The job is done
Junior Spencer Bowman, a student trip leader, is proud of the work his group did for the National Park Service.
As our boat neared Ship Island, Fort Massachusetts began to come into view, and I could feel the immensity of the place we were about to film.
We visited the post-War of 1812 structure before the island’s official tourist season began, which made for a peaceful, impactful experience. Although we were all there together, I would often find myself alone. At times I even had to wonder if everyone else left because it was so quiet — but we were all there, just taking in the history of the fort.
Before heading to Fort Massachusetts, my group and I interviewed a volunteer at the park named Pat Alford. We couldn’t have asked for a more knowledgeable source to share his insight on Fort Massachusetts. I worked audio on his interview, and while I was paying attention to our audio and levels, I was trying to take in as much information from him as I could. Hearing what Pat had to say about the fort definitely made me that much more excited to get out to Ship Island and film.
Thanks to the knowledge of the fort we received from Pat, we were able to get more meaningful shots and understand what exactly we were filming. Just thinking about all the history that took place where we were standing was so powerful. Whether I was walking around in the grass courtyard, wandering through the dark archways or climbing the spiraling staircases, I could feel Fort Massachusetts’ rich history.
I feel lucky to be a part of the team making the video on Fort Massachusetts. Being able to film in a place so full of history and character was an amazing experience.
