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Press release
Short synopsis
TT3D: Closer to the Edge is a film about the TT, the world-famous motorcycle race that takes place on the Isle of Man every year. Racing along public roads on bikes just inches apart - with speeds hitting 200mph - drama, tension and tragedy all combine to thrill the audience and tell a very moving human story.
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Every rider knows that each race might be his or her last. Riders push themselves up to and beyond their limits in their bid to become "King of the Mountain".
The film follows the leading riders in the 2010 race – modern day gladiators who live and breathe road racing – and meet some of its biggest stars: In particular Guy Martin and Ian Hutchinson.
Martin is a lovable rogue with a unique point of view on life who doesn't play by the rules. A true maverick, he's regarded as the “People's Champion” and his off -road antics continually exasperate his sponsor and race officials. His determination to win his first race pushes him to the limit.
Hutchinson, on the other hand is dedicated, focused and works hard to stay at the top.
Then there's John McGuinness - fifteen times winner of the TT – as he prepares to race with an obsessive passion to win combined with the fatalistic understanding that each trip to the TT might be his last. We also meet Bridget Dobbs, widow of TT star Paul Dobbs “Dobsy”, who accepts with equanimity that her husband, like many others, died doing the thing he loved the most in life.
Jared Leto was always the perfect choice for narrator of TT3D: Closer to the Edge. Having seen an early cut of the film he said, “I'm proud to be a part of this groundbreaking film that celebrates this infamous event and the legendary spirit of the men and women who push themselves beyond the limit to places few could even imagine”.
A story about freedom of choice and the strength of the human spirit; it's also an examination of what motivates those rare few, this elite band of brothers who risk everything to win. Filmed in stunning 3D: Closer to the Edge is a story of about what it means to be truly alive.
About the production
Using the latest innovative 3D technology Closer To The Edge captures the excitement and drama of the 2010 races. The TT has been filmed before, however not until now have the tools existed that could do justice to those that have lived and died over the 37¾ miles that make up the legendary Mountain Circuit of treacherous bends, drops and walls, navigated at breakneck speed. The races take place along public roads packed with thousands of spectators who have come from all over the world to watch bikes racing just inches apart and with speeds hitting 200mph.
Racing at those speeds it is said that very often the rider cannot see the road itself. All they see are the green hedges and stone walls that line the course, so they have to know every inch of the course, and aim between the two sides of either grass, or a wall or house ahead, knowing that the road is indeed there. As one former racer Richard “Milky” Quayle explains, instinct and knowledge of the road is all a rider has to go on when you are travelling at such high speeds “You go into Ballagarey and you can't see the exit point so you just have to know when to throw the bike on its side and really drive it”.
“Real life gladiators”: the riders
The film follows several of TT's biggest stars, this year's contrasting “gladiators” including the “maverick mechanic” Guy Martin, who has never won a TT race yet constantly steals all the headlines with his movie star looks, and Ian Hutchinson, (“Hutchy”), the quiet man of TT racing who prefers to do his talking on the track.
In 2010, for the first time in its 103-year history, one man, Ian Hutchinson won all five TT races. And, while Hutchy made history, Guy Martin still managed to grab the headlines.
Guy Martin is the “People's Champion”, a true non-conformist who has a sharp wit and a unique take on life and who's off-road antics often exasperate his sponsor, mechanics and race officials. Guy, one of the most talented riders on the circuit was determined to win in 2010.
As Steve Christian says, “It was no coincidence that Guy was one of the main riders we were going to follow. He's charming, handsome and incredibly funny and a maverick – the ultimate bad boy in black leather who refuses to stick to the rules and who won't conform to become a corporate rider.”
Life and loss: the human story behind the TT
In 2010, as well as one rider winning all five races for the first time in TT history there were two spectacular and near-fatal crashes which have been caught on film. And a tragedy.
Local hero Conor Cummins' slide off the mountain is the most spectacular crash ever captured on film: we see Cummins and his bike fly over a distance of a ¼ mile, in only 3 seconds and then hit the ground, miraculously missing a dry stone wall by millimetres.
In another heart-stopping moment, Guy Martin and his bike disappear in an explosion, which leaves the track officials forced to stop the Senior Race for only the second time in its 103-year history as they speed to his rescue.
A terrible tragedy was the death of Paul Dobbs the 39-year-old New Zealand father of two, who died in a crash on the Ballagarey section of the track.
Steve Christian explains that Paul Dobb's death “is a tragedy vindicated from the most unusual source. Dobsy's widow Bridget says, “I've lost my husband, but TT is still magical, it's bigger than the guys who are here today”.
Bridget accepts her husband's death with equanimity and grace. Indeed, Bridget's reaction to Dobsy's death may be seen by some as extraordinary: She encapsulates what makes these people a breed apart from those who live their lives governed by rules and regulations, unable to take risks. Bridget shows an incredible inner strength and understanding of what drives these people to live like they do, knowing and accepting that each race may be their last. Interviewed for the film just after Paul Dobbs' death it is clear that she has a remarkable attitude to life and death that few share or can even begin to understand.
Despite the near-fatal injuries, those that survive all want to go back and do it again. The film shows Guy Martin in his hospital bed riddled with broken bones, making light of his near fatal crash and Cummins limping around on crutches talking about competing in the 2011 race. Even Ian Hutchinson - always relaxed and seemingly infallible - reveals his vulnerability when talking about the possibility of losing his leg (after his own crash after his TT wins) and explains that he'll do anything to get back on the bike.
Nothing encapsulates this more than Richard “Milky” Quayle, a TT champion who retired after a bad crash in 2003. He explains that while he is still involved in the sidelines of the TT, life has less meaning now he no longer races and can't get his fix.
As well as Guy and Hutchy, Closer to the Edge follows their friends and families and several of the other best-loved and well-known competitors and those close to them. They are an eclectic, charismatic and brave cast of characters. Through them we explore the psychology and philosophy of TT riders, their ability to overcome great physical (and emotional) pain and, fundamentally, to understand their motivations to compete on a course that has already claimed 227 lives in its 100-year history.
As Steve Christian says “One of the big fears in making the film was talking about death. How do you approach the subject of death with these people? It's so strange but actually, you don't need to talk about it. It's in the first sentence of every conversation you have with them. When we first spoke to Guy he said to us “I can't sign a contract for 9 months. I might not be here in 9 months”.
The production crew were stunned when Guy Martin crashed as they had spent so much time getting to know and like him. Few of the crew were from the Isle of Man and few were particularly into road racing – but by the time the shoot was over they had all fallen in love with it and had formed bonds with the people they were working with.
Co-Producer Richard Hewitt says of the dangers he witnessed: “The sheer speed of the races 'blew everyone away' at the beginning. None of us could believe that people were prepared to go, or could go, that fast. After a while though we became more used to the sound and sights of the races. The energy on the track and the paddocks still affected us but we became 'seasoned'. However, what none of us got over was the questionable 'madness' of it all: were these riders insane to risk life and limb for such a 'buzz', were they being incredibly selfish (many are married with children etc.), or were they actually the last of a dying breed: individuals who are determined to live 'on the edge' no matter what the outcome?...each crash hit the crew in a different way, but towards the end of the second week when one rider died and we interviewed his friend who had come across the crash site seconds later, it hit home in a big way. And then the moment when Guy Martin crashed at Ballagarey, the whole crew (and the whole TT crowd) stopped 'as one': It was like a cloud passing in front of the sun, an eclipse of silence, with everyone hanging together in limbo, waiting to find out whether our worst fears were to be realised. We were all shaken up. None of us will forget that”.
Steve Christian had anticipated this worrying long and hard about whether he wanted to take the risk and a make a movie with key riders such as Guy or Hutchy because there was the very real chance that they could have died. And Guy nearly did. “When we saw the smoke in the sky, and the red flag stopping the race for only the 2nd time in its history, the crew virtually all reduced to tears, it was really terrible.”
Crew and technical details
The challenges of making a 3D documentary about an event like the TT were enormous. It could not be meticulously predicted and mapped out because a key “live” moment could occur anywhere on the 37 ¾ mile course and 3D equipment is particularly unwieldy.
The team had to adopt every trick in the book to cover the action and as a result: Closer to the Edge is “free”, in the sense that the team were not purist and used every combination of the material available in order to make the film as immersive, interesting and exciting as possible.
As Richard Hewitt explains about the challenges of making a film in 3D: “3D is one unique aspect: You have to approach the project in a different way. You have to decide a lot of things up front: format, narrative style (so you could decide which 3D rigs were going to use) and our post production had to be 'invented'. This meant that the pre-production period was critical to determining the whole project right up to delivery. Apart from that it was much the same as any other filming project, we were following events and outcomes beyond our control which was new to me and a lot of us and in many ways very refreshing. In feature films, it's all about 'control'”.
An extraordinary combination of partners and crew was pulled together to give CinemaNX the expertise they needed to make this highly unusual production. The film combines, all in 3D, live action in typical documentary style, superb close coverage of the bikes as they race at 150-200mph, high-speed camera footage (showing the bikes in ultra slow motion, as they seem to “fly” over bumps in the road), thrilling helicopter work, classical documentary interviews, treated archive, stills, “on- bike” footage, and more.
CinemaNX put together a crew, starting with director Richard De Aragues, who is an expert in commercials for cars and bikes. Paradise FX was utilised as a fully integrated one-stop shop facility for stereography and support, with deep involvement from Chris Parks, Angus Cameron and Adam May at Vision Three. Arri provided tech support plus the 3D Freestyle P and S Technik Rig from FAVA they also had back up from Ascent and from Technicolor who were the first UK House to be able to follow through the entire post production work-flow. HFS provided equipment and expertise for high-speed tracking and helicopters.
CINEMANX AND ISLE OF MAN FILM PRESENT
TT3D: Closer to the Edge
Directed by
Richard De Aragues
Narrator
Jared Leto
Producers
Steve Christian
Marc Samuelson
Runtime: 103 minutes
UK Release Date: 22 April 2011
Website
tt3dmovie.com
Press site
tt3dmovie.com/pressThe film will be released on Friday, April 22nd in UK cinemas and later everywhere else.
