JUMP!

Cast a vote for jumpers in Singapore

2009-06-14T08:57:00.000-07:00

The JUMPING JEWELS (Singapore) double dutch team is in a television popularity contest called ONE MINUTE OF FAME. They are in the quarter-finals and ask for your help -- please vote online for them so that they can get to the semi-finals.

Voting started Friday, 12th June at www.oktoday.sg/omf

jumpers on fire at US Navy Performance

2009-04-19T11:06:00.000-07:00

The Ohio Firecracker's team show rocked the house. The sheer size of this group choreography is uber impressive. See it here.

on The Ellen DeGeneres Show

2009-04-07T12:28:00.000-07:00

congratulations to Chad Rankin! After sending the producers of ELLEN a demo of himself jumping, he was invited to appear on her show -- airs on Monday, 4/13. Story here. See Chad's demo here.

UPDATE: See Chad on ELLEN here.

JUMP! wins Global Zoom Award at Seattle Children's Fest

2009-02-06T12:08:00.000-08:00

The children's jury of Children's Film Festival Seattle awarded the festival's Global Zoom Award for Intercultural Understanding and Cooperation to JUMP!

Big thanks to Liz Shepard and the Northwest Film Forum for inviting JUMP! to participate at the festival and to Treeswing -- a great organization dedicated to the mission of bringing physical activity and healthy habits into children’s lives -- for sponsoring us.

Special thanks also to Hot Dog USA, who came out to perform and teach at several screenings. They definitely earned themselves some new fans!

Here's a slide show of photos from the festival.

2/8/2009 addendum: article about JUMP! from screening on Washington's Vashon Island

Awesome photos from Columbus screening

2008-12-17T15:18:00.000-08:00

"World champion jumpers Tori Boggs, Nick Woodard and Jeff Maus held a brief Q & A after the Sunday screening of the film JUMP!. After the Q&A, the audience was invited to a dynamic jump roping performance and interactive demonstration. After the performance, everyone had a chance to join the fun!" -- Wexner Center for the Arts

http://flickr.com/photos/wexnercenter/sets/72157611053918205/

JUMP! premieres on TV

2008-12-01T02:17:00.001-08:00

Sunday, December 7th at 5pm on Showtime

Here is the movie trailer Showtime created

and here is the one we made. Which one do you like better? Share your thoughts on YouTube.

JUMP! will be rebroadcast on Showtime Networks many times over the next 1.5 years –– check here for the schedule. Or watch it anytime at Showtime On-Demand.

Congratulations!

2008-12-01T02:04:00.000-08:00

Huge and belated congratulations to Tori Boggs for winning the Jump Rope World Championship in South Africa this past summer. If you have already seen JUMP!, no doubt you remember her sweet ferocity; if not, you’ve got a treat ahead.

Here’s an excerpt from an email Tori send to me months ago, soon after the competition:

I love how our interest in jump rope connects us to other parts of the world. The South African team welcomed everyone with enthusiastic hospitality. Meeting the jumpers from the hosting nation was an absolute honor! Their smiles are infectious and their generosity, refreshing. It was also very exciting to see friends from many different countries that I haven't seen since the world championship in Toronto two years ago. It is a great feeling to converse with a person who has a very different life than you.

Also, I was very impressed by the skilled jumpers from many different countries. Australia did a wonderful job and has some of the top jumpers in the sport and both South Africa and Korea have come such a long way in the past two years!

As for touring Cape Town, the area was beautiful. One of the first days we arrived I went on a tour with part of Team USA. With a guide, we were taken around the city and other places including a penguin reserve and Cape Point, the southern most point in Africa. I also went to the Spire Reserve and got to pet a cheetah!

I also was fortunate to join another group of jumpers from the states and a German jump rope team to do an Outreach Jump Rope clinic in a township outside of town. There, we performed for about 400 students, taught them how to do some jumping, and we were able to talk to them. It was very interesting to see how the kids there live. I liked being able to see their daily activities and compare it to what we are used to. It was a very rewarding. I always welcome this opportunity to meet with others and share information of our different cultures. No matter where I go in the world people are more the same then they are different.

It was a wonderful trip and almost hard to believe that I was there. The places that jump rope takes me is *Unbelievable!* I only wish my brother could have been there with me.

By request

2008-08-20T21:59:00.000-07:00

Previously, I posted a link to the video below. By request, here it is more easily accessible. This video has received over 100,000 hits on myspace, joost and other portals.

video from AFI Dallas International Film Festival

JUMP! loves PUMA. Thank you AFI Dallas International Film Festival for hooking us up with them. Thanks to all the amazing jumpers in Texas who participated in our special events. And thanks to Vimby for producing this video!

JUMP! events inspire kids in So Cal

2008-08-13T23:26:00.000-07:00

JUMP! on Los Angeles's #1 rated KTLA morning news

Thanks to Brian Biery, the Flintridge Operating Foundation and Northwest ECHO -- which stands for Empowering Communities, Helping Others -- we just finished two days of awesome JUMP! events for kids in Pasadena & Altadena as part of Youth Month.

In 2007, Pasadena & Altadena experienced a spike in gang-related shootings that was centered in these neighborhoods. This spurred increased community efforts to connect at-risk kids with positive programs and activities that are alternatives to gang violence. With the shared goal of making a difference in kids' lives by providing fun, healthy and affordable activities for youth who might not have the opportunity to go away to summer camp or on family outings, Brian paired us with a local Boys & Girls Club and the neighborhood Police Activities League (PAL) for 2 days of film screenings, live performances and workshops to teach kids to jump.

About 500 kids attended and the photo below sums up the reaction best:

The kids loved the movie and seeing the jumpers live rocked the house. Jeff & Nick of the Texas team RazzMaTazz and Calli & Kelsy from the Summerwind Skippers inspired loads of people. After the movie and workshop, the kids above said that this is what they got out of the doc: hardwork, determination, and collaboration pay off. "When you fall, you gotta get up and try again."

We also received some great news coverage -- my favorite being the story posted at the start of this entry, which aired on KTLA, Los Angeles's #1 rated morning news show. See ABC's tv news story on us here; CBS's coverage of the event here; and The Pasadena Star-News article here.

And we all think that Corporal Glenn Thompson of the PAL program -- seen jumping out of uniform below -- is the bomb.

All photographs above (c) Walt Mancini, Pasadena Star-News.
(Available for purchase from the newspaper here.)

Special thanks to Nikki of the Santa Monica-based Jump Squad and Coach Rich with the Centralia Coyote jumpers for their amazing help.

If any So Cal groups want to start or join a jump rope team, please contact Nikki at the website above or the USA Jump Rope League for more information. Nikki is roaring to get more teams going in our area and it sure seems like the kids at PAL are READY!!

short JUMP! story on CBS news

Double Dutch Is Now A High School Varsity Sport in New York!

2008-07-31T10:30:00.001-07:00

Today's New York Times reports DOUBLE DUTCH GETS STATUS IN THE SCHOOLS!

JUMP! on Joost -- next gen TV

2008-07-14T22:35:00.000-07:00

We are the featured story on Joost.com today:

"Not your kid sister's jump rope. These kids take it to a whole new level." Watch HERE.

Update on jumpers in the movie

2008-07-03T13:58:00.000-07:00

The 2008 USA National Championship took place last weekend. Congratulations to all the jumpers who qualified!

Here is a partial list of the 1st place trophies won by kids featured in the movie JUMP!:

TORI (West Virginia) - Female Single Rope Freestyle, 1-Minute Speed, 3-Minute Speed, Triples
NICK, JEFF, KATRINA and their team (Texas) - Large Team Show
(note: this was the first time these guys competed in this event!)
SHANE (Idaho) - Male Single Rope Freestyle
LEE, SHANE and Bryan (Idaho) - Double Dutch Singles Freestyle
LEE and his new all-male Worlds Team - Double Dutch Pairs Freestyle
STYLE, JAZ and Shakinah - Double Dutch Singles Speed Relay

For a full list of competition results, visit usajumprope.org.

Good luck to Team USA at Worlds in South Africa next month!

Other updates:

For more on all the jumpers, scan entries below. And definitely see this entry about Tori.
Special congratulations to Kelsy (Idaho), who just got married! Coach Hay recently retired from her job as a PE teacher at Summerwind Elementary School; Kelsy, who earned her degree in Phys Ed, was hired to fill her shoes.

Belgian jumpers & European Tour

2008-05-31T13:57:00.000-07:00

Maarten Goedemé -- a former world champion jumper from Belgium -- sent me this clip of his team performing on TV show "Le Plus Grand Cabaret du Monde". Unfortunately, I can't translate what the hosts are saying. You can learn more about this team on their multilingual website.

Recently, Maarten and his team also organized a European double Dutch tour. Jumpers from Belgium, Denmark and 7 different Japanese groups will perform and teach all over France, The Netherlands, and more. And in July, Maarten will return to South Africa -- where he started several clubs a few years ago -- to serve as coach of their national team at the upcoming World Championship in Capetown.

SERIOUS PLAY

2008-05-22T22:52:00.000-07:00

Smiling jumper George Smoot, who won the Nobel Prize in Physics for
helping to prove that the universe originated with the Big Bang, knows the
importance of unpredictable exploration in both work and play.

I was invited to speak and screen clips from JUMP! at the biennial Art Center Design Conference in Pasadena, California -- a 3-day international gathering of entrepreneurs, thought leaders, and innovators. The 2008 Conference, themed Serious Play, explored the important role of play in business, the arts, science, technology, and more. We were such a synergistic match!

There was an absolutely extraordinary group of speakers (more below)-- utterly inspiring and also intimidating, actually. This was one of the coolest events I have ever attended and it was truly an honor to be a part of this amazing program.

Target sponsored me and 4 jumpers featured in the film -- Kelsy & Lee from the Summerwind Skippers in Idaho and Nick & Jeff from the Houston-based team RazzMaTazz. The jumpers were surprise performers on the opening evening and then entertainers and teachers that night and the following day. They stole the show! I mainly spoke about collaboration and obsession...both that of the jumpers and my own.

The Master of Ceremonies, journalist John Hockenberry, asked what it was about me that was drawn to the main subject of my film, competitive jump rope. It was a personal question, situating my sensibilities at the center of it. I answered the question too quickly, spinning my answer to what I could most easily address in that moment: why jumpers are attracted to the sport and what they are learning thru it. As soon as I walked off stage, I wished that I had given a more revealing response that was linked to the "Serious Play" gist of the conference.

In addition to what I did say, I would have liked to have answered something to the effect of: I was initially drawn to competitive jump rope because I was captivated by the exuberant creativity, athleticism and obsession of the kids – and that they all seemed so unbelievably happy. The motto of the sport is “sharing and caring” and I could see that thru jump rope, they were having fun while learning to truly value fearless determination, collaboration and innovation – qualities that we learn as kids and often struggle to maintain as adults. Watching the kids define their successes by these traits intrigued and inspired me. And frankly, I felt a bit jealous; as a person and as a filmmaker, I want to achieve more of all of this exuberance in my own life. The jumpers quickly became both a muse and a mirror. Making this documentary (my first) has caused me to reconsider what it means to be successful and also to embrace that challenge and risk are their own reward.

In the reddish light of the closing night party, this artist showed me
his sketches of several conference speakers (including me,
far right in the photo on the left, from the waist down) and the jumpers.

I loved what so many of the speakers had to say. Some notables were:

+ Dr. Stuart Brown, founder of the National Institute for Play, whose studies found that "normal play behavior was virtually absent throughout the lives of highly violent, anti-social men." He believes that play is important for our survival and said that “The opposite of play is not work, it’s depression.”
+ Aimee Mullins, an intellectual and physical marvel (pictured left) who said "You have to practice your curiosity like it’s a sport."
+ David Macaulay, whose forthcoming illustrated book explains our bodies, from the smallest cell on up, using metaphors like factories and rivers. He clearly communicates massively complex systems.
+ Joshua Klein's talk about the cultural adaption of crows and how they learn from each other. Watch this video!
+ Paula Scher, artist, distinguished serious (good, engaged) from solemn (bad, joyless)
+ Robert Lang, whose profound applications of origami are being applied to pressing contemporary problems of all stripes. Learn more about him here.

Early in the first night's presentations, Hockenberry, said something about the relationship of play to education in Plato's Republic which led me to this quote attributed to the ancient philosopher: "You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation." Humm. We don't learn or practice play enough. I, for one, am going to start.

Educational Screenings in San Francisco & Oakland

2008-05-22T10:37:00.000-07:00

middle school students in Oakland, California talk about
what they got out of watching JUMP!

JUMP! was selected to launch the San Francisco International Film Festival's Schools at the Festival. Each year, this landmark educational program, produced with the San Francisco Film Society, brings 4,000 students of all ages and teachers to the movie theater to participate in the Festival experience. In addition, they bring filmmakers into schools to meet and discuss their movies with kids in a more intimate setting. Their overall aim is to develop media literacy, broaden insights into other cultures, enhance foreign language aptitude, develop critical thinking skills and inspire a lifelong appreciation of cinema.

I'm about to get heady here. If your eyes are already glossing over -- and even if you're thoroughly interested in educational outreach -- please watch the video above to see what students in Oakland said that they learned from watching JUMP!.

The SFFS educational programs are designed to meet the Visual and Performing Arts Content Standards for California public schools. They provide key media resources for teaching artistic perception, creative expression, aesthetic valuing, historical and cultural dimensions of the arts, and the means for connecting and applying what is learned through film to other curricula and careers.

With their generous assistance, we will be able to make study guides available to educators who buy the film. Coming from such a prestigious institution, this is a valuable resource for us and it will hopefully reinforce the utility of this film.

JUMP! is certainly a lot of fun and about a sport, but it's also packed with good stuff about the core building blocks of learning; it's appropriate for student screenings (and has been shown for dozens of schools to date) and for use in a classroom setting across all disciplines. Without stooping to the saccharine, JUMP! is about kids developing character. Through competitive jump rope, they learn to think outside the box, set and achieve goals, cope with disappointments, and cooperate with as well as to compete against other people. In the face of tremendous devotion and ambition to win, these athletes have formed an international, collaborative community unimaginable in any other competitive arena. These are meaty, important themes.

How cool is it that they picked JUMP! to kick off this year's program? First, they invited several hundred Bay Area teachers to a free screening of the film in March. Then, at the end of April, just under 300 middle-schoolers got to come to the theater to see the film and a live interactive jump rope performance by Jumping for Joy at the San Francisco International Film Festival. And then, with additional sponsorship by Luna Bar, we visited 3 schools, including an after-school YMCA enrichment program.

Kids were thoroughly engaged with the movie, the post-screening Q&A, and the jump rope demonstration. Several chose to stay about an hour after school to learn more. Teachers were excited to see their kids so curious and empowered. The pictures to the left and right show short essays by 6th graders, written before they got copies of the study guide. Click image to enlarge.

All of this outreach was very successful and gratifying. Thanks to everyone who planned and participated! We hope to be a part of the SFFS year-round program beginning in the fall of 2008. Sign up for our mailing list for updates.

PS: Bay Area educators can contact Coach Cindy Joy if they want to learn how to teach jump rope. She and her team want to help new groups get started. Find out more here.

JUMP! gets props in Boston

2008-05-21T14:17:00.000-07:00

We're psyched that JUMP! won the Marketing Award at the Independent Film Festival of Boston! And we were the first runner-up for the Audience Award for Best Documentary.

With the help of jump rope teams all around the country, we've been volunteering to do an extraordinary amount of educational and community outreach at just about every festival we've attended (20+). Thanks to IFFBoston for seeing the value in our approach and for validating our efforts and abilities. As an indie film sans distribution and working a grassroots campaign, this award is especially meaningful to us. Distributors keep telling us that this film is a huge challenge to market, thus they pass. Though there are understandable obstacles, based on the reactions we have received from audiences around the country, we think that there is broad base that would watch JUMP! if given the opportunity. Viewers are wanting fun, energetic, family-friendly movies like ours, which make viewers feel as good. That's my rant.

Moving on. IFFBoston has only been around for a few years, but it already packs a huge wallop, in large measure to their own ingenious marketing efforts and the tireless efforts of program director Adam Roffman (pictured with me at right), who works his tail off on big budget movies most of the year so that he can take 3-4 months off to plan this fest.

There's a lot to love about the main venue for the IFFB, the Somerville Theater. Here's some of what strikes my fancy: they host town meetings, you can buy a beer there and bring it to your seat!, and they have great old signage.

Boston is also filled with smarty pants people, which might explain the Boston Globe's story headlined "Marquee Geek". You can find the full story here. Excerpt:

"Geek culture is the thing that drives popular culture," said Nancy Campbell, an IFFBoston managing director. "Anyone who's ever been a geek knows at some point the mainstream co-opts it." The festival's film-selection committee comes from that culture, she said. "Being a movie lover, you're relegated to the not-norm. You see seven to 10 films a week and you're [not considered normal]."

This not-normalcy gets expressed as geeky folks obsessed with acquiring specialized knowledge or mastering odd pursuits. There's the doc "JUMP!," directed by Helen Hood Scheer, which explores the world of competitive jump roping…. Lives in these movies revolve around infatuations. The trick, say some filmmakers, is not to pass judgment or make fun of their subjects, no matter how seemingly dorky or trivial their pursuits."

I love it. We got another nice press mention in The Boston Metro newspaper -- they called us one of "the fest’s most intriguing prospects." Nice to be selected along with Werner Herzog!

Other highlights of our short but sweet time in Boston:

+ Seeing "At the Death House Door", directed by the great Steve James and Peter Gilbert (of "Hoop Dreams" fame and more). This moving documentary offers an intimate look at the death penalty in the state of Texas through the eyes of Pastor Carroll Pickett, who served 15 years as the death house chaplain in Huntsville -- before being the former director of the jump rope league my doc follows. Stunning coincidence, no? During Pickett's remarkable career, he presided over 95 executions, including the world’s first lethal injection. After each execution, Pickett recorded an audiotape account of his trip to the death chamber. Pickett's wife was a jump rope coach and they describe driving off after their wedding with beaded ropes tied to the bumper. No doubt jump rope brought much needed joy to their lives after witnessing so much hardship. Incredible story.

+ Seeing Art in Bloom at the Museum of Fine Art. About 100 garden clubs all over Massachusetts were invited to make flower arrangements inspired by paintings & sculptures in the Museum and display them by the works of art. Some were abstract and some had very clear depictions. What a fun way to see the collection. The one at the left is inspiring what I want to make for my pal Anya's wedding bouquet.

+ Delicious Seafood

+ Seeing Prince Paul spin at the closing night party. PP's own song "Showdown at the Hoedown" is featured in the film and is on our soundtrack. He's also a major hip hop producer for the likes of De La Soul's "Three Feet High & Rising" album and tons more.

PS: Thanks to teams that came out to do jump rope demos: Forbes Fliers from Torrington, CT and Brewster Bayside Skippers. Rumor has it that some new teams will start up in Boston thanks in large measure to you guys!

Cleveland -> "someone to watch" award

2008-05-20T07:05:00.000-07:00

This entry should have been posted in March, 2008.

A huge, heartfelt thank you THANK YOU to the Cleveland International Film Festival for giving me a "Someone to Watch" award. What an auspicious beginning! I'm honored, proud and humbled to get this recognition. Although I still cannot imagine finishing JUMP! completely or moving on to my next projects, this award definitely renews my desire to continue. Thank you, CIFF, for believing in me.

Now onto a recap of our experience at the fest... which began with them booking 2 extra screenings of JUMP! because advanced tickets were selling so well. This brought us to 5 screenings -- 3 public + 2 Film Slam (a special program for students). We were psyched that there was great word of mouth building already and strong demand for the film -- at this point, we're considering our festival run to be our theatrical release.

Upon arrival, I was greeted with a fleet of nice festival volunteers. All for me?? Not really. Turns out there was a gi-normous blizzard and tons of other filmmakers' flights couldn't get in. The snow was major! I did not go outside for 4 days. The strange part was that I barely noticed. We were having so much fun and staying in one of those mid-western super-malls that is like a contained village -- the hotel, movie theater, jump demo area, restaurant and bars were all there under one roof.

The weather also made it tough for audiences -- though die-hards still came in droves. Tori, her cousin Brooke (who also jumps and is an all-state soccer player), and Tori's mom Rochelle braved the storm, driving in from West Virginia, to do interactive jump rope demonstrations on Saturday. Sunday, they were joined by the Heartbeats of Ohio (based in the greater Cleveland/Akron area), Tori's cute older brother (who's training to be a professional soccer player and also learning jump rope tricks from sis), and loads of her teammates on Jump Company, who chartered a huge tour bus to come in!

Our weekend screenings and interactive jump rope demonstrations before & after each show were such a hit that we were asked to do a 6th screening the following weekend! Yay! I couldn't stick around in Cleveland, but Tori was able come back to do a post-screening Q&A -- which by all accounts she rocked. And then 450+ people gathered to watch our final interactive jump rope demonstration! They were surrounding the jumpers on the mall's ground floor and also crowding each of three floors overhanging above.

LOCALS: if you want to start a new team, join an existing one, or book a jump rope performance, contact the teams linked above and also USA Jump Rope! They will help you. Also -- a couple of people asked us to do special event screenings in Cleveland in the future. Please sign up for our mailing list for updates.

Another cool thing: for our final school screening, Emily and Coach Mod came to see the film and perform with their new jump rope group. It was great to catch up. They all loved the movie and kept saying how accurate it was. As some of you probably remember from the film, Em and Mod were key peeps on the River Valley Skippers, same team as Tori. Before the world competition showed in the film, they decided to dissolve RVS and focus on performing and teaching jump rope instead of competing. Tori then spearheaded the formation of a new team, Jump Company. (Side note: editor Scott and I lovingly and jokingly describe Tori as the CEO of Jump Rope, so we think this team name is perfect!) Mod & Emily's group is called High 5; they're interested in spreading the sport all over the mid-Ohio Valley region (and the world, of course!).

Other Highlights:
+ Nice, nice, nice staff and volunteers
+ Overhearing people say JUMP! was hot.
+ Reconnecting with a former boss and mentor, Morgan Neville, who's film "Cool School" was also playing at CIFF.
+ Seeing a diverse other docs, especially "Up the Yangzte" and "Spine Tingler"

Crowd gathers for our first demo...and grew to 450+ people
by our last demo • Tori & Brooke get 'em goin' • JUMP! director/producer
Helen with Emily (former World Champion jumper and film subject) & Coach Mod

Texas homecoming @ AFI DALLAS Int'l Film Fest

2008-05-19T16:42:00.000-07:00

This entry is long overdue, especially considering that screening at the AFI Dallas International Film Festival was such an important homecoming for us. USA Jump Rope (the league that the film follows) is based in Huntsville, RazzMaTazz (one of the key teams followed in the film) hails from Houston, and Texas is home to more jump rope teams than any other region in the world. All of this combined to give us a real Texas style premiere...meaning hospitable and BIG!

PUMA made it all the more special by sponsoring us. They outfitted almost 20 jumpers in super slick track suits and hosted a jump rope show at the Puma Store in North Park Center. Here is a link to a cool video VIMBY produced at the event...16,000 people watched it the first week they posted it on myspace.

Our first screening kicked off Family Day. They played JUMP! outside on two gigantic screens simultaneously (awesome!) in a fair-like atmosphere with face-painting, games, clowns, etc. The extravaganza took place at Victory Plaza, where the city's biggest sporting and entertainment events take place. A festival producer said that our screening was the second most well-attended ever in this spot...behind "Raiders of the Lost Ark". Someday, maybe a jump rope competition will fill the stadium??

After the screening, jumpers from five different teams in Texas -- RazzMatazz, High Velocity, ZZ Skipers, Jumpin' Jammers and Palpitations -- put on a big, high-energy show followed by a workshop to teach locals -- both were projected live on the big screens around the plaza. Thanks to all who participated & helped organize. Turns out that this was the first time that Nick's grandma ever saw him jump in person!

Other festival highlights: seeing MC Frontalot perform, watching the wickedly funny doc Nerdcore Rising (request a screening in your area on their website!), a raucous post-screening Q&A for "Battle in Seattle," and seeing the truly spectacular The Polyphonic Spree. Holy cow. I wish I could hold on to -- and share -- that exuberant radiance.

polyphonic spree @ house of blues,
afi dallas international film festival closing night party

Update about Tori

2008-05-01T09:23:00.000-07:00

At the risk of embarrassing Tori, I want to share with you a little update about her....

Last weekend -- after trekking to some of our screenings at the RiverRun International Film Festival in North Carolina -- Tori returned to her home in West Virgina to compete in the state math competition. As a 9th grader participating in the senior high tournament, Tori placed 15th statewide.

Altho she said she was a little disappointed not to have placed higher, we are utterly impressed! Tori is remarkable all around -- from great grades in school to shooting marbles, from creating practical jokes, spoofs and super-creative Halloween costumes to teaching younger jumpers on her team.

award win @ RiverRun

2008-04-28T08:25:00.001-07:00

JUMP! won the Audience Award at the RiverRun International Film Festival!

Click here to see a list of the other winning films.

Nick flips with turners Tyler & Brittany of Impact Tri-Force of Cary, North Carolina.
Photo courtesy of Julie and Lauren Warzecho of the Cary YMCA Super Skippers

RiverRun International Film Festival in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

2008-04-26T23:59:00.000-07:00

I've now seen JUMP! a gazillion times and much as I love my doc, understandably, it has become harder to sit through it time and time again. That said, today's screening was a fun, profound and entirely new experience for me.

I sat at the back of the room, watching a sign language interpreter sign and spell out the film. Seeing the film be so accessible -- and knowing that all kinds of people are enjoying it -- was so moving to me that I starting crying happy tears (not sure that i have ever done that!). This unassuming screening -- for about 250ish people in something akin to a multipurpose room -- must be one of my favorite and proudist film festival experiences to date. I also loved that there were a dozen or so kids sitting up front on the floor. The whole thing seemed very intimate and interactive.

Speaking of interactive -- our educational and community outreach efforts continued in Winston-Salem thanks to the RiverRun International Film Fest, who invited Nick and Tori to attend, and two jump rope teams from Cary, NC: Impact Tri-Force and the YMCA SuperSkippers. Special shout out to The Jump Company of Parkersburg, WV.

We did 5 little live jump rope shows, 3 public screenings, and 1 student screening for approx 200 kids in elementary, middle and high school. During the Q&A, a very cool, handsome and popular high school boy asked Nick what it felt like to be teased for being a boy jumper -- very empathetic and thoughtful. It was sweet to see all the grade levels together, cheering each other on during our jump demo after the show.

There might be something special in the water in W-S. Everywhere we went, people were really, really nice -- from the standing ovations to the free pie to the Triad Harmony Express barbershop quartet, who sang a ditty about jump rope to introduce our live radio interview on Majic 94.1 fm (see video clip!). Since I mentioned food: Ollie's Bakery is the bomb; they make some mean morning treats with cinnamon.

Fun to connect with Britta Erickson (who brought JUMP! to the Starz Denver International Film Fest) and Matt Dentler, both of whom introduced me to Wii. Holy mackerel. I'm hooked.

To start or join a jump rope team -- or to request a performance -- contact USA Jump Rope. I hear that there might be a new team in Winston-Salem; I will post info ASAP if this is indeed the case!

Triad Harmony Express barbershop quartet sings about jump rope
to introduce a live radio interview about JUMP! on Majic 94.1 fm

student screening; interactive demo; britta rocks the wii; jumper Tyler Perez from Impact Tri-Force, Nick, JUMP! filmmakers Scott & Helen; audience ovation

Nashville

2008-04-21T06:09:00.000-07:00

The Cincinnati Ropin' Rockets have finally seen JUMP! Great to hear so much laughter in the theater! And what a trip to see how much the team has grown. Stewart -- who appears just a little bit in the film but will be seen more in the "extras" -- is now taller than me. The skill level of the young jumpers on the Ropin' Rockets is incredible and a testament to Coach Emerson's dedication. We wish their coed team great success at the upcoming world championship in South Africa.

Two local teams -- the Jumpin' Jaguars from Bowling Green, Kentucky and the Hot Shots from Franklin, Tennessee -- also came out to do live jump rope performances.

Festival highlights: seeing Al Gore, brunch at the Pancake Pantry (yum to their sweet potato pancakes) and a Passover breakfast at Nashville's Noshville Deli with Tom Miller, director of the award-winning doc One Bad Cat: The Reverend Albert Wagner Story.

Top left to bottom right: Stewart, Katherine & Alyssa of the Cincinnati Ropin' Rockets perform at the Regal Cinemas in Nashville; Filmmakers Tom Miller & Scott B. Morgan; Jumpin' Jaguars meet Al Gore; Gigantic sculpture of Athena, Godess of Wisdom, at Nashville's full-scale replica of the ancient Parthenon; great signage continues.

Short Ends Magazine --> In Conversation

2008-04-17T12:54:00.000-07:00

In conjunction with our screenings the Atlanta International Film Festival, Short Ends Magazine posted this feature story about the process of making JUMP!

International Premiere in Toronto

2008-04-17T08:07:00.000-07:00

Top left to bottom: cool Sprockets projector-head robot banner •
kids lining up to enter JUMP! screening • organized seating charts
remind me of Tori's jump rope graph • volunteer keeps track of how
many kids enter the theater by using the same clicker that jump rope
judges use for speed events! (our count was 238 for our 2nd screening) •
Marquee showing the other films playing at our theater...a
peculiar pairing with our family-friendly & healthy JUMP! (look close).

JUMP! just had its international premiere at the Sprockets Toronto International Film Festival for Children. I'm not joking when I say that it took a village to get me there -- my dad hopping a 10 foot fence to retrieve my passport, cooperation between 4 airlines, and the perseverance of TIFF's travel guru Tony. And it was all sooo worth it.

I'm very impressed with what they've got going on -- their program focuses on issues relevant to today's youth, including loss of a parent; bullying; poverty; homophobia; immigration issues; teen sexuality; plus fun films like mine and much, much more. They've got almost 100 comedies, dramas, documentaries and animation geared toward grades 1 - 12, from 26 countries in 15 different languages. Plus, they attract filmmakers from around the world, giving the kids a truly unique cross-cultural experience and providing us filmmakers with nice new connections as well. I'm honored that JUMP! was selected to be one of the 7 films representing the USA.

Each of our three screenings -- one for the general public and two school kids -- sold out fast! The audiences were among the best we've had anywhere...very engaged and enthusiastic. Q&As were great -- with most of the questions going to jumpers from nearby Ontario teams. I wish we had more time to talk with the students.

After each of our screenings, kids were using imaginary jump ropes in the parking lot and lobby; one group created a virtual double dutch routine before colliding with a wall.

Thanks to Jumpsations, Lincoln Leapers, and Brampton Arco Skippers for coming out to support the film and giving the audiences a live show. The audiences loved the jumpers and it was a special treat to share JUMP! with these teams because their coaches and parents were especially helpful when we filmed the World Rope Skipping Championship in Toronto.

If anyone wants more info on local teams, please check out the Ontario Rope Skipping Organization by clicking here.

Other major highlights include having a special lunch with TIFF families, hanging with Sprockets Co-Director of Learning Mr. Allen Braude, talking with maybe-relative Emily Scheer, meeting other Sprockets filmmakers, learning about the international circuit of childrens' festivals, and visiting Niagra Falls.

Great reviews in Toronto!

2008-04-12T14:42:00.000-07:00

Known locally as a tough critic, Norman Wilner reviews JUMP! in Now, the Toronto weekly news/arts magazine. In his story, aptly titled "Worth jumping over: Kid-friendly Sprockets selections put Hollywood flicks to shame", he writes:

An exhilarating documentary about competitive jump rope, [JUMP!] feels like a Hot Docs entry that somehow got shipped to the wrong address. But I’d gamble the Sprockets audience will be more appreciative of the stunning physical feats performed by the American jump-rope teams Scheer follows through gruelling regional and national heats all the way to the 2006 world championships in Toronto. And, yes, I teared up at the end. I dare you not to.

To see the full article, click here.

The Toronto Star names JUMP! as one of the top films to catch. Read here.

Soaking it up at the Sarasota Film Fest

2008-04-11T11:38:00.000-07:00

Top Left to bottom right: Brentwood Elementary kids are eager to jump after
watching Summerwind Skippers perform • Summerwind on cover of Herald-Trib •
Lee hamming before ABC news interview • Magician Elia tries juggling in the ropes •
Fun in the sun • Sarasota has the best signage ("Let's Go Clubbing" & "Seeking
Someone to Share Gummy Bears") • Musicians at farmer's market •
Helen at awesome bookstore

The Sarasota Film Fest rocks! Not only did they have a nice line-up of films, but the location-- by a gorgeous Gulf Coast beach--and festive parties are tough to beat. Plus, my pal and documentary consultant Sarah Jo Marks of At Risk Films and Kelsy, Calli, Shane & Lee of the Summerwind Skippers were able to come, which made for a completely awesome trip.

SFF matched us with a ACI, a local company that generously sponsored the Summerwind Skippers to attend the festival. With Summerwind on board, the festival's educational outreach department worked with the Sarasota School Board Supervisor of Physical Education to plan a couple fun programs. First, we visited Brentwood Elementary School; 300 kids in kindergarden, 4th and 5th grade attended a 1.5 hour assembly in which they got to see clips from the film, a live jump rope show and participate in a an interactive demo. They begged for a jump rope team to start up at their school.
The following morning we were surprised and stoked to see a great front-page picture in the Herald Tribune of the Summerwind Skippers mid-flip in the Brentwood show. See photo above and check out additional photos in the newspaper's image gallery here.

Next up was an assembly for 200+ 8th graders at Booker Middle school, the city's most diverse campus. Booker was also a lot of fun -- enthusiastic kids with great questions about both the sport and the filmmaking process. And of course, they were also psyched to jump.

Other highlights: hearing that Summerwind was picked up from the airport in a limo, seeing Sarah Jo on a panel about distribution, sunset swim, Miami Rice Pudding ("have a rice day!"), the doc Great Speeches from a Dying World, the magicians (more soon), the farmers market and dancing our hearts out at the closing night party.

great press in Sarasota

2008-04-11T08:30:00.000-07:00

+ News story on SNN (this played on the local news approx 4 times) -- while taping, we ran into 3 bus loads of kids on a field trip and did an impromptu performance too.
+ Feature story in Herald-Tribune
+ hopefully, soon i will post appearances on ABC and other spots.

JUMP! start for Toronto's Sprockets

2008-03-11T21:24:00.000-07:00

The Hollywood Reporter announces: "The Sprockets Toronto International Film Festival for children will unspool U.S. director Helen Hood Scheer's "JUMP!" as part of its 11th edition, complete with a live demonstration by competitive jump ropers, organizers said Tuesday."

(See full article here). We're now planning special jump rope events with the Canadian Rope Skipping Federation.... details to follow.

3/12/2008 addendum: Click here to see JUMP! mentioned as one of the festival highlights in the Toronto Sun newspaper. They also note: "The fare includes 26 features and 42 shorts from 26 countries. A total of 15 languages are spoken on screen, ranging from English to Farsi, Finnish and Swahili."

Review in "Cleveland Plain Dealer" newspaper

2008-03-08T07:54:00.000-08:00

Headline: Athletes in Cleveland International Film Festival's 'JUMP!' leap with dedication
Clint O'Connor, Plain Dealer Film Critic

"JUMP!" is a fun, fast-paced documentary that proves jump-ropers are amazing, dedicated athletes.

Director Helen Hood Scheer follows several jump teams, including two from Cincinnati, as they compete in the regional, national and world championships.

A rope is about as low-tech as you can get in terms of sports supplies, so the evolution of the competitions depends on the creativity of the twisting-twirling jumpers, hindered only by the limits of their hand-eye and feet capabilities. [story continues]

(See full article here. The print version includes a photo of the Summerwind Skippers.)

artistic director of the Cleveland Int'l Film Festival discusses JUMP! on PBS/WVIZ

2008-03-04T17:18:00.000-08:00

JUMP! is 1 of 4 film that Bill Guentzler (aka "our international man of movies") -- artistic director of the Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF) -- selected to discuss in the upcoming episode of Applause, an Emmy award-winning PBS TV show that celebrates artists and cultural groups around Cleveland and Northeast Ohio.

The show will air on Thursday, March 6, at 7:30 PM -- with rebroadcasts Saturday 3/8 at 6:30 PM and Sunday 3/9 at 12:30 PM on WVIZ/PBS.

FYI: tickets for JUMP! screenings at CIFF are selling fast! 2 new showings have been added -- now, the film will be on 2 screens on Sunday morning (instead of 1) plus a new slot on Tues afternoon.

Audience Award runner-up in Sedona

2008-03-03T22:53:00.000-08:00

Top Left to bottom: Sedona Int'l Film banner • red rocks, showing a fault line and the movement of the earth • Pheonix's Saguaro Skippers and Tucson Twist-Its • JUMP! & Jumper are neighbors at this theater

The Sedona International Film Festival was great fun... several super nice filmmakers and programmers, good movies, free food and a gorgeous landscape with beautiful trails thru red rocks that look like dripping sandcastles. JUMP! was a RUNNER-UP for the AUDIENCE AWARD -- missing it by less than 2 tenths of a point!

Two films tied for this award -- Water Flowing Together by my new pal Gwendolen Cates and Standing Silent Nation by Suree Towfighnia and Courtney Hermann -- both of which will be broadcast on PBS later this year. One of my favorite documentaries of the festival was both tragic and uplifting A Walk to Beautiful.

Both of our screenings sold-out fast. I love that we were screening nextdoor to the new Samuel Jackson big budget thriller "Jumper" -- see photo above. Big thanks to the Phoenix Saguaro Skippers -- a 1-year old team with incredible talent -- and the Tucson Twist-Its for performing at our second screening!

Leap Year Blow Out in Louisville

2008-02-29T14:31:00.000-08:00

After seeing JUMP! at the Los Angeles Film Festival last summer, a restaurateur and raconteur named Lynn Winter approached me and Jeff saying that she was determined to bring us to Louisville, Kentucky.

A few months later, she phoned me and asked "What do you think of when you think about leap year?" Excitedly, she continued: "Leaping! Jumping! I'm going to create a Leap Year Blow Out!" And she has done just that.

Today, Leap Year 2008, Jeff, Nick and Tori -- all jumpers featured in the film -- plus Kaylee and Andrew of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, are calling themselves EXTREME HEIGHTS as they introduce competitive jump rope to over a thousand kids in assemblies at several schools.

And, thanks to Lynn, tomorrow JUMP! is screening to a sold-out audience of 650 people at the Kentucky Center for the Arts' Bomhard Theater. Following the film, EXTREME HEIGHTS will perform with The Louisville Leopard Percussionists, a dynamic group of musicians (ages 7-12) that are as innovative and inspiring as the jumpers. The band and their awesome teacher, Diane Downs, were recently featured in their own sweet documentary titled "The Music in Me" (HBO Family).

This show is bound to be truly spectacular. I've always loved the musicality of jumping -- the sounds of the whooshing ropes and feet hitting the floor. It is going to be great to witness the athletes and musicians riffing off one another and taking each other to, cliché as it sounds, new heights.

You can read about the Leap Year Blow Out and here. Again, thanks to Lynn & Patty at Lynn's Paradise Cafe and to Jeff for putting this together.

updated 3/2/2008: here is another article with two videos about the Leap Year Blow Out.

updated 3/3/2008: rumor has it that a girl fainted when Nick ripped off his pants to jump at a school assembly! (yes, he did have shorts underneath.)

JUMP! trailer finally on the web

2008-02-27T16:19:00.001-08:00

We've finally entered the youtube generation. See the trailer here.

I'm so curious how this viral campaign will work. Please forward the trailer link to your friends We want JUMP! to reach a wider audience and we need your help!

I'd love to make this website a source for posting other amazing jump rope videos -- like this one of the Summerwind Skippers. If you have have any suggestions about good ways to have people submit other clips, please comment here on this posting.

I'm new to this and would love your suggestions. Hit the "comment" link below.

Nashville calls JUMP! an "absolute crowd pleaser"

2008-02-27T16:01:00.000-08:00

SCENE, the main Nashville weekly, offers a sneak peak of what's in store at the upcoming Nashville Film Festival. "As usual in recent years, documentaries may prove the festival’s strongest segment," they write. Programmer Brian Gordon is quoted describing JUMP! and Gustavo Vazquez’s Mexican-wrestling doc QUE VIVA LA LUCHA as “absolute crowd-pleasers.”

They've got a great line up! I'm particularly excited to seeing "At the Death House Door," a doc about capital-punishment by Peter Gilbert and Steve James (the duo that made "Hoop Dreams"), the Sundance award-winning doc "American Teen" by Nanette Burstein and "Join Us," by "DiG!" director Ondi Timoner, who was so nice to us at our world premiere at the Los Angeles Film Fest (where she was also debuting her new doc). You can see the full Nashville Weekly SCENE article here.

JUMP! on Good Morning Arizona

2008-02-25T20:55:00.000-08:00

Ever wonder what became of former national jump rope champions? Laura (Mercer) Filoso -- single rope pairs freestyle champ, 1999 -- teaches band in Phoenix and has recently started coaching a new team called the "Saguaro Skippers".

Earlier today, in conjunction with our screenings at the upcoming Sedona International Film Festival, Laura and her team were joined by jumper/coaches Lauren Klipp and Hseth Burch of the "Tucson Twist-Its" as featured guests in 6 segments -- yes 6! -- with Brad Perry on "Good Morning Arizona", the #1 rated morning show in the state! Twenty minutes of live news coverage! View a clip from their appearance here. (Thanks to Laura's husband for uploading this!)

Also, I just learned that JUMP! has been selected as one of the HOT PICKS of the Sedona Film Festival by the local weekly.

All-Star Jump Rope Workshop in Santa Monica

2008-02-18T20:52:00.001-08:00

Left to right: Jeff (from Houston, Texas), Lee (Boise, Idaho), Mike (Akron, Ohio) and Nick (Houston). Photo courtesy John Fletcher/USAJR.

This past weekend, 15 of the best jumpers from around the country descended on Los Angeles for California's first-ever USA Jump Rope All-Star Workshop. On Friday, they did 4 performances at Santa Monica public schools and a Boys and Girls Club; on Saturday, they taught about 100 kids how to improve their skills; and on Sunday, JUMP! screened at the Monica Laemmle movie theater to an audience of 150+ people. Before and after the screening, the jumpers performed outside of the theater and got loads of bystanders to participate...until the police asked us to stop.

One of the first questions in the post-screening Q&A was for Lee: "Do you have a girl friend yet?" His answer: "Nope." But he did recently graduate first in his class with a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Boise State University. He's hoping to put his brain and his brawn to good use as an jumper for Cirque du Soliel. We're rooting for him.

Marian & John from USAJR and Nikki Jackson, founder of the new Santa Monica-based Jump Squad and co-host of the All-Star weekend, deserve big props for making this event happen. After seeing JUMP! last summer at the Los Angeles Film Festival, Nikki -- whom I had never met before that screening -- said that jump rope had changed her life; she had recently lost 130 lbs thru jumping and was committed to helping to fight childhood obesity. She decided to quit her day job and start an after-school jump rope enrichment program. Her plan worked and quickly expanded to several local schools. No doubt Nikki will help get a few great new teams going strong in So Cal.

Of the weekend, Nikki said: "The results of our collaboration have proven to be very successful it has had an amazing impact on my immediate community. The sport of jump rope gives its participants a great sense of confidence, discipline, fun, physical fitness, leadership, inspiration and determination. Personally, I'm rejuvenated and and inspired in a tremendous way. Witnessing the transformational effects of our efforts on the faces and in the hearts of the children and adults we impacted this weekend is truly rewarding and provides the necessary fuel to move full speed ahead." Go get 'em Nikki!

SPORTS ILLUSTRATED story about Shane!

2008-02-13T17:31:00.000-08:00

Check out this great article in Sports Illustrated on Campus about Shane -- one of the guys featured in JUMP! There is just way too many cool tidbits to summarize.

JUMP! soundtrack now available

2008-01-02T17:33:00.000-08:00

We are excited to announce that the JUMP! soundtrack is now available as a secure digital download from our website. It includes original music by award-winning composer Mateo Messina (who also did the music for the hit film JUNO) plus 13 of the film's upbeat and eclectic songs selected by renown DJ and arbiter of cool, Garth Trinidad. In total, 15 awesome songs.

Groove, chill, be inspired...and help us pay off our deep debt from making this movie. We could certainly use your help!

You can buy the soundtrack for $10 here. Half of the money will assist us in paying off our mounting credit card bills from this indie doc and half goes directly to the artists. Treat yourself and support our efforts!

This soundtrack sale is a fundraiser and will help us to share the film with more people. Please don't rip & burn multiple copies. Encourage others to buy a copy and support independent artists!

If you want to make an additional tax deductable donation or if you have any questions about the soundtrack, please e-mail info@jumpmovie.com.

Alaska Film Fest

2007-12-17T20:28:00.000-08:00

The Anchorage International Film Festival -- held annually in mid-December -- bills itself as "Films Worth Freezing For" but man, what a warm audience of belly-laughers. And, after the Q&A, when we asked if any kids wanted to come on stage to jump, about 30 kids were up there within 5 seconds.

The Juneau Jumpers journeyed to meet up with us -- they performed after the screening and also hosted an awesome free, public jump rope workshop the following day. It looked like they got some kids hooked on starting new teams--we see fantastic potential. They were also interviewed for a feature story on Alaska Public Radio (link soon) -- hopefully Isabella got props for her Guinness World Record of 151,036 jumps in 24 hrs!

All in all, an amazing trip -- euphoriant landscapes, fantastic food, adventure, great people, games. Can't wait to return...hopefully to make another documentary.

Lt top to Rt bottom: Glaciers • LA->AL posse • Juneau Jumpers workshop • Juneau Jumpers interviewed for Alaska Public Radio • tragic News headline • JUMP! Co-filmmaker/editor Scott with Miss Teen Alaska Courtney Carroll • Reindeer

anchorage news

2007-12-08T22:46:00.000-08:00

JUMP! was the pick of the day today in the Anchorage Daily News. "Don't Miss It!" Click below to see a feature article about documentaries, including JUMP!, from last week's ADN.

JUMP! wins Audience Award

2007-12-04T00:04:00.000-08:00

We are soo happy to have won the Santa Fe Film Festival Audience Choice Award! This is our first award -- we're grateful and proud...this validation means a lot to us and we hope it will help us to share the film with more people. Tremendous thanks to the film-goers for giving us this honor and to the programmers for including us in the line-up!

Both of our screenings sold-out and two new American Heart Association jump rope clubs from Albuquerque did pre-show performances -- the Red Hot Peppers from Manzano Day School and New Mexico Synergy, which includes jumpers from 5 area schools. Soon, Nick, one of the stars of JUMP! from the Texas team Razz Ma Tazz, will be making a trek to NM to help these jumpers improve their skills and no doubt sign some autographs...he's got some serious fans. Neither team has been to a major competition before but now they are all fired up!

Most likely, we'll do a limited theatrical run in Sta Fe sometime in early 2008. If anyone is interested, please sign up for our mailing list here to receive updates.

Factoid: Santa Fe is the oldest capital city in the USA.

drive from Chimayo to Santa Fe • jumpers from New Mexico Synergy bounce on a pogo stick while jumping rope • Marina Goldavskaya, honored with a lifetime achievement award • Santa Fe Film Fest exec dir Jon Bowman & JUMP! prod/dir Helen

thanks to Linda Lyn Carfagno for the fab picture of Marina

JUMP! on front page of Santa Fe New Mexican Newspaper

2007-11-28T23:46:00.000-08:00

Our first -- and maybe only -- time as front page news!

Line one: "You don't have to bring a jump-rope to the Santa Fe Film Festival's screening of the documentary JUMP!, but be prepared to sweat."
To read full text, click here.

stellar Starz Denver International Film Fest

2007-11-20T13:12:00.000-08:00

The Starz Denver International Film Festival has a gigantic generous spirit. One of the first big events of the festival was an attempt to set a Guinness World Record for Largest Toy Drive by collecting over 12,000 pounds of toys (in partnership with Toys for Tots and Walden Media for the World Premiere of MR. MAGORIUM’S WONDER EMPORIUM, a Dustin Hoffman and Natalie Portman movie about a magic toy store where everything in it comes alive). Kids and families walked the red carpet before the film while paparazzi snapped away. The Jumping Eagles and Skip-Its did an interactive jump rope demo to entertain the 2,000+ people who attended.

JUMP! screened 3 times and the audiences were ENTHUSIASTIC! When our animated opening title sequence (which gives a quirky history of jump rope) showed that USA Jump Rope (the league that JUMP! follows) has its origins in Colorado, you could hear the cheers of a full-house crowd from the popcorn line in the theater lobby!!

Before and after each screening, the Jumping Eagles and Skip-Its took turns coming out to perform and teach locals to jump. People loved them and the festival & theater staff were psyched at the atmosphere the jumpers created. Lee & Shane from the Summerwind Skippers happened to be in town helping the Jumping Eagles improve their skills -- that was an extra bonus. Thanks again to American Family Insurance & the Iske Family for donating ropes for us to give away.

Skip-its teach locals to jump while the audience lines up for JUMP! in the background • Jumping Eagles teach girl to jump a single rope while jumping double Dutch • JUMP! dir/prod Helen poses with film subjects Lee & Shane under marquee

My favorite doc of the festival was Off the Grid: Life on the Mesa, a character-driven story about a loose-knit community of radicals that live in the desert, a million miles away from mainstream society, and struggle to survive with little food, less water and no electricity, as they cling to their unique vision of the American dream. This doc has been called one of the 10 best films of 2007 without distribution -- and I have to agree. I'd love to meet these filmmakers and commiserate.

In addition to a great slate of films and lots of parties, the film festival arranged fun excursions and introduced me to the wonders of a mechanical bull. What more could you want of a festival? The Starz Denver International Film Festival is definitely on my A list.

Fossilized dinosaur footprints en route to the continental divide • Noel, a former psychiatrist who volunteered as a festival driver, doesn't know his own strength; he pulled the gear-shift console right off the loaner car in mid-ride • The bull

"A Jump Rope Frenzy Grips Middle School" writes THE EAST HAMPTON STAR newspaper

2007-11-01T12:42:00.000-07:00

"Two unlikely heartthrobs wowed an audience of fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth graders at East Hampton Middle School on Friday: the stars of Helen Hood Scheer’s documentary, “JUMP!” making a surprise appearance after the eighth grade returned from a screening of the film at the Hamptons International Film Festival."

Read the text of the entire article here.

Aloha wau iâ `oe Hawai'i Film Festival

2007-10-31T13:57:00.000-07:00

We had a fantastic time at the 27th Louis Vuitton Hawaii International Film Festival and are soo grateful to the Bank of Hawaii for sponsoring JUMP! We met a bunch of cool people, connected with tons of students at a screening of the film for local high schools, did 5 jump rope workshops and performances, received half a dozen beautiful fragrant flower leis each, and even managed to have some Hawaiian r&r. Thanks to the rad staff, we also got to see a great new Korean movie in a spectacular old movie house, where a hundred girls surrounded the handsome visiting star while snapping photos on their cell phones. Beautiful Son, a truly moving doc about a family's struggle with autism, won the audience award.

Here are a few of the highlights:

honolulu sunset • fun crashing an Imperial Court party

Hawaii State Senator Will Espero with JUMP! director/producer Helen Hood Scheer & members of the Summerwind Skippers (Calli, Lee, Shane & Kelsy) • Hawaii Theater

Approx 300 kids attend student screening...JUMP! & Summerwind earn fans

Delicious. And the best ramen place in Hawaii accepts Japanese yen or US$.

Thanks to Don Chan for most of these pix.

JUMP! on Hawaii tv news

2007-10-27T11:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, there were five different (!) television segments on KHON Honolulu Fox TV about JUMP! See one featuring Summerwind Skippers double dutch pairs here. (it may take a few minutes to load.) Thanks Monolo!

At least 4 news crews are among the crowd gathered to watch Summerwind perform at
Bank of Hawaii courtyard in downtown Honolulu. You can see them in the background, while Kelsy gets locals jumpin'.

Lee uses his noggin'.

Thanks to the tireless Don Chan for these images.

Hawaii newspaper streams video of us

2007-10-26T11:59:00.000-07:00

The Honolulu Advertiser is streaming video of us here. The most impressive part of the lady jumping in those high heeled sneakers is not her fashion sense, it's her age: 81 years old!

Want to Start a Jump Rope Team?

2007-10-25T18:39:00.000-07:00

We just finished a jump rope performance in Honolulu. Several people said that they want to be on a team here...and a former jumper from the Hot Dogs (who now lives on the island) said she's interested in coaching! If you want to join an existing team or start a new one, contact www.usajumprope.org.

Come see JUMP! at the Hawaii International Film Festival on Saturday, October 27th at 12:30. Buy tickets to movie screenings here or here. Whether or not you see the movie, you can come to our free, public jump rope workshop after the screening, from 2:30 - 4:30 in the Dole Ballroom (2nd floor, above Regency Theater at 735 Iwilei Road). Watch and/or Learn from Kelsy, Lee, Calli & Shane of the Summerwind Skippers. Mucho mahalo to Bank of Hawaii for sponsoring us and for giving away over 1000 ropes.

Hamptons International Film Festival ROCKS

2007-10-23T01:02:00.000-07:00

We had THE BEST TIME at the Hamptons International Film Fest, thanks to our new fairy godmother (also known as Linda Fuller), the Greater East Hampton Educational Foundation and the Middle School. We're gaining fans of all ages -- based on their reactions, we know there is a strong market for this film. What do we want? Distribution. When do we want it? Now. More soon, but for now, some pictures.

An enthusiastic ovation for JUMP!

JUMP! film subjects Jeff, Nick & Tori on red carpet with Hamptons International Film Fest programmer David Nugent • middle school students race to hug Jeff & Nick after screening & special assembly • Tori & Nick demo for about 200 people at public workshop

Loads of kids waiting for Nick's autograph • Nick, Alec Baldwin & Jeff • Tori w/our poster and distribution dreams

Jeff asks for a volunteer • After seeing the documentary, over 200 kids signed up to start a jump rope team

Post-heart surgery, Linda's got the best ticker in town.

THANK YOU to us from Chicago Int'l Film Festival's Educational Outreach Program

2007-10-16T15:13:00.000-07:00

Dear Helen,

Thank you so much for allowing the educational outreach program at the Chicago International Film Festival to screen your documentary film JUMP! We were able to screen this film to 200 inner-city Chicago public school students who absolutely adored this film! .... Teachers and students who participated in the screening commented on how this screening was one of the most exciting field trip experiences they had in a long time! They also commented on the jumpers commitment to community and the sport of jump rope; they were inspired to get physically fit....

TO READ THE FULL TEXT of this letter, select the "comments" link below.

New Orleans

2007-10-16T05:38:00.000-07:00

New Orleans Film Festival

2007-10-14T05:16:00.000-07:00

Thank you to American Family Insurance (esp Jeanne I.) for donating ropes and to Nick & Jeff from Razz Ma Tazz and Louisiana jump rope teams Slidell Skippers & Heart'n'Soul for coming to New Orleans to spread the love.

We Heart Chicago

2007-10-13T01:48:00.000-07:00

Chicago must be one of the friendliest cities and there's soo much to do! We wish we could have had more time to explore the different neighborhoods, eat eat eat and see other films in the festival -- especially America the Beautiful and Iska's Journey.

Cincinnati's West End YMCA Rope Twisters (featured in the doc) and the Heartbeat s from the Cleveland area, trekked to Chi for our weekend screenings and a free interactive jump rope demo in the fabulous Millennium Park. It was awesome to see how much West End's freestyle improved and also to see these two teams work together to teach others to jump. It's still a little scary and totally exciting for me to watch the film with jumpers who haven't seen it before. They all went crazy with enthusiasm when they saw themselves on the big screen. Whew.

Another festival highlight was an impromptu party at Roger Ebert's home, where he & his wife got many of the guests to sing standards with a piano player.

West End YMCA Rope Twisters + Heartbeats

Chicago Int'l Film Fest programmer Philip Bajorat shows his stuff • Robby & Jaz teach munchin

Teacher says LA Film Fest's educational screening of JUMP! was "one of the best field trip experiences"

2007-10-09T22:54:00.000-07:00

In July, 2007, she writes:

Thank you so much for inviting us to the screening of JUMP! It was one of the best field trip experiences I've ever had. Before the trip my history students were asking me if the film was good, would it be another documentary (I show them only documentaries in class and they're understandably dubious), would it be fun, etc., etc....... typical teen grousing......... I told them that they needed to stop whining and to approach it with an open mind!

When the film started I was unsure how they would relate to kids who were, at least superficially, unlike themselves. In my 30 years of experience with inner-city kids, their cultural scope can be so limiting that they often can only appreciate that which they already know.

Kudos to the film makers for showing how these athletes were really just typical kids with hopes and dreams and frustrations. The whole audience really connected. And, what really gains respect for teens is the raw talent, which all of the competitors had. This seemed to cross all barriers.

We did not expect anything beyond the screening and the lunch but the rest of the event was brilliant: the demo, the audience participation, photo ops and, of course, the jump ropes. All of these really made the day magical. Even my cynical seniors were gushing accolades afterwards. What a great way to end the school year! All of my students had a magnificent experience and have vowed to start a jumping league in Mexico!

Again, thank you so much for including us. Congrats to you and your staff on a job well done!

Sincerely,

Serena Bell Refoua
Belmont High School
American History, Humanities and Film Studies

losing a limb

2007-10-01T02:39:00.000-07:00

We've cut out about 15 minutes of the documentary since premiering at the Los Angeles Film Festival. The good news is that the movie plays better...it's tighter, the pace is improved and there is more overall depth, all of which should help us to get distribution. The bad news is that we had to trim down a lot of a team that we truly love...JUMPING FOR JOY. I spent so much time with them during the filming and in the edit bay; I grew very attached to Coach Joy, Veyom, Jessica, Christine, Sarah & Katie as people and as characters in the doc. They had some comical and good tearful scenes, represented aspects of the sport & sportsmanship in important ways, and even had a great theme song (thanks composer Matt!). Every filmmaker hates this moment. And it has happened a few times on this project -- I filmed with far more people than we had time to include in the film. Stewart from the Ropin' Rockets -- who I think is a little prodigy -- was another casualty of the editing process. When we get distribution, there are going to be GREAT dvd extras with these "missing" scenes.

JUMP! world premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival

2007-07-10T00:57:00.000-07:00

This past June, while most of the jump rope community was at the 2007 National Competition, JUMP! had its world premiere at the LA Film Festival. Nick & Jeff from the Houston-based team Razz Ma Tazz and Shaun Hamilton came to LA to help launch the movie, jump around town and celebrate.

We were all psyched when the film played to a sold-out crowd and got a standing ovation!

After Nationals, a bunch of other jumpers that the film follows to Worlds came out: Tori (from Jump Company USA, formerly River Valley Skippers), Kelsy, Calli, Lee & Shane (Summerwind Skippers from Boise, Idaho), and Jessica, Christine, Sarah & Katie (Jumping for Joy in Sta Clara, California).

JUMP! screened a total of 4 times in big ole movie theaters – one of these was an educational screening for which the festival bused in 600+ local students. The Q&A was hysterical…girls were asking for Nick’s phone number! The jumpers did performances and workshops everyday for almost a week. People loved it…. Kids were asking for their autographs.

The folks who run the LA Film Festival were fantastic. The programmers Rachel & Doug got hooked on jump rope – they came out to watch every show.

What a great start….

welcome to the JUMP! blog

2007-07-01T03:29:00.000-07:00

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