About Us

About Us - or - What possessed you to drive across America with a snowmobile on a trailer? 

Rules come and rules go.  But even up in the mountains, none of my snowmobile friends expected the two-stroke engine would be around for too long.  Sooner or later they figured this smoky old dinosaur was going to fall, move onto something more efficient, with fewer brain numbing fumes.  That’s why everyone was glad their sleds had lots of power at the moment of acceleration in order to get away fast from the petroleum haze of the two-stroke idle.

It was no big surprise when regulations from the EPA finally came down to phase-out the two-stroke engine.  The surprise came when President Bush brought the two-stroke back.  Brought it back? Why’d he do that?  What part of a lot of smoke pouring out of a one-person machine seems like a good idea?  Wasn’t new technology brought on by market forces going to solve our environmental problems?

And what about President Bush’s pitch that he was a moderate on the environment?  It wasn’t as if the soccer mom vote would line up behind an engine that pumped out a few dozen times more smog than a car now was it?   The fact that I couldn’t find anyone who actually knew what made President Bush change that rule made me wonder – Why did he change that rule anyway?

So, one sunny morning it hit me: I’d take the family sled out on the road to see exactly what caused President Bush to bring this smoky engine back to life.  It seemed a modest proposition because, unlike big issues like global warming, or bombs in Baghdad, I can own a snowmobile, sit on it, rev it up, take it for a spin.  What better way to dismantle White House logic--I started with something they cared about, and something that I actually owned.

Trying to find the answer to a simple question about why the two stroke engine was resurrected led me to the stories of fishermen, cowboys and firemen who, as a result of changes to environmental regulations, now have no choice but to fight – simply to defend their livelihoods and their lives.

Did I find the answer to my original question about why President Bush brought back the two-stroke engine from oblivion?   I wouldn’t want to spoil the ending.  But, like my mother warned me a hundred times: if you pull on a single loose thread, the whole sweater will unravel.

Filmmaker’s Bio

Todd Darling,
Director/Producer:
Todd Darling has worked on documentaries, news, television shows, and feature films since the 1980s.  He has directed several documentaries including,  “Año Nuevo”, “High Tech Families”, and now “A Snow Mobile for George”.  He also produced, “Saviors of the Forest”, which was an official selection at the Sundance Film Festival.  For television he directed on USA Network’s music show “Farm Club”, Fox’s “Murder in Small Town X”, and MTV’s “Laguna Beach: the real OC”.

Many thanks to:

Ross Godfrey,
Sound Track Composer
Best known as the driving force behind the English band “Morcheeba”  Ross Godfrey’s pioneering work in “trip-hop” perfectly matched the frequently off-beat turns a cross country trip can take.  His music provides a rhythmic yet lyrical edge to the film.  Ross is now on tour with Morcheeba to launch their new CD, “Dive Deep”.  (Tour dates click here: www.              )

Producers:

Howard Dratch, the film’s spiritual advisor, initiated and worked as the executive producer for HBO’s “Path to War”, starring Alec Baldwin.  He also produced “On Company Business” as well as the PBS series “Routes of Rhythm”

Missy Goldberg has worked for MTV, the Sundance Channel and a host of independent producers on television shows and films. Her work on “A Snow Mobile for George” kept  the production on track and on point from Utah to New York, and back to California.

Stan Phillips, the co-owner of SPN Events in Laguna Beach, CA has championed “A Snow Mobile for George” from early on and has brought a welcome infusion of experience and wisdom to the project.

Camera

A rowdy bunch of characters joined the relay race of cross-country production.  All of them are tops in adventure cinematography, can ski like nobody’s business, and still keep it well composed:
Dan McConnel – Lake Tahoe
Scott Semper – Salt Lake City, Yellowstone, and Wyoming
Randy Wimberg – Wyoming

Finishing:

Framework,LA in Culver City did all the animation, graphics and graphic design.  TJ Welch is the resident genius.
West Post Digital, Santa Monica, CA created the final master of the film, and did the color correction.  Kenny Fields and Paul Roman make the film look fantastic.
Wow and Flutter Sound, Santa Monica, CA did an excellent mix thanks to Ryan Reese and his crew.

And of course my family:

Linda, Erin and Lauren.