The Bay Area was swept up with baseball this fall. As the playoffs unfolded, the Giants were the talk of the town. People wearing orange everywhere. The airport flooded with orange light. Excitement and anticipation in the air. Even my little daughter, a proud San Franciscan, became a fan and engaged me more deeply by pointing out each Venezuelan player!
This microdoc featured on The New York Times offers a taste of the enthusiasm but from an often forgotten perspective — that of our neighbors in the San Quentin State Prison, one of California’s most notorious.
This short film stands out for a few reasons:
1. Humanity: It’s a beautiful example of the power of establishing strong personal connection. By exposing the vulnerability of the players, it connects us deeply with them. It makes us realize that given the right (or terrible, rather) conditions, any one of us might be in their situation.
“I’ve caused a lot of harm and a lot of pain – and I owe a debt. Eric was murdered for nothing.”
A line like that can’t help but resonate deeply.
2. Insight: The perspectives offered on the game of baseball are so compelling that even someone with marginal to no interest in the sport can appreciate it in a new way. The sounds of the game, the crack of a wooden bat, the pop of a mitt when a pitch hits it just right. The camaraderie that comes from nine players responding as one. The patience required to improve at the plate. All of these details are delivered in an almost poetic way, making them all the more absorbing.
3. Timing: Good timing for excellent distribution. This doesn’t apply to all short films, but if you can take into consideration the editorial calendar when looking at the distribution of your microdocs, it can be very helpful. The New York Times ran this piece in the midst of the World Series, just days before the Giants won the Fall Classic. It’s safe to say that at no other time in the year would the microdoc’s potential audience be larger.
