''3 Wheeling'' is a Manx

observational documentary A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a historical record". Bill Nichols has characterized the documentary in term ...

film charting the sidecar class at the 2016 Isle of Man TT. The film used

hidden camera A hidden camera or spy camera is a camera used to photograph or record subjects, often people, without their knowledge. The camera may be considered "hidden" because it is not visible to the subject being filmed, or is disguised as another obje ...

s and

lavalier microphone A lavalier microphone or lavalier (also known as a lav, lapel mic, clip mic, body mic, collar mic, neck mic or personal mic) is a small microphone used for television, theater, and public speaking applications to allow hands-free operation. They a ...

s to capture an insight into the sport's highest-profile competitors,

Dave Molyneux Dave Molyneux (born 21 November 1963 in Douglas, Isle of Man) is a Manx professional Sidecar racer. He is the most successful Sidecar competitor in the history of the Isle of Man TT races, achieving 17 TT victories and 30 podium finishes. ...

and

Tim Reeves Tim Reeves (born 28 August 1972) is an English sidecar racer from Tenterden, Kent. He is an eight times Superside FIM World Sidecar Champion, twice with his younger brother Tristan (2005, 2006), once with Patrick Farrance (2007) and once with ...

. The film was financed and distributed by Beaumanx Productions and was shot in association with North One Television, Blue Olive Productions and the

Isle of Man Government The Isle of Man Government ( gv, Reiltys Ellan Vannin) is the government of the Isle of Man. The formal head of the Isle of Man Government is the Lieutenant Governor, the personal representative of Charles III. The executive head is the Chief Mi ...

. It received a limited theatrical release in Northern Ireland, Germany and the Isle of Man, and was released on home media in May 2018.

Development

Manx Manx (; formerly sometimes spelled Manks) is an adjective (and derived noun) describing things or people related to the Isle of Man: * Manx people **Manx surnames * Isle of Man It may also refer to: Languages * Manx language, also known as Manx ...

sidecar enthusiast and sponsor Christopher Beauman first devised the idea of a

reality show Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...

in the Isle of Man TT paddocks hoping to promote sidecar racing to a wider audience, in order to increase sponsorship potential for the competitors. Development began in early 2015 with ''Greenlight International'' handling sales and distribution.

Production

The Department of Economic Development (Isle of Man) provided support in allowing the production company access to restricted zones at the

TT Grandstand The TT Grandstand including the startline, pit lane, re-fuellers, merchandising, scoreboard and paddocks for the Isle of Man TT and Manx Grand Prix races is situated on the A2 Glencrutchery Road, in the town of Douglas, Isle of Man. Histor ...

, and

principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as actor ...

took place during racing period of 2016 with Dave Molyneux, Tim Reeves and Klaus Klaffenböck attached to star. Manx-Based company Blue Olive Productions captured original footage with racing footage filmed and licensed by North One Television. The camera-crew described the filming technique as "invisibly intrusive" and admitted that it took several days to develop a suitable method of capturing the action close-up, without affecting the race-team's concentration. Beaumanx Productions sponsored ''Dave Molyneux Racing'' in order to secure the publicity-shy racer. The film's director stated that Molyneux's dislike for the limelight made ''3 Wheeling'' difficult to film, but acknowledged that it allowed them to portray Molyneux as a "...brilliant character..." with "...a tremendous screen-presence...". ''Second Unit'' was filmed during the Southern 100 and

Manx Grand Prix The Manx Grand Prix motorcycle races are held on the Isle of Man TT Course (or 'Snaefell Mountain Course, Mountain Circuit') every year for a two-week period, usually spanning the end of August and early September. New for 2022 is a period re ...

2016, and the movie took ten months to complete.

Release

The official trailer was previewed at the TT Press Launch in March 2017 and the film was premiered at the Villa Marina on 7 May. Most of the film's stars were in attendance; Reeves and Klaffenböck were unable to attend due to racing seasons commitments. The film was then released in theatres in Northern Ireland, Germany, and the Isle of Man.

References

External links

* * {{IMDb title, 6693242 2017 films 2017 documentary films British auto racing films British sports documentary films Documentary films about auto racing Films set on the Isle of Man Films shot in the Isle of Man Motorcycle racing films Isle of Man TT 2017 directorial debut films 2010s English-language films 2010s British films English-language documentary films