Synopsis

Luciano Berruti is a legendary cyclist from Cosseria Italy, that is one of the most passionate people you’d ever meet. Coming from humble beginnings, Luciano didn’t always ride bikes. He worked in construction for 20 years and dedicated his life to work. 

One day Luciano passed by a bike shop and decided to buy a bike. That was the beginning of a long relationship with bikes… Luciano became obsessed with cycling and was a strong racer taking over 450 wins in cyclocross and mountain bike racing.

He eventually participated in the first editions of L’Eroica and became the face of the event. This sparked a love for collecting antique bikes and riding them. In 2010 he established the Museo della Bicicletta in Cosseria, with a vast and incredible collection of historically significant bikes. One bike for example was used in early editions of the Tour de France with a cap on the handlebar end that would dispense sharp nails to take out your competitors.

On August 13th, 2017 Luciano tragically passed away while out on a bike ride. It was a sad day for the cycling community and people worldwide mourned his passing. His son described the day as; “It seemed like the sun was gone.” 

Now his son Jacek has taken Luciano's torch and is following in his footsteps. He now operates the bike museum that Luciano started and his passion for cycling is as strong as ever. His goal is to continue the legacy that Luciano started—respect for all people and prove the magic of bikes. 

Outline

Introduction of how I met Luciano 

• I met him while I was bike touring from Norway to Spain. I won't have any interviews with Luciano yet.

• I will have people describe his character and how lucky I was to randomly meet him. 

His life story told by Luciano, friends, and family.

• Early years

• His first bike

• How he worked construction for 19 years and didn’t bike. 

• He gets back into cycling

• Wins lots of races 

• Learns about L’Eroica

• Becomes an icon of the event.

• Starts bike museum

His philosophy

• He thinks that pro-road racing is too calculated these days. He prefers the classic races. 

• Slow-motion shots of pro road racing at Il Lombardia

• Intercut with scenes from L’Eroica

• His love for bikes

• Living life to the fullest 

His passing 

• Told by friends and family 

• Abstract lighting scenes 

• The light is a visual of Luciano's spirit

Continuing his legacy 

• Jacek, Luciano’s son is now running the museum

• Will have Jacek give me a tour of the museum telling the story of the most significant bikes they have. 

• Film Jacek at L’Eroica 

• Intercut shots of Luciano and him riding 

End

Creative Elements

For introducing Luciano’s character I want the film to start by describing him vividly without him speaking yet. I want people to get an idea of how passionate and animated he is through friends, family & fans.

I want to use animation to bridge gaps in any footage I have. They will be simple and 2 dimensional with a pastel texture. I will be able to do the animation myself to keep the project all done under one roof.

I want to use light beams to show the spirit of Luciano in an abstract way. I will use drones to fly lights at dusk in places where he loved to ride his bike. 

The visual style of the film will be dreamy and filmic with rich colors. The color will fluctuate depending on the mood of the scene. The film will be shot on RED in a 2:40 anamorphic aspect ratio.

Filmmakers Connection

I lived in Savona Italy, for a year as an exchange student. I fell in love with Italy, and it’s where I started making films. Little did I know that I was about 45 minutes away from Luciano for that year.

A few years later after graduating high school, I decided to do a bike tour from Norway to Spain. This trip was incredibly challenging with camera gear and shaped the kind of filmmaker I am today. On our way to the Mediterranean from the Alps, we met this incredible character… Luciano. We didn’t know how lucky we were to have met him.

He showed us around his museum and took us to his house for some coffee. My touring partner and I were dumbfounded by how cool this guy was. He biked in his giant hamster wheel and constantly talked about his bikes. I knew I had to return after the bike tour and make a documentary about him. I took a train back to Italy after finishing the tour in Spain. He hosted me for 3 days and I got an incredible in-depth interview about his life.

I had planned to return to Italy in 2017 to finish my documentary about Luciano. But unfortunately, he passed away in August 2017. I was heartbroken but knew that I still needed to make this film to honor his legacy.

I have patiently waited 7 years for the right time to make this film and I finally feel ready. This film has spanned my entire filmmaking career and is very close to my heart.

Timeline

• Pre-production: October 2016 - September 2023

• Production: September 25th - October 25th, 2023

• Post-production: November 6th, - March 4th, 2024

• First cut of the film delivered: February 6th, 2024

• Final cut with all deliverables: March 5th, 2024

Deliverables 

• 1x 45-minute film 

• 1x 1-minute trailer (9x16, 16x9)

• 2x 20-second trailers (9x16, 16x9)

• 4x 30-45s scenes from the film (9x16, 16x9)

• 15 photos

Budget (USD)

• 30 days of directing & filming at $800/day: $24,000

• 30 days of editing at $600 a day: $18,000

• Production Assistance: $1,000

• Travel/accommodation: $8,000

• Camera Equipment: $3,000

• Footage licensing: $5,000

Total: $59,000