Big thank you to the podcast supporters! John Wayne Cancer Foundation - Run the GRIT Series https://johnwayne.org/ Tanri Outdoors - All Natural Sun Protection for Runners (use “ULTRA10” for 10% off) https://tanri.com/ XoSkin (use “T4U20” for 15% off) https://www.xoskin.us/ Thank you Patreon supporters! https://www.patreon.com/trainingforultra

 

 

Guest: Victoria Negri

Episode Title: The Art of Suffering - The Ultrarunning Filmmakers 

Bio: 

Victoria Negri is a Brooklyn-based actress, filmmaker, producer, festival curator, and ultrarunner. She has written, directed, and starred in a plethora of award-winning films and yet, somehow, back in May of 2018 she found the time in her busy schedule to run her first ultramarathon. It was a 50 miler, during which, it rained the whole time and yet, she came back for more. Victoria continues to embrace the introspective flow of running ultra-distances in-spite of the mental and physical pain. What makes Victoria a great filmmaker and actress is the same quality that makes her such a great ultra-runner; her talent for introspection, to see the beauty in suffering and to be able to present that on film you must first explore the depths of your own mind. This, like ultrarunning, can be an incredibly painful, vulnerable, and lonely process. The reward is great, though, once pain is no longer your obstacle, but a harnessed force you can work with there are no limits to what can be achieved, whether that’s running 50 miles or finishing your first film or just getting through this ultra we call life! Victoria shows us how the ability to endure flows through every aspect of life. Her first feature film, “Gold Star,” premiered in 2016 and won the Buffalo International Film Festival’s coveted Audience Award. She is currently working on her second feature film, “ULTRA,” which will explore the powerful, yet painful story of one woman’s journey running across Death Valley. To run an ultra you have to accept the inevitable pain and suffering that is intrinsic to the experience and the same goes with telling a personal and meaningful story in the public sphere (something Victoria does extraordinarily well in “Gold Star”). This is a great episode where Rob and guests explore how the vulnerability of filmmaking and ultrarunning go hand in hand!

 

Quotes from podcast episode:

“Why run just ten miles when you can do 50?” - 6:31

“My dad was a runner, so I started running and it was a way for us to communicate and for me to realize I have a body that is capable, and I want to push it.” - 7:45

“The scariest thing I could ever imagine happening has happened and I am still here. I am okay. I am as okay as I am going to be… It made me completely unafraid of everything else.” - 8:07

“I have done 50 [miles] and it felt really doable for me and I was like alright I gotta do 100 now.” - 50:08

“The similarities between the endurance it takes to make a movie, and wear all the hats that me and Allison have worn, I think is so similar to running, especially endurance running.” - 52:43

 Episode Timeline:

4:15 How Victoria got started in film

6:40 Losing the fear of failing 

9:58 How Allison got started in film

12:35 Allison on internal motivation and making a career in the film industry

14:20 Self-sufficiency and being a female filmmaker 

20:50 The parallels between Victoria and Allison’s films 

23:10 The challenges of writing diverse perspectives 

29:15 The current streaming and media environment and how it affects different independent film opportunities

35:50 The benefits of collaboration 

37:00 Thoughts on film festivals

46:20 The parallels between filmmaking and ultrarunning

47:00 Allison’s ultrarunning plans post-Moab 240

48:45 Persevering in ultrarunning and filmmaking during the COVID-19 pandemic 

49:40 Victoria’s first 100 miler

52:40 The importance of endurance in running and filmmaking

56:00 Belt buckles versus the community experience

58:10 The difficulty of filming at the Badwater 135 race

1:01:20 How Allison and Victoria explore their ultrarunning background in their filmmaking

1:04:20 Victoria on her upcoming ultrarunning film

Social Media:

Instagram: Victoria Negri (@victorianegri) • Instagram photos and videos Twitter: Victoria Negri (@victoria__negri) / Twitter Vimeo: Victoria Negri - Filmmaker, Screenwriter & Producer (vimeo.com) Website: Home | My Site (victorianegri.com)

Guest: Allison Powell

Episode Title: The Art of Suffering - The Ultrarunning Filmmakers

Bio: 

Allison Powell is an L.A.-based filmmaker and ultrarunner. She started ultrarunning in 2018, placing third in her debut race! Allison currently holds the Backbone Trail FKT. In 2019, she completed this grueling out and back in 1 day 22 hours 57 minutes and 30 seconds! Last fall, she finished the Moab 240 and this fall, she is set to release her first animated film “Hot Toddy.” When she’s not out on the trails Allison is working hard producing, writing, acting, and directing films! Her first feature film, “Banging Lanie,” came out in February and her short film “Black Widow: Origins” was a great success and even toured with the Geek Film Fest! To Allison, ultrarunning is her “passion, meditation, escape, and hobby.” Her life motto is “Make it Happen,” and if that doesn’t sum up the perfect attitude for ultrarunning and making it in Hollywood T4U doesn’t know what does!

  

Quote from podcast episode:

“No one is ever gonna push me as hard as I push myself.” - 12:13

“Why are you gonna run a 5k?! Why don't you run a 50k?! What’s the difference?!” - 14:00

“There are so many stories out there that are just waiting to be told and we just need more filmmakers telling them… We just need more stories so that people can understand how similar we all are on that human level and make that connection. That is why I think storytelling is one of the most important jobs in the world.” - 22:35

“It is so funny to me how much filmmaking and ultraraces can really parallel.” - 46:20

“My ultrarunning knowledge was so handy on set because it’s hot, it’s humid, people are working twelve plus hours… having that knowledge… I was basically crewing an aid station.” - 1:02:15

“Am I crewing Western States or am I working on a film set? Working on a film set.” - 1:03:56

“The reason that you do ultras is because they are hard, so that is not an excuse.” - 1:06:01

VIDEO BELOW - My friend, filmmaker/actor and ultrarunner, Allison Powell, was over and we decided to poke fun at trying to work from home with kids. The similarities to essentially having your desk at the playground were too close not to make a short film about it! We shot this in less than 3 hours and my son had a great time too.

Episode Timeline: (see Victoria Negri episode timeline)

Allison’s past appearance on T4U: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-training-for-ultra-podcast/id1265633252?i=1000494843399

Social Media:

Instagram: Allison Powell (@allisonhpowell) • Instagram photos and videos Facebook: Allison Powell - Home | Facebook Twitter: Allison Powell (@allisonhpowell) / Twitter YouTube: Allison Powell - YouTube Website: Allison Powell (allisonhardingpowell.com)

 

Big thank you to the podcast supporters! John Wayne Cancer Foundation - Run the GRIT Series https://johnwayne.org/ Tanri Outdoors - All Natural Sun Protection for Runners (use “ULTRA10” for 10% off) https://tanri.com/ XoSkin (use “T4U20” for 15% off) https://www.xoskin.us/ Thank you Patreon supporters! https://www.patreon.com/trainingforultra