Some friends of mine, who coincidentally happen to be exceptionally cool and creative people, are busting into film in a big way.
Check this shit out & show some love on their indigogo campaign if you can!
Imagine a world where motorcycles are outlawed. Gasoline is $20 per gallon. Self-driving cars are taking over. Silicon Valley and the United States Government have collaborated to push society toward a fully-autonomous transportation system. Motorcycles and riders are an easy first target in the drive to ban human-operated vehicles.
Impossible, you say?
Not so fast.
The story of The Last Motorcycle on Earth explores what happens if room is not left for motorcycles and vintage vehicles in new transportation systems across the world. What happens to people who have built their lives around motorcycling? What happens when technological and culture shifts are pushed by tech companies, government leaders and court decisions?
“This show is not something that corporate America would back. It’s too controversial and too suspicious of the motivations of those who wish to see a fully autonomous world. This is a fully indie effort.”
The Last Motorcycle on Earth is a dramatic series about a vintage motorcycle collector and bike builder, Conrad Mendel, as he grapples with a new world of technology that threatens to destroy his passion and way of life.
After spending a lifetime collecting, racing, and building motorcycles, Conrad watches as the United States seems poised to turn away from a culture of individual freedom– the right and ability to travel anywhere, anytime– to one where passengers ride in robot vehicles, trusting in technology to safely carry them to a destination.
This series was devised by looking at authoritarian governments around the world and their real-world actions against motorcycles– banning them inside major Chinese cities, laws against customizing motorcycles in Singapore– and many others. Researching the rapid shift from horse-drawn to motorized transportation in the early 1900s it is clear that a tipping point for long-established forms of transportation– and even entire cultures– can be reached very quickly. The current wave of news about self-driving and autonomous cars is impossible to ignore.
“We need your support as we raise funds to produce Season 1 of The Last Motorcycle on Earth. the first episode is complete– nearly an hour long – and sets up the world, the characters, and the basics of the story. We’re shooting episodes two and three right now, but we can’t finish without this campaign. It’s all been out of pocket at this point, with lots of help from lots of people lending a hand.”
The team behind The Last Motorcycle On Earth has finished production on the first hour-long installment of the show and is in the process of shooting the second and third episodes. Being an independent production, they have relied on their own funding so far, but are reaching out to the motorcycle community for additional support.
Episode #1 of The Last Motorcycle on Earth– 48 minutes in length– is in the can and episodes two and three are underway.
The team has set up an IndieGogo campaign (similar to the Kickstarter crowdfunding platform) and are hoping to raise $145,000 to finish the second two episodes.
Neil “Morto” Olson (Lead actor, co-producer) Born in Williston North Dakota in the middle of the second half of the 1950s. Mort’s father was a farmer /rancher/ dentist and the family pulled up stakes and moved to Missoula Montana in 1969, bringing with a sweet red Honda CL90L that he still has. That’s the bike that set the hook and still makes his heart flutter a bit.
A couple of Norton 750s somehow found him and the spiral into motorcycle obsession began with Nortons always in the picture and a 1929 Indian 101 Scout purchased in 1978 led to a nearly equal passion. He worked at a couple of local bike shops with a focus on British made bikes for a while but by 1980 he had three kids and had joined the Army intending on it being a temporary career….
He disliked active duty a good deal (homesick mostly) but ended up loving the Army Reserve, so much so that he stuck with it for more than twenty-five years. In 1988 he went to work for the Defense Department as a civilian military technician. After thirty years of that, Mort is now officially retired from both federal service and uniformed duties. It was quite a ride.
All through the years, Mort’s interest in motorcycles stayed firm and he managed to put together a fair collection of bikes with a few real gems. He prefers classic bobbers, period correct customs, and vintage survivors. He build bikes for himself and Gina, his artist wife of 17 odd-years, to run at Bonneville Salt Flats: they even sponsor the motorcycle-only event. And now, happily, his love of film has led to some involvement with this current effort. Full time in the garage and part time in film. Hard to beat that.
The Last Motorcycle on Earth
Starring: Neil “Morto” Olson, Rick Bargholz, Tim Huffman, Chris Torma, Eden Atwood, Lewis Bensen, Oscar Benson, Geneva Ristau
Directed By: Eric W. Ristau
Written By: Eric W. Ristau, Neil “Morto” Olson, Geneva Ristau
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The Last Motorcycle On Earth: Every biker’s worst nightmare – By