Top Spin is a feature documentary project by Mina T. Son and Sara Newens about two exciting young table tennis competitors, Ariel Hsing and Michael Landers, as they compete domestically and internationally to qualify for the Olympic games. They both apparently have a really strong chance at qualifying for the games next summer, and the film will follow their journey.
But of course, the project will need some cash to make it happen. The filmmakers are currently in the early phases of fundraising and production, and have started a Kickstarter campaign to raise money towards their upcoming summer shoots. They're trying to raise $20,000 by July 20. Here's a video with some background on the project:
Here's some more information about where the money will go:
We are currently in the early phases of fundraising and production. The money raised from this Kickstarter campaign will go towards our two upcoming summer shoots.This feature project is actually expanded from Mina and Sara's award-winning short documentary of the same, a nice profile on Ariel and her parents. Whether or not he and Michael make it to the London games, it'll be really cool to see them go for it. For more information about the project, and to make a pledge, go to the Kickstarter page here. And follow the Facebook page here.
Shoot #1: Ariel’s exhibition match against Olympic Champion, Zhang Yining
This July marks the 40th anniversary of Ping Pong Diplomacy between the U.S. and China, and several events have been organized in the Bay Area to commemorate the occasion. We will film Ariel playing against her idol, Zhang Yining, on July 6.
Shoot #2: Michael training in Germany or China
Later this summer, Michael may train in either Germany or China where some of world's best table tennis players hail from. We look forward to filming with Michael and seeing firsthand the immense popularity of ping pong in other countries.
These two shoots are only the beginning. We’ll be following Ariel and Michael for the next year until the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. It’ll be a challenge keeping up with these two, but we can do it with YOUR SUPPORT!
