A Father, a Boat, and the Sea

Dan is a professional French horn player on Broadway, and each summer he makes time for a cruise with family and friends on his sailboat, Heldeleine. As he says, “When I work, I work. When I play, I play.”

Telling the Story  Filmmaking is in many ways a process of discovery, and the ultimate theme of this work, a meditation on bonds to family and to the sea, presented itself on the water. Ben talked to Dan early one morning on Heldeleine’s inflatable dingy, while shooting wide shots of the boat. With the fog burning off and water lapping gently against the boat, both were in a reflective state of mind, and the environment was just right for recording sound.

This narration drives the story forward and moves it through a series of moods: we feel wonder and awe looking down from the top of the mast (at “a boat of a certain size”), camaraderie during a sudden squall (“the memories we make …”), longing as the boat slowly slips out of frame (“it gets under your skin”).

Shooting at sea  GoPro HD Hero cameras supply some of the most notable shots in this piece, including the dramatic point-of-view shots from the top of the mast (achieved by winching Ben up in the bosun’s chair). The waterline shot as the boat crashes through waves was a little bit easier—Ben just clipped onto the boat’s safety line and leaned out into the water, camera in hand.

A Canon 60D was used for the bulk of the photography, and a Zoom H4n audio recorder with shotgun microphone recorded natural sound, such as waves crashing against the bow, to use as foley in editing. A four-foot custom-built camera slider was onboard for short dolly moves.

Dramatic texture  Even this largely celebratory film, about a man taking the time to enjoy life’s success, requires a certain level of adversity or core conflict. The previous owner’s difficulty parting with his boat is this key dramatic moment. It gives the characters something to lose, and reminds us that life’s joys are only temporary—which makes them all the sweeter.