Alumni document Little 500

Two IU alumni, Peter Stevenson and Thomas Miller, are co-directing a behind-the-scenes feature about Little 500 called “One Day in April.” They are following Delta Gamma and Teter for the women and Cutters and Delta Tau Delta for the men.

“Choosing the teams was not very scientific,” Miller said. “We chose the returning champions, and you cannot find two more independent teams with Teter and the
Cutters.”

Stevenson said Cutters and Teter have been powerhouses during the past five years. They also wanted to balance greek and non-greek programs, because they are not alike.

“Both contribute in different ways,” Stevenson said. “The stories are different. Greeks have built-in support that independent teams have to create.”

Miller said they are using “Breaking Away” as inspiration, but they cannot strive to copy it because the movie won an Oscar. However, they are trying to follow in its footsteps by providing a new perspective on the race and keeping it real.

“No one has done a behind-the-scenes of Little Five,” Stevenson said. “People only see race day. They train all year for one day.”

IU alumnus Ryan Dorgan photographed the Little 500 race for three consecutive years starting in 2009. In April and May this year, 16 of his photos are on exhibit at the Blueline Gallery downtown. Eight of the photos are of the race, but he said they are not classic shots. Instead, the shots featured are detail shots and others he edited to make them look like they were shot in a studio and not on the track. The other eight photos are “quintessential Bloomington scenes.”

The behind-the-scenes documentary that Stevenson and Miller are creating has never been done before.

They had to raise funds in order to make their project happen. Stevenson said he was surprised by how much support they received from the Bloomington, IU and Little 500 communities. They raised about $8,400.

The money goes toward camera rentals, crew transportation, food and AA
batteries.

“It is amazing how many AA batteries we go through,” Stevenson said.

On race day, they will have 18 different cameras with 20 people. The past three months of coverage have involved just three people following the four teams.

“In order to capture the little moments, we need a lot of camera coverage,” Stevenson said.

Kevin Depasse, a rider for the Cutters, said it is a little weird to have Stevenson and Miller following the team around.

“No one expects a movie to be made about them,” Depasse said. “But it is hard to make a movie about Little Five without the Cutters.”

Depasse said although it was weird at first, they warmed up to the cameras. Now the team cracks jokes just as if the directors are part of the group. He said it was easier to include them after the team knew the mission of the documentary.

“They’re trying to capture the essence of what it takes to win Little Five versus the general public knowledge of that we just ride bikes,” Depasse said.

Miller said the breadth of cycling at IU is huge. It is a year-round activity, and while other people are going to parties, the Little 500 athletes are riding bikes for five hours a day.

“We want to show how fully these riders commit themselves to the sport,” Miller said. “They are always putting in miles. They are as committed as any
NCAA athlete.”

Miller said he was surprised by how open the four teams were to showing them the personal side of the sport. He said they hang out with the teams and attach microphones to them every chance they get. He even went with one rider to her home during Easter to show that part of her life.

“We want to show the whole experience,” Miller said. “Not just on the track. It’s off the track that shows the bond and shows them as human. We want as much and in-depth as possible.”

Stevenson said “One Day in April” is a great example of the spirit of the Midwest. He said being an athlete is something to which people can aspire.

“They have showed us why they spend so much time on something people don’t understand,” Miller said. “When Little Five ends, you go work somewhere. They sacrifice a lot.”

He said they started filming in late January and will continue through the race. He said they will use the summer and fall to edit and hope to have a showing on campus in the spring before next year’s race.

“We want to take it to film festivals too,” Stevenson said. “We want to take it where a lot of people can see it. They deserve it.”