Legacy Video for an Industry – Pioneers in Irrigation
Legacy Video for an Industry is what official Historian of the Irrigation Association Glenn Bowlin had in mind when he called.
He had no idea what sort of an education he would get about the production of a great historical documentary over the following several years.
Glenn wanted to take advantage of an upcoming industry show to gather industry leaders and videotape interviews of them about the roles they played in the irrigation industry. Glenn knew he was on to a great idea. So did we. Can you imagine how many different video production crews you would have to send out to multiple locations around the globe to accomplish the same thing? The costs would be prohibitive.
Videographer and Director of Photography, Mark Schulze, spent several hours of “pre-production” time learning about what end result Glenn and the Irrigation Association wanted. Then he shared with Glenn the best ways to accomplish these goals.
An interviewee for Irrigation Association Historical Documentary using a green screen background
At the IA’s next several conventions spanning three different cities, a quiet interview space with a green screen backdrop was utilized to capture the recollections of dozens of irrigation experts. Many, including entire families, had been involved in the industry for decades. The education I received on the receiving end of my ear phones was stellar. I’d gone in as a Sound Technician thinking Irrigation was going to be a “dry” topic. On the contrary, it was fascinating.
Glenn probably has the most extensive collection of sprinklers and irrigation parts ever assembled
Glenn shows off some unique sprinkler heads
A sprinkler head that looks like a tortoise
History of Irrigation
The history of the Irrigation Association is really the history of water use and conservation in the United States. The video deserves a global audience. The same can be said of many industries here and around the world. If you are planning a convention where many of the movers and shakers of your industry will be gathering, it is an excellent idea to videotape interviews with them. You could merely archive the footage until you’re ready to work with it. The use of a green screen helps to keep the video “evergreen” so you can switch out the backgrounds at will.
Glenn told us the IA was very happy with their Legacy Video. What made it especially poignant was one of their more exemplary members whom we captured on videotape died shortly afterwards. The video was subsequently dedicated to this revered irrigation leader.
The Reasons Behind Legacy Videos
The award-winning documentarian, Ken Burns, gathered interviews of surviving World War II veterans. These veterans are now departing the earthly plane at the rate of approximately 850 a day.
How soon will it be before the leaders of your industry retire or pass away? Historians already know the value of preserving history. A video production company like Crystal Pyramid Productions that has been in business for over 40 years can help. We know how to create beautiful lighting and make non-professionals feel comfortable in front of a camera. We can help you produce a legacy video for now and future generations.
You can view the Irrigation Association above.
The “Pioneers of Irrigation” has turned out to be quite an interesting Legacy Video project. Technically it shows off such video production advancements as the use of the green screen coupled with the 16 x 9 high-definition format which demands more from an editor.
In this case, the editor was me. I also worked as sound technician on two of the three shoots which took place in San Diego, Los Angeles and Napa, California. I missed out on the Napa one. That’s unfortunate, because we know some of the best wines in the world come from there and it’s a wonderful place to be.
Story of an Industry
This video is worth checking out because it tells the story of an industry through its pioneers. As a “fly on the wall” during two shoots, I learned many things about irrigation and its leading innovators. For instance, when asked if they would do it again, most of the interviewees, some of whom had been involved in irrigation for two, three and four decades, said, “I would have gotten started sooner.” They were completely devoted to their chosen profession. Several of them had businesses that included many generations of family members.
It turns out that Irrigation encompasses three tiers: Agriculture, Turf and Golf Courses. The most important topic for everyone concerned was water conservation. It was readily apparent to me that the Irrigation Association is way ahead of the rest of us when it comes to conserving our water usage.
What you see here is video that the Irrigation Association has put up on its website. They have plans to create a longer version that tells the full story of irrigation from the past to the future.
I hope this can be an example to other organizations in that an industry’s “elders” will not always be around to tell their stories. Ken Burns showed us all with his series on “The War” that now is the time to collect the stories of our foreparents before they die.
It is good that History Chairman, Glenn Bowlin, had the idea of producing this historical video on the Irrigation industry. One man we interviewed, Al Dedrick, is now gone. But his words and smiles live on through the power of video.
