TED GROSSMAN NIGHT TRAIN SHORT DOC

GINA MARGILLO; DIRECTOR, PRODUCER, WRITER

SUMMARY

Eight-two year old mensch, Ted Grossman, has been wooing Miami audiences on Sunday evenings with his radio program, Night Train, for 48 years. Focusing on big band and jazz music of the 1930s, WWII and beyond, Ted's show is one of only two remaining music programs on WLRN. Grossman, a Miami native, is the gatekeeper of the history of the music, and of the magic city. With WLRN prioritizing local news programming over music, and Ted's questionable health and impending retirement, the end of an era is approaching.

This 12-minute short film will celebrate Grossman’s iconic style, which has defined Miami radio, and has persevered despite the evolving trends and demographics of South Florida. This film will center Ted, former member of the Air Force and former postal worker, and his love for music and community. We come to learn how his secular Jewish roots inform his open-minded, modern perspective on culture, racial disparities, and gender equity, among other topics. We discover how populations settled and shifted in Miami to create the city we know today. We meet his gang of boisterous and opinionated, mostly octogenarians, who defy stereotypes and exemplify true community. We even learn some Yiddish. Ted is at once commentator and connoisseur, convener, and comedian. Through his non-nostalgic, non-conformist, humorous lens, we learn a lot about living authentically.

Ted's October 2024 cancer diagnosis doesn't deter his zest for life, but his vulnerability becomes evident. His vaudevillian exchanges with other patients in waiting rooms, front desk staff, and his doctors, only partially mask his reaction to the reality of what lies ahead.

Despite the bad news, Grossman's sharp observations and wit set the tone. Transitions will be as quick as the one-liners he injects into every conversation. The film will be a feast for the senses fueled by the big band, jazz and blues that he has pioneered.

Tone and Style

Ted Grossman's sharp observations and quick wit set the tone of this humorous and playful film. The takes will be punctuated by the big band music that fuels his life and that he features on his show. 

Transitions will be as quick as the one-liners Ted loves to inject into every conversation. The film will be a "loud" feast for the senses to reflect the way Ted and his crew live their lives. Music, food, and friendship are at the center of it all. 

The film moves from the perspective of an unknown listener tuning in on their car radio, to inside the radio station studio, to the North Miami delicatessen where he lunches with his merry band of 20 friends each Friday.  

Big band and bebop music will set the pace of the short. More ruckus and funny moments will be highlighted by musical crescendos. The film will be edited with sharp cuts for comedic impact. Camera angles will be non-traditional, respecting and disrespecting traditional rules of composition, just like Ted himself. The mood is upbeat and comical. 

B-Roll will illustrate the stories told and will include photos of Ted and friends in the past, video clips of Miami past and present and news clippings and headlines.