"What started in 2007 as a one paragraph email putting forth the notion that there was a place for great long form non-fiction storytelling on TV, came to life as an eclectic and fascinating collection of passionate films about sports and culture.
"Individually, each of the films in this series was meant to tell an intimate, compelling story that stands on its own and brings to life the filmmaker's vision. The format was no format. These were personal, point of view documentaries that drilled down into a contained narrative. Collectively, however, these creatively different films weave together a diverse tapestry of what sports has meant to American and world culture over the last three decades. The hope is that what the films represent in totality is something that has not previously been seen on television, a true auteur model. It is not just the stories and styles where ESPN strove for diversity'while Hollywood heavyweights like Barry Levinson, Spike Jonze, Morgan Freeman, Ron Shelton and Ice Cube were involved, so were many of the most credible documentarians in the business, Albert Maysles, Barbara Kopple, Alex Gibney, Dan Klores, and Brett Morgen. There was also a place for first and second time filmmakers (the duo of Adam Kurland and Lucas Jansen, Jeff Zimbalist, Steve Nash and Cruz Angeles) who had great stories to tell. Each piece illustrates the passion that each director brought to their project. Ultimately, 30 For 30 was a provocative, high-profile reflection on the past three decades told through the lens of diverse and interesting sports fans and social commentators.
"These days, the rat-a-tat-tat of adrenalized sports talk serves up shards of differing thoughts on every conceivable topic. It's hard not to see the democratization of opinion now unleashed not just by the on-air experts' panel, but by the chat room, the Twittering superstar, and the Guy Holding the Sign on TV as a healthy thing. But the 30 for 30 documentary series did something different, something the best movies have always done: sit the viewer down and tell a story, employing many sources but giving a distinctive point of view, marshaling words and images to serve that particular perspective. In a sports universe of competing voices, these films offer a single, compelling one.
"We believe that we ended up with thirty riveting stories for thirty years. We did not rank them. We did not count them down. We feel extraordinarily confident that viewers will remember them for years to come. 30 for 30 is one of the best current examples of the fast convergence between television and film. Enclosed you will find six films that premiered on ESPN in 2010 and are representative of the style and scope of the entire series: The Two Escobars, June 17, 1994, Winning Time, Once Brothers, The Best that Never Was, and Into The Wind."--2010 Peabody Awards entry form.
This episode is entitled Into the Wind.
Corporate Producers: ESPN (Television network)
Persons Appearing: Vlade Divac | Patrick Duffy | Anthony Mackie
Broadcast Date: 2010-09-28
