LYNCHBURG, VA – It seems that so many have tried the road trip experience, whether to bring travelers together, create memories as a family or that time in college to visit a friend. As a bit of a social experiment, four guys set out with the intention of seeing the people and the places of their own backyard. A weekend trip in which the journey is the destination.

300 miles of open road, from backyard BBQ to indie-pop, from the speedway to the Blue Ridge Mountains, this short film is being released by Superhero Pictures and Abandon Films in weekly installments starting September 3rd exclusively through The Great American Road Trip Website. The feature will be split up into 5-7 minute shorts and be released “webisodically” (ie, in video podcast form) at www.thegreatamericanroadtip.net

In an effort to experience americana in it’s most raw form, our travelers hit the road. In doing so they are harkening back to a time when it was common to travel the roads and cross paths with all types of people. We live in an age of dichotomy, on one hand we live in constant connectivity and yet most Americans say they feel more isolated than ever before. This trip is the pilot for what we hope is a much bigger idea – to encourage individuals to get out and travel America, to meet people, to hear stories and try new things.

No script, no timelines, just adventure.

The Great American Road Trip features the music from a who’s who from up and comers in the Indie Music world. With such acts a Andy Zipf, Kyle Andrews, Pattern is Movement, and Lynden the weekly installments of The Great American Road Trip will be entertaining to the ears and the eyes. Also featured is The Watson Twins whose music aired in last seasons Grey’s Anatomy.

The film project although small is aiming at embracing new media technology by allowing individuals to download the weekly installments via iTunes or other podcast aggregator. As a part of the digital age the film will also be released exclusively to VIRB.com a new social networking site designed for those who think that the internet can be functional but also look beautiful.

Weekly episodes start releasing on September 3rd

Sunday’s issue of the News & Advance lands The Great American Road Trip with the feature story on the project. Jon Busdecker’s article showcases a lot of the process and thought that went into the project.

Click here to see the whole article.

LYNCHBURG, VA – Episode 1 of The Great American Road Trip will be shown as part of the final installment of the Riverflicks Film Series on September 8, 2007. The film will be a precursor to the night’s feature showing of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The event is FREE and concessions are available. The Riverflick Film Series is part of Amazement Square’s work in the community and sponsored by Areva. Riverflick’s outdoor theater is located at the corner of 9th and Jefferson Streets in downtown Lynchburg. Gates opens at 7:00 pm and the film begins at dark.

The Great American Road Trip is Now available as a Podcast on iTunes or through the subscriber of your choice. Subscribing to the feed will allow you to experience every episode of The Great American Road Trip downloaded right to your computer. The episodes start launching on September 3rd, 2007 and feature the music of incredible musicians from all around the country including The Watson Twins, Andy Zipf, Pattern is Movement and Lavender Diamond. Click below to subscribe and get the film right to your iPod or MP3 Player.

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The Great American Road Trip Trailer was featured on Virb.com today.  A new trailer is posted and we are finally next to Christian Bale.

Several weeks ago I hit the road with some friends for an adventure and we filmed the whole thing to see what would happen. This is a trailer for the full feature that will release over the next six weeks. As far as Hollywood is concerned, “ROAD TRIP” goes up against Transformers and Harry Potter – No big deal, right?

The feature will be split up into 5-7 minute shorts and be released “webisodically” (ie, as in video podcast form) and exclusively at Virb.com

The Cast of Characters
The Trip features some very talented friends of mine:

Tim Grahl – Often referred to as the “Rupert Murdoch” of the mountain bike world. Tim has been leading the way in how the mountain bike industry is covered as a sport and an industry. Several years ago Tim created a network of sites (The Crooked Cog Network) As a way of keeping up with the fast paced world of cycling.

Justin Snyder – As part of Abandon Films he’s the force behind how the film is shaped. Working closely with actors and copy writing, Justin really understands a story. In a very short amount of time, Justin has a few dozen short films and informational shorts under his belt.

Won Novalis – Also as part of Abandon Films, Won is a fierce editor with the uncanny knack of taking countless tapes of footage and the ability to bring a story to life. Through his composition, Won sets the stage to really capture the drama of any scene.

Check out the trailer at Virb 

With temperatures nearly the 100 degree mark the crew set out to Durham, NC. for an adventure and we found it.  Almost 500 Miles, very little sleep, an angry groundhog and a bunch of great people were the bookends to the first trip.  We shot 13 hours of film in a 36 hour time frame, we documented every step of the way and highlight some local hot spots for food and for entertainment.  Starting July 3rd we’ll be releasing the film in 5-7 minute shorts that tell the tale of the trip.  Production stills, behind the scenes pictures and video podcast to come.

I had the pleasure of catching up with Holly Shaffer from the Illinois Route 66 Heritage Project yesterday.  She was super helpful with helping the project by sending information including a rundown of the events being held on Route 66 (I’ll post them ASAP).  Their website has got a ton of info on the attractions that Illinois offers, it’s an exhaustive list and definitely worth a look if you’re traveling Route 66 this year.
Check out the Illinois Route 66 Heritage Project Website

The plans keep moving forward for the big trip this year.  Justin found this great article on Route 66 done by National Geographic.  The article really captures the essence in both “The Mother Road” and faith in humanity.  I definitely recommend it.

Click here to read about the Mother road at National Geographic.