Chris Holzschuh’s grandpa has an interesting story, so Chris decided to make a documentary about him. Read about the inspring story and even watch the film if you get a chance!
- What is this film about?
The film Change of Tides: The William Roberts Story is about my grandfather and his experiences aboard the destroyer the USS Emmons during World War II. The film shows the human aspect of the war, for example there are stories of my grandfather goofing off with his shipmates, but also his reaction to the carnage of D-day.
- Who helped you make it?
My Roommates Evan Moore, Josh Hersch, and Joe Bottino were my co producers. Josh and Joe are radio, TV, film, majors and used their skills to make the documentary look really good. Evan Moore is a public relations major. He used his skills to promote the movie and wrote the final draft of the voice over script. I would not have been able to produce the documentary without their help.
- Why did you decide to make the film?
We decided to make the film because we believed my Grandfathers story was worth telling. We wanted to get his first hand experiences of World War II while he was still around. Many veterans of the second World War don’t talk about their experiences and there are not many of them left. My Grandfather is 90 years old. I learned more about who he is as a person from making this documentary than I did growing up with him around. The fact that he decided to talk to me about his experiences was an honor in itself. This project wasn’t for a class, it was just something I wanted to do.
- How long did it take to produce it?
- How did all the media attention feel?
The media attention was unbelievable. When I made the documentary I had no idea anyone would care about my Grandfathers story. However when the newspapers started calling us I was truly flattered. At our debut showing of the documentary we had a full house. I’m glad my Grandfathers story is being told to so many people. At the end of the day the attention is nice but the story is about him, and I’m glad he’s being celebrated after all these years.
- Where can people view it and how long is it?
The documentary is 20 minutes long and can be viewed at Changeoftidesfilm.com along with some extra interview footage that didn’t make it into the documentary. It can also be found on Youtube if you search Change of Tides.
- What do you plan on doing with your movie-making skills in the future?