In my freshman year of university, I took an introductory writing class that was mandatory for graduation. Throughout the course, we had to write three essays. All of which could be about any topic we wanted, but had to follow some specific guidelines and include some sort of writing skill we learned in class. All three of the essays I wrote were about fly fishing in some way. Through the essays, I learned so much more about this simple yet complicated sport. I plan to publish these essays for anyone interested in reading them. At the end of the semester, instead of a final test or final essay, my classmates and I were assigned to create a “multi-mode presentation.” It had to be on a previous essay we had written and could be a PowerPoint, Kahoot quiz, video, etc. In short, it had to be a visual or interactive way to complement an already written essay.
The essay I chose to create this multi-mode presentation was about the native trout of the northern Midwest region, where I live and go to school. With my background in editing and videography, a short film was the route I took to go alongside the essay. Admittedly, this was the first project in the class I did not procrastinate on, even with the due date two weeks away. I wanted this film to be worthy of being entered into a fly fishing film festival. I started planning right away. I like color-coding my work so I can better visualize what I need to shoot.
I wanted to interview someone documentary style because I felt that it sets a certain mood that I wanted the film to embody. A couple of weeks before the project was assigned, I went to a fly fishing film festival hosted at my school by the local Trout Unlimited chapter (Fred Waara). That experience inspired me to create a short film.I figured contacting a board member would be a good place to start learning more about the native brook and lake trout in our local waters. After a couple of emails back and forth with board member Jason Nicholas, a date and time was chosen for an interview. Jason and I talked about how Trout Unlimited has helped the native trout populations, specifically the brook trout, by monitoring water temperatures, adding structure to waterways, and planting trees. The Fred Waara TU protects the native trout of the northern Midwest. To find a local Trout Unlimited chapter near you, visit this link.
Having one voice was great, but having two voices would be ideal to add more depth to the project. Fortunately, a fish hatchery is located in Marquette. Contacting them, I met fish biologist Troy Zorn. With the insight of a fish biologist, I could incorporate a scientific tone into my film. Troy was kind enough to give me a whole tour of the hatchery, including all the holding tanks for the various stages of a fish’s life cycle before they are stocked into the water system. Our conversation educated me on how we as fishermen hold a great responsibility to protect native fish. I learned about the invasive species and warming water temperatures that are killing off the trout.
After recording both interviews, the next step in my journey to produce my short film was to go out into the woods and film some B-roll. Unfortunately, with all the melting snow, the rivers were either blown out or still frozen in some places. Since I cannot control the weather and timing, the conditions would have to do. I would have liked to include some more clips of me fishing and even catching a fish, but every time I went out, the skunk came along. This is where the short film falls short; there is too much talking compared to action shots. But, like anything, the first attempt is rarely the best. I learned a lot throughout the whole process, from planning, interviewing, filming, and editing. With all this experience, I am excited to create another short film and implement all that I learned. For those wondering, I received a 98% on the final project.
If you would like to watch the documentary, I would greatly appreciate it. Feel free to leave a comment, whether that be a question or suggestion, all feedback is welcome!
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