Early this winter, SDPB Marketing Interns Krystal Schoenbauer and Kara Jo Brodsky went just north of Vermillion to interview local woodworker and teacher Dawne Michelle Olson. At Four Winds Boat Shop and Woodcraft, they captured the sights and sounds of Olson showing fledgling woodcrafters how to craft a children’s sleigh.
Schoenbauer and Brodsky planned, filmed, produced and deployed the Four Winds Digital Short. Brodsky is a senior Communication Studies major at USD from Vermillion who is also active in Lambda Pi Eta, the Communications Studies Honor Society. “The most enjoyable part about putting together the piece was hearing the story of an awesome, local lady take a huge risk and follow her dream,” says Brodsky. “I’ve known Dawne for years, but I didn’t realize how much she put on the line to do something that no one expected. I loved seeing how much she, her passion, and her shop have grown. The most challenging part was deciding which angle we wanted to take with the story. I’m so glad we got interviews with her children so we could show just how much they look up to their mom. They are so proud of her and I think that came across in the video.”
Schoenbauer is a senior Media and Journalism major at USD from New Prague, MN. She is also involved with Coyote News, USD’s Cross Media Council and Alpha Xi Delta Sorority. She’s interned with SDPB for one year. “Not many interns are able to say they had an idea for a story and then were told they could go out and produce it,” says Schoenbauer. “The most challenging part for any story is figuring out what direction you want your story to take. I knew before we even interviewed Dawne that I wanted to create a piece that showed South Dakotans how important it is for people to go out and follow their passions. Having the opportunity to sit down and talk with Dawne was a very inspiring moment for me, and I wanted others to hear what she had to say and be inspired. When you watch the video and hear her speak, you can see how happy she is creating beautiful pieces of work, and teaching others.”