FLOORED : Standing in the Twilight of Open Outcry

"Floored" is currently in production, it will come out in 2009.

NEW "In a feature-length documentary set for release later this year, Smith aims to chronicle the vanishing life and times of the open-outcry futures trader, highlighting the clash between technology and humanity, and the personal toll of progress."

By Greg Burns for Chicago Tribune 3/3/08 - read article

NEW Video interview with director James Allen Smith from the floor of the CME

By Wes Pope for Chicago Tribune 2/28/08 - watch clip

“A CME official said the exchange had now found a place to accommodate the half-a-dozen traders who still trade the commodity in the traditional way.”

By Hal Weitzman for Financial Times 2/5/08 - read article

“For years, Chicago's futures marts resisted the screen, clinging to the traditional open-outcry pits where traders don colorful jackets, raise their arms and shout out bids and offers, as they have for generations. Technology transformed the rest of the financial world, leaving them behind.”

By Greg Burns for Chicago Tribune 3/18/07

"It's a bit of Americana, a bit of history, and when it's gone, it's gone," said J. Allen Smith, a documentary filmmaker whose coming picture, "Floored," will profile displaced traders.

By Greg Burns for Chicago Tribune 3/25/07

James Allen Smith, Director: James has lived in the Chicago trading world for the past 10 years. He has assisted in the development of trading software & websites, assisted in hedge fund operations and traded on the screen. Smith has always loved to tell stories; two years ago he tackled the story he knew best, that of his parent’s bizarre relationship and his connection to them. During production of “My Name Is Smith” (link), he took on nearly every role of production, learning along the way. Turning to friends and the connections he had made in the business for support. Ultimately, this experience prepared him to tell the story of the trading community which he has come to know and love. email

Steve Prosniewski, Executive Producer. Member of CME. email

Joseph Gibbons, Executive Producer. Member of CME. email

James Allen Smith, Producer / Director. email

Larry Estes, Producer. Larry served as Executive Producer of "The Heart of The Game", a popular new Seattle-based documentary feature that premiered at the 2005 Toronto Film Festival and was the first film acquired for distribution by the new incarnation of Miramax Films. email

Jock Headblade, Producer. A two-time Emmy award winning television producer who knows many of the traders personally. He has produced for FOX Television and PBS and has produced and directed number of independent film projects.

Powered by Wufoo