of your choice.