Peru approves TBM Avenger video

Peru residents will have the opportunity, by this time next year, to watch a 2 to 3 minute video showcasing the TBM Avenger Reunion Show and highlighting the city.

The Peru City Council approved Matthew Klein to produce the video for $8,500 during the Committee of a Whole meeting on Monday night. An anonymous donor came forward with an offer to pay $1,000, leaving the overall cost of the project $7,500.

Klein and his team have been brainstorming new ideas, since the premiere of “Ice Climbers of Starved Rock” and people have suggested the TBM show May 17-18 at the Illinois Valley Regional Airport.

“The fact that it happens here,” Klein said. “And from what we can tell from the few initial discussions we’ve had with Cary [Miller], that this is the largest and only of its kind in the country. It’s a really unique story.”

The working title the team has given the project at Phase 1 is “Wings Across America: The TBM Avenger Legacy.”

“Every single one of those planes that flies out here, and even the planes that don’t make it out here, they all have a story,” Klein said.

Alderman Jim Lukosus said he thought the video sounded like a great idea and he couldn’t wait to see it come to fruition.

“I have seen your work Matthew and it’s all quality stuff,” he said. “I think that the city could use this for not only promotion of the air show but for economic development and to sell Peru, basically.”

Alderman Mike Sapienza asked Klein what his royalties would be after the video was completed and if the city would be able to use the video in anyway it wanted to.

Klein said Peru will have 100% non-exclusive rights to the deliverables for Phase 1, meaning Peru can use the video at no cost, including editing or taking still photographs for advertising purposes. But, Klein has access to the use of it, as well.

Phase 1, is what Klein is calling the initial 2 to 3 minute highlight video. The next step in the process is unknown until Klein and his team get started and see what footage and stories there are to tell.

Klein said if they were to make it into a longer form there are \unanswered questions. Is it a five episode short series, with each episode focusing on each plane and the finale ending in Peru? Is it an 1 hour, 30 minutes long documentary? Is it a 45 minute short film?

“You just don’t know until you do that research and you get out there,” Klein said. “You figure out where the planes are right now and why they come to Peru every year.”