Media Makes 30 for 30By: Creed Flowers

How 30 for 30 came about? If filmmaking was a sport, then ESPN would

be a contender. Few players in television would commission and produce 30 films in less than two years.

In 2007, Bill Simmons, columnist for ESPN.com, emailed his bosses a short message: With ESPN's 30-year anniversary coming up, the cabler should produce 30 documentaries from that time frame--but not Sports Century: 30 Years of ESPN. Import a few well-known Hollywood filmmakers and give them complete creative control. Call the series 30 for 30.

They took the idea further and made all 30 documentaries from filmmakers outside ESPN.

Getting the Job Done"When we sat down and discussed 30 for 30, we agreed on how the independent film genre had advanced, with some incredible storytellers out there that we felt could turn their focus to sports projects and capture them with independent film spirit," Schell adds. "We sought out an electric mix of feature film directors, professional documentarians and first-time filmmakers. The common denominator was real passion for the story they wanted to tell. Each piece stood on its own, not dependent on the one that came before or after it. Collectively, they tell a larger story of the era in a mosaic of the last 30 years, diverse points of view and cultural turning points. We tried to support every aspect of production without getting in the way of the filmmakers, so the work of each is their vision."

Al Maysles, Alex Gibney, Billy Corben, Dan Klores, Brett Morgen, Barbara Kopple

The First 30

Kings Ransom by Peter Berg on October 6, 2009 The Band that Wouldn’t Die by Barry Levinson on October 13, 2009 Small Potatoes: Who Killed the USFL? By Mike Tollin on October

20,2009 Muhammad and Larry by Albert Maysles on October 27,2009 Without Bias by Kirk Fraser on Novemeber 3,2009 The Legend of Jimmy the Greek by Firtz Mitchell November 10,

2009 The U by Billy Corben on December 12, 2009 Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks by Dan

Klores on March 14, 2010 Guru of Go by Bill Couturie on April 3, 2010 No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson by Steve James on April

13, 2010 Silly Little Game by Adam Kurland and Lucas Jansen on April 20,

2010 Run Ricky Run by Sean Pamphilon and Royce Toni on April 27, 2010 The 16th Man by Clifford Bestall, Lori McCreary, and Morgan Freeman

on May 4, 2010 Straight Outta L.A. by Ice Cube on May 11, 2010 June 17th, 1994 by Brett Morgen on June 16, 2010

The Two Escobars by Jeff Zimbalist and Michael Zimbalist on June 22,h 2010The Birth of Big Air by Jeff Tremain, Johnny Knoxville, and Spike Jonze on July 29, 2010Jordan Rides the Bus by Ron Shelton on August 24, 2010Little Big Men by Al Szymanski on August 31, 2010One Night in Vegas by Reggie Rock Bythewood on September 7, 2010Unmatched by Lisa Lax and Nancy Stern on September 14, 2010The House of Steinbrenner by Barbara Kopple on September 21, 2010Into the Wind by Steve Nash and Ezra Holland on September 28, 2010Four Days in October by Major League Baseball Productions on October 5, 2010Once Brothers by NBA Entertainment on October 12, 2010Tim Richmond: To the Limit by NASCAR Media Group and Rory Kerpf on October 19, 2010Fernando Nation by Cruz Angeles on October 26, 2010Marion Jones: Press Pause by John Singleton on November 2, 2010The Best That Never Was by Jonathan Hock on November 9, 2010Pony Excess by Thaddeus D. Matula on December 11, 2010

30 for 30 ClipHTTPS://YOUTU.BE/-AQXNPZ_YCCELWAY TO MARINO – MAKING THE SET

My Personal Favorites For 30 for 30 it was only suppose to be 30 documentaries but

these series have become so popular that there is a season 2, other special features, extras, and 30 for 30 shorts. My personal favorites are The Fab Five, I Hate Christian Laettner, You Don’t Know Bo, and The U Part 1 and Part 2. Personally I believe that 30 for 30 was a genius idea that Bill came up with. So many people are motivated and get to see the inside secrets and conversations from different era’s that haven’t been seen by the public before.

The End !

Citations• HTTP://WWW.DOCUMENTARY.ORG/MAGAZINE/DOCUMENTARIANS-TACKLE-SPORTS-HISTORY-ESPNS-30-30• HTTP://EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG/WIKI/30_FOR_30• HTTPS://YOUTU.BE/-AQXNPZ_YCC