On Location

Scott Holmgren ::

At the beginning of October, Jim and I headed up to the Hudson Valley for a glimpse of fall colors, Army football and several interviewees who sat patiently under the lights.

It is remarkable how many of the key leaders who were part of the mission of We Answered the Call ten years ago were there at West Point at the start of the month. Ed Naessens, Barry Shoop, Gene Ressler, Steve Ressler, and Dave Wallace all very patiently sat with wires running under their shirts, answering numerous questions. And as each spoke, the story came alive even more, from varied perspectives and backgrounds.

The Public Affairs Office of West Point and Theresa Brinkerhoff were incredibly helpful and allowed us to shoot in the studio in the basement of Thayer Hall. It was cool, soundproof and a perfect setting to capture footage.

Outside the studio, we were able to shoot many of the sights of the Academy: views of the Hudson from Trophy Point, the Plain and surrounding buildings, architectural and natural details, and a sense of the history of the campus.

While the shoot was incredible, the weather for the football game was not.

But Army won 33-24 over Ball State, which made up for the rainy and dreary conditions.

With nearly all our interview footage now in the can, the next step will be to piece together the narrative spine that will drive the documentary.