Summer of Sell: A tale of passion and protest in the historic movement that changed baseball.

Embark on a captivating journey with us through "Summer of Sell," a compelling documentary that delves into an extraordinary clash between the devoted fan base of the Oakland Athletics and the team's owner. This film will be capturing the ongoing feud that erupted when the owner's intentions to relocate the team to Las Vegas clashed head-on with the unwavering passion of the fans in Oakland.

In an unprecedented display of grassroots solidarity, the Oakland fans have orchestrated a resounding protest against the ownership's decision. The Summer of Sell, as this historic movement has come to be known, reverberated across the league, standing as a remarkable testament to the power of collective action. This documentary not only chronicles the evolution of this movement but aims to become an integral part of it, amplifying the voices of these dedicated fans.

Our approach involves an array of dynamic mediums to extend the reach of this movement. Through compelling social media campaigns and amplifying our message across podcasts, sports articles and TV newscasts, we intend to further elevate the fervor of this fan base. By shining a spotlight on their passion, we look to inspire change within ownership and Major League Baseball itself, urging them to reconsider the prospect of keeping the beloved Oakland team right where it belongs.

However, "Summer of Sell" isn't just a tale of sports fans; it's a story created by sports fans. As a lifelong Oakland A's fan, I intimately understand that the game is so much more than just entertainment – it's an emotion, a connection, a way of life. Through this documentary, we aim to peel back the layers of what it means to be a devoted fan, revealing how victories and defeats hold the power to shape our days. The bonds formed over this shared love for the game run deep, bringing friends and families together with a common purpose.

The game isn't just a sport; it's a vital thread in the fabric of our lives, and for the A's, an integral part of the city's identity. We aim to show how Oakland has always been a hotbed of rebellion and social uprisings, including the Black Panthers, the Anti War movement and the BLM protests. And now that same fighting mentality is being applied to Oakland's last remaining sports franchise.

As well as being a life long A's fan, I have over ten years of experience telling documentary stories, most recently working on the documentary, "Reggie" as well as the documentary series "They Call Me Magic". Collaborating with me is a seasoned team with an extensive portfolio of over two dozen documentary films and TV shows. Notably, John Henion, who executive produced "Welcome to Wrexham," is our Executive Producer.

From the project's inception, our aim was to secure financing from a sports film company. However, we've encountered a stumbling block, as companies have been hesitant to back a documentary that could potentially infringe upon the interests of MLB and its owners. But time is of the essence. The critical point now is to capture footage while there is still momentum in this movement, especially since the baseball season concludes within this month, culminating with the final Oakland home game on September 24th.

Consequently, we are turning to crowdfunding to enable us to document the fan base during the ongoing season. Our plan is to conduct our initial shoot between September 20th and 24th, during which we will follow some die hard Oakland A's fans, who have made it their goal to start one of the most historic movements in sports, with the Summer of Sell. We will see how the game is more than just a hobby, it's a major part of their lives, intertwined in their friendships, their families and their communities.

We then plan to shoot in Anaheim for the last series of the season, where a lot of those fans will be coming down to continue to spread the Summer of Sell movement as they have been for the last few months. We will most likely still need a couple more shoots over the next couple months and then will head into post production to piece the story together.

Our initial objective is to secure the necessary funds for our inaugural shoot, so our first goal is $33k for a five day shoot. However, the greater the funds we accumulate, the more we can sustainably support this project in the upcoming months. For another $17k we could shoot the entire final series against Anaheim. And for $100k we could shoot the rest of the project over the coming months. Post production, which can be the most expensive part of a documentary, will most likely cost another $400k, making the total around $550k.

The more we bring in from this campaign, the less our dependence on companies that might attempt to steer the project's direction in an alternate way. We want this film to be an uncensored look at this passionate fanbase and the movement they have created, so please help us in reaching those goals. And even if we fail to get our $33k, your contributions will still be invaluable as we will use the money to shoot during that week, but with a scaled back production.

You can also contribute by helping us spread the message. This movement originated from the dedicated efforts of passionate fans who shared their ideas and organized events solely through word of mouth on platforms like Facebook and Twitter. We too, kindly ask you to share our campaign to raise awareness of our important project (You can use the Indiegogo tools to easily share the campaign on any social media platform)

In our pursuit to involve the audience actively in this movement, our aim is twofold: not only do we intend to maintain the engagement of our existing fan base with developments related to the film and the movement, but we also seek to create an online platform. This platform will serve as a hub for individuals to share their captured videos, photographs, and personal anecdotes, allowing us to harness the authentic enthusiasm that people have been documenting over the past year.

Additionally, we are committed to keeping our funding team well-informed. To achieve this, we will establish a communication channel through a blog page on our website. Through this, all members of our funding team will have the opportunity to participate and stay updated on the progress made and the various narrative directions being explored.

Join us on this compelling journey as we delve into the heart of this team, its devoted fan base, and the city that fuels its spirit. "Summer of Sell" is more than a documentary – it's a tribute to the unbreakable bonds that connect us through the love of a game, and a call to action to preserve what truly matters. Let's come together as a team to not just make a documentary that tells your story, but to play a part in keeping the A's Rooted in Oakland.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart,

Gabriel Cullen