Yesterday, while on yet another research trip, we spent the day interviewing a history professor at University of California - Fullerton. His name is Carmon Hardy. He did his doctoral dissertation on the Mormon Colonies in Mexico. He was the one that helped Nelle Spillsbury Hatch complete her book, STALWARTS SOUTH OF THE BORDER.
After getting lost for over an hour, we met him at a restaurant near the campus. We enjoyed lunch and became acquainted with each other. We went to the University but, ultimately, he took us to his home to complete the interview. There, we met his lovely artist wife, Kamillia. During the filming and interview we were pleasantly surprised with the amount of information he had accumulated through the years and the insight he has over the subject of the colonies. It was a pleasure to be in their home. I personally witnessed the care and consideration they have for each other and others, even strangers like us!
They were both such generous and kind individuals. Carmon patiently sat for hours and answered questions under the heat of the lights and the California summer afternoon. Kamillia prepared a light supper for us to enjoy on their patio. Interviews can be tedious, difficult and exhausting, but we found Carmon to be articulate, responsive and insightful, the golden interviewee.
We left feeling like we had been in the presence of sincerely kind souls. Thank you, Carmon and Kamillia, for sharing your home, your life experiences and your authentic selves. It was a joy meeting you. We appreciate you both and wish you the best.
One of the interesting things about research is visiting different research facilities. Some are so accommodating while others are…not. While I was in Utah this last week I went to different libraries to see what they had that might supplement our growing pile of information. This one library had glass negatives. I had never handled them before and I wasn’t sure how to get the information off of them. My handy librarian brought me to the back room. There was a light box. YEA! I hoisted my camera upon the table. Stood on a chair and clicked away. This is one example of the pictures I found. I emailed it to Cyndy. She did her magic and brought out the texture and color of the glass negative. She is very good. I love this picture. 
We kept walking … in 101 degree weather … another 2 miles. You might think 2 miles is not a big deal, but it was high noon and we were carrying equipment. Whine, whine whine. The night before we had experienced food poisoning so our hydration levels were pretty low. Ciera was feeling a tad weak, but she tried to be a good sport and kept framing some good shots. 
I realized once Ciera had water I would have to make a return trip with water in hand for the “injured” crew member. Maybe he had been bit by a rattesnake. I hope he didn’t sprain his ankle because I couldn’t carry him out. Then I started thinking that maybe he had a heart attack. He has been experiencing numbness and pain in his arms and legs lately. Maybe he fell in the river. That would be bad. He had my camera! As usual, my imagination ran wild. This only made me even hotter under the collar. 
Did I mention that the night before Chris wandered off, we could not find him for an hour … at the Grand Canyon? Oh, another story for another day!
We traveled to local historical libraries and found a wealth of photos to breathe life into the words we had been reading. We found more journals and histories (thank you Uncle Don!) to add even more depth and diversity to the story. In truth, I could keep researching forever because the amount of information about the settlers and their descendants really is endless. We have discussed the possibility of “sequels” for each individual colony because it seems that there are dozens of powerful and inspiring stories in each colony. We hope and invite others to share their stories about this place and time. To help the sharing, we are establishing a “wiki” site for that to occur. (Like Wikipedia, everyone can post stories and photos and movies for others to see and enjoy!)
Phoenix Country Day School, Arizona State University, and Maricopa Community Colleges since 1989. They took a 14-member student crew to Zambia, Africa to make the first dramatic narrative feature film in that country and a documentary about the experience. 
Their students work in the the film industry, for graphic design firms, advertising agencies, print companies and game manufacturers. Their students also use their skills to make personal histories and commemorative items for their families and friends.
If any of you are interested in learning this amazing art form, email me and I will see if I can fit you in. It is expensive, but it is worth it. There will always be a market for good animators. It only takes practice and an imagination. And it pays well. That’s all folks! 
As we edit our movie, I realize that nobody will ever know or appreciate the limited choices we had in putting the film together. There were so many reaction shots we found before the scene officially began or after the director yelled “cut.” Our intention is that viewers watch the film and become so absorbed in the story that they do not notice the shots in and of themselves. I think we’re succeeding.
In spite of all that, what made us feel all grown up? Some little lines and numbers. This week we received our first ISBN numbers. We can officially sell our products through Baker & Taylor, Amazon, Border and almost anywhere else you can name in the world. Seems like a silly thing, but for us to have our own bar code is…well… pretty cool.