Since I can barely change a tire, making a documentary about tires seems a bit beyond my wheelhouse. Unquestionably, it was a turning point for our community. But if the city hoped to survive, it was up to its citizens to figure out how. As the multimedia marketing coordinator for Royal Credit Union, he fulfilled all film-related duties, allowing me to focus on research, writing and communications.
Though even together, we quickly learned we needed a bigger team. Thankfully, faculty, alumni and current University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire students joined us on our journey. Associate Professor Greg Kocken, head of special collections and archives, helped us sift through over 30 feet of archival materials. His staff, too, scoured boxes, scanned photos and assisted us in bringing this history to the screen.
Alum Austin Bower whom I last saw in my nonfiction course in also served as an early screener. A filmmaker himself, Austin provided key feedback that furthered our film. Once the filming was complete, we still needed a soundtrack, so I reached out to Jerrika Mighelle whom I worked with during my prose writing course in , and she generously provided the perfect song. Before making a documentary, I never bothered watching the credits following a film.
Now I know better. Much like building a tire, making a documentary requires a team. When building ours, we knew to bet on Blugolds. May 3 at Pablo Center at the Confluence. Tickets are available here.
