American Weightlifting: The Documentary (2013)

In late 2012, I decided to make a feature-length documentary film on the sport of weightlifting in the US.

There were a few problems:

First, I had zero experience or training in film making. Second, I had no money and limited equipment. Third, I had no help.

So I went ahead and did it anyway.

I wrote, shot, edited, scored original music, did the artwork, and all the menial administrative tasks that go into getting a film put together and in front of viewers myself - every single job. It premiered in a San Francisco Bay Area theater in November 2013, and was released in DVD, download and streaming formats on several platforms afterward.

Yes, it’s standard definition video. HD cameras and editing software were new and extremely expensive at the time I made this—I was able to buy an HD camera toward the end of filming, but all interviews had already been recorded in SD on mini-dv tape. Moreover, I couldn’t afford higher-end editing software that could handle the 24 fps rate of film even though it was shot that way, so I had to use a few tricks to try to mimic the appearance as well as possible. My lighting budget was limited to using the reflective windshield sunscreen from my truck.

These days, HD and several frame rates are all standard, cheap and accessible in hardware and software—making this movie now would have meant it looking dramatically different, but it also wouldn’t have had the same impact as such a unique endeavor. I think the way in which it was made was perfectly representative of the sport at the time and what I still believe is the true spirit of the sport.

Of course in retrospect, there are a lot of things I would have done differently, but I can still say that in the circumstances I was working in, I made the best choices I could, and I’d like to believe it served my intended purpose regardless of the numerous limitations.

It’s now more of a historical record, which was always part of my intention—to document for posterity the state of the sport and at least a handful of the people who contributed to my and others’ ability to pursue weightlifting as athletes and coaches.

After 10 years, I’ve decided to make this movie available for free. I managed to make my investment back, and I can afford to share it with everyone now—I’d much rather more people be able to enjoy it than make a few more dollars.

I hope you like it, and I’d appreciate a like, a share and a subscription.

- Greg Everett
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“Ultra-independent—a one person production start to finish—this movie looks at the passion and dedication of American athletes and coaches in the Olympic sport of weightlifting. The sport is extremely popular internationally, but obscure and struggling in the US, where athletes and coaches must train as amateurs with virtually no support, yet compete professional international counterparts. It's not just the story of a sport, but of the human spirit and the struggles and incredible dedication and hope of a small community of people despite the odds against them.”

IMDB - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3225558/

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