MTV @ WORLDS

Rabbit · Post by **Rabbit** » 24 Feb 2008 19:13

Ok guys and gal, as the saying goes, third time's a charm. I'm feeling like the second time's a charm.

There are plans at MTV to shoot 20 new True Life Episodes.

I am going to pitch "True Life: I'm a Professional Footbag Player" again.

I only have a short time to put this pitch together, so I need responses very quickly.

If you are

1. A freestyle footbag player

2. You might attend worlds 2008

3. Plan on competing

Please send an email to [email protected]... now.

It should contain

- Full name
- Age
- Location
- Link to a video if you have one
- Phone number

Thanks!
Barrett

calemccoy · Post by **calemccoy** » 24 Feb 2008 20:28

david!!!!jim!!!jorden!!!! someone!!!!

shredzilla · Post by **shredzilla** » 24 Feb 2008 23:01

I really think Dave or Jorden would be best for this. Barret, feel free to duplicate this post in General Footbag so it gets more notice. Nobody's gonna object.

ObArA'BaRs · Post by **ObArA'BaRs** » 25 Feb 2008 16:37

Jim, David, or Jorden.

EDIT: You happy now.

Asmus · Post by **Asmus** » 26 Feb 2008 10:19

ObArA'BaRs wrote:or Jordan

How can you mispell it after two people spelled it completely right?

I also think Dan Ednie, Phil Morrison, Lise Thygesen and Tina Aeberli would be very good for this.

Stefan Siegert did something similar for german TV when there was worlds in Frankfurt.
Maybe you could contact him for some tips?
I think he where pretty annoyed when the whole thing ended.

Paul Agostinelli · Post by **Paul Agostinelli** » 27 Feb 2008 20:33

MTV sucks. i think footbag would be much better off without getting exposure through trash channels. the light which its seen in has a lot to do with who wants to get involved. why not try to get a spot on a show that would actually take it seriously?

Rabbit · Post by **Rabbit** » 27 Feb 2008 20:45

I don't know where to begin with that post Paul... why don't you come up with a better idea, instead of bashing mtv and telling me I don't footbag seriously.

Normally I wouldn't reply but I think this deserves one.

Paul Agostinelli · Post by **Paul Agostinelli** » 27 Feb 2008 20:46

i wasnt implying that you dont take footbag seriously, i was suggesting that mtv wouldnt give footbag the respect it deserves

edit: also, upon reading my original post, im not sure how you took that as a personal attack, or even me bashing the idea of a tv promo, i was 100% saying that mtv is a bad choice. thats it.

Rabbit · Post by **Rabbit** » 27 Feb 2008 21:22

I wouldn't allow them to give it anything but the respect I do.

Norm spoke to me the other day pretty much saying, i guess the right phrase is "bursting my bubble", that the execs at MTV would not allow me to produce it. Which sucks, but understandable. Just out of college, I am not going to be producing there. No matter how good the idea, I either have to work my way up, or prove myself on my own. Hopefully the NYFA AFS documentary will help with that.

Either way, I got something huge in the works right now. I'm pretty excited but unfortunately I can't talk about it.

Don't worry Paul I wouldn't sell out footbag. It's not being done without me in charge.

-B

Jorden · Post by **Jorden** » 28 Feb 2008 18:49

Kudos Barrett on your initiative in this project. Can't win em all. All this hard work and motive will eventually pay off for you.

It doesn't make sense to be paranoid about the possibility of bad exposure. It would still be better than the ZERO exposure we're getting now.

If there's a video of any hardcore footbag tricks on TV word will still spread, whether it's "bad" exposure or not.
Heck, even if we get some hippies more serious into hacky sack that's still progress. Maybe they'll be the ones running our tournaments someday.

JM

Wasabi · Post by **Wasabi** » 29 Feb 2008 09:30

Added, I think this type of exposure will be better targeted at an audience that will accept footbag in a better light (towards the youth of this country), rather than the brief TV exposure on the Jimmy Kimmel show with Vasek late at night. And George Lopez won't be there to mock the sport with his lame antics.

Moxie · Post by **Moxie** » 29 Feb 2008 10:05

Wouldn't it make sense to pitch it to MTV first, then have them agree to do it, then ask for people to apply for the role of the star?

C-Fan · Post by **C-Fan** » 29 Feb 2008 14:08

You need willing players in order to make the pitch. Barrett showed me his proposal from last time, and it laid out the compelling stories of certain players, essentially selling to the MTV execs why it would make for good drama.

shredzilla · Post by **shredzilla** » 29 Feb 2008 14:39

Moxie wrote:Wouldn't it make sense to pitch it to MTV first, then have them agree to do it, then ask for people to apply for the role of the star?

No. You didn't read Barret's original post where he was asking for demo videos. Please don't be condescending in EVERY post you make, it really gets old.

Barret's a really good guy, extremely smart, and this was a good idea. I know that Barret's future is going to be filled with awesome endeavors. Thanks for thinking of footbag bro!

LEGOMAN · Post by **LEGOMAN** » 29 Feb 2008 15:23

holy shit 5 year olds ITT

yyz · Post by **yyz** » 29 Feb 2008 20:00

Hey easy on Barret!!!! He is the first person in almost 15 years to bring footbag to the media capital of the world, NYC. Also I am sure he is aware that once they shoot it he won't have a whole lot of control over it. For those who don't no him I can tell you he enjoys the sport as much as anyone who has ever kicked a freestyle or net bag. Also if you are worried about bad exposure please write Ms. Paris Hilton her bad exposure lead too a couple of sweet movie deals and she has one of the best kills I have ever saw in a horror movie. Barret Keep up the good work if I can be of any assistance please let me no. Pual I agree with your opinion of MTV but if I can make money working with a jerk and I want too pay the rent, well you no!!! ted fritsch

Paul Agostinelli · Post by **Paul Agostinelli** » 01 Mar 2008 00:35

C-Fan wrote:essentially selling to the MTV execs why it would make for good drama.

this is exactly my point, why would the footbag community want to be drama at all?

this is not what footbag is about.

its ridiculous that there is this much drama on the forum as it is. i think mtv is only going to trivialize the sport and make our best and brightest look like idiots. anything can be done with editing.

david · Post by **david** » 01 Mar 2008 01:03

When he says drama I don't think he means Mosher and Bainbridge fighting over "Post your picture!" I think he means things like my injury last year, Jorden trying to make it as an athlete, etc. These are high quality ideas with really good aspects for a story. Tell me how my story of getting hurt and then going dropless all 3 rounds would make bad television.

I understand that you and others are worried about bad exposure, about them making us into some sort of joke rather than an actual sport. However, if you've seen True Life (the actual show Barrett is talking about) you would know that they are very good at making things look legit. I've seen true lifes on homosexual obese men looking for love and that could've been one long joke, but they really made him look serious and gave him full respect.

Anyway, I agree with Jorden. Any publicity is better than none. On top of that look at something like the Chris Bliss juggling video, I think we could all say that was bad exposure for professional juggling, but then Jason Garfield made a response and got on CNN with it, I think that's a good outcome from a bad situation.

Either way Barrett is at least trying to help footbag, which is more than the 90% of the people on this forum who play alone in their basements and don't recruit (which I am guilty of for about half the year).

dc

Paul Agostinelli · Post by **Paul Agostinelli** » 01 Mar 2008 01:07

if this happens and they treat whomever they choose with respect and dont make our sport out to be a joke, there is really no problem. mtv just has a tendency to turn peoples struggles into trite laugh-a-minute "reality" shows. if this particular show is legit, its new to me.

edit: as for the chris bliss thing, he is actually respected amongst juggling performers as an excellent choreographer. both jeff and wes peden like his work and show that very video in the juggling class at RIT to illustrate that juggling isnt all about the difficulty of the trick but rather how it looks to an audience. that isnt to say that they dont think jason garfield is funny. we all do. it also shows different perspectives i.e. people all about big adds vs people all about style.

footjam_heger · Post by **footjam_heger** » 01 Mar 2008 01:58

Paul Agostinelli wrote:MTV sucks. i think footbag would be much better off without getting exposure through trash channels. the light which its seen in has a lot to do with who wants to get involved. why not try to get a spot on a show that would actually take it seriously?

my word.