Free Agent Fan Michael Volpe: A True Story
The 1996-97 quest of a lifelong baseball fan to find a new favorite major league team to support has been documented in an entertaining 18-minute home video, “The Free Agent Fan” by filmmaker Andrew M. Volpe, a 2009 Virginia Commonwealth University BFA graduate. It is now available for free public viewing.
Volpe’s video is dedicated to his father, Michael Volpe, a Falls Church VA resident. When the senior Volpe’s favorite baseball team suddenly traded his favorite player, he declared himself a “Free Agent Fan” and went shopping for a new team. What followed was the equivalent of a six-month fantasy camp. Michael Volpe visited a number of major and minor league ballparks. He met with officials from the Baltimore Orioles, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Miami Marlins, Durham Bulls and others. The senior Volpe’s actions captured the attention of national media, who followed his quest for months. His saga was featured in publications including Sports Illustrated, the Washington Post, the New York Times and USA TODAY, and major broadcasting outlets ranging from NPR, the Today Show, and Good Morning America, to the CBS Morning News, CNN, Fox News and the BBC. The elder Volpe eventually chose both a major and minor league team to whom he pledged his loyalty.
Now at the 20th anniversary of his father’s journey, Andrew M. Volpe’s video contains a narration of how the Free Agent Fan phenomena occurred, interspersed with videos of major media interviews, print articles and original animation which Volpe learned in the VCU Kinetic Imaging Program.
The Free Agent Fan film is available for free viewing on Vimeo at:
https://vimeo.com/203733937
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Andrew VolpeDirector
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Andrew Volpe, Michael Volpe, Mary Beth FranklinWriter
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Andrew VolpeProducer
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Michael VolpeKey Cast
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Project Type:Documentary, Feature, Short
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Runtime:18 minutes 32 seconds
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Completion Date:February 12, 2017
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Production Budget:1,000 USD
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Country of Origin:United States
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Country of Filming:United States
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:Digital
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Aspect Ratio:720x480
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Film Color:Black & White and Color
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First-time Filmmaker:Yes
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Student Project:No
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DELCO FILM FESTIVALDelaware County, Pennsylvania
United States
July 7, 2017
East Coast
Audience Choice -
Perennial Film FestivalPunta Gorda, Florida
United States
March 24, 2018
Perennial Film Festival
Best Documentary n Audience Choice
Distribution Information
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https://vimeo.com/203733937Rights: Internet
Andrew M. Volpe works as a video producer and editor for a Virginia-based developer and marketer of expertly produced video and audio courses provided by professors and experts.
"I try to combine being friendly, creative, intelligent and funny into my true passion of film making."