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Here is part of an article reprinted with permission from the Bakersfield Californian.
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Potter wins PBR series at Garden

Filed: 04/23/2001

By ANDREW MOCKETT
Californian staff writer
Among those bustling around backstage Friday and Saturday (at the PBR event), was independent filmmaker David Wittkower and his Catch 22 production crew. Wittkower is shooting a documentary on the aspects of bull riding that the general public rarely sees, such as the tireless efforts of the medical crew -- led, incidentally by the Dallas Mavericks' team doctor, Dr. Tandy Freeman, who boarded a plane from Salt Lake City following the Mavs first-round playoff game against Utah.

Part of the reason that Wittkower, 41, spends his time backstage is because TNN won't let him shoot footage of the arena -- an obvious drawback, but one that Wittkower has learned to deal with.

"Our main concern is not showing what happens in front of the audience because you can see that on TNN anyway," Wittkower said.

Catch 22's last film documented the lives of wildland firefighters and was picked up by The Learning Channel (TLC). The film won a director's award at the Houston Film Festival, best documentary at the Flagstaff Film Festival and a couple of CINE awards.

Wittkower said he has received some skepticism about his projects, but most subjects have been more-than accommodating.

"You're coming into people's lives and showing people (the public) their lives and some people don't want their lives broadcasted," Wittkower said. "Once they find out what avenue I'm taking with it, they're interested."

The bull riding documentary -- titled Cowboy Up, which means giving it your all -- is Wittkower's fourth film. It is expected to cost around $80,000 to produce, and considering the bills are all footed by Wittkower, it is imperative that his film gets picked up by a television company.

"This is really unique, this is not your average documentary," Wittkower said. "I'll make a rough cut, send it out and hope for the best, but I'm sure it will get on somewhere. I'm not too worried about it. If you're worried then why make it? As a last resort, it will just come out on home video and I'll send it to some film festivals."

Other aspects of bull riding the documentary will focus on are: Life on the road for a professional bull rider, the lifesavers (Freeman's staff and the bull fighters, who distract the bull once the rider has been dislodged), the bull riding ministry (approximately 10 riders came to Centennial Garden for a service Saturday morning), and those bull riders who have lost their lives in the sport.

For more information, log on to www.lanefrost.com and click on Cowboy Up