This story is part of our four-part series for Teacher Appreciation Month. It’s written by Alexandria Bombach, Horny Toad Ambassador and Producer/Director at RED REEL, who also has two of her MoveShake stories in the 2013 MountainFilm in Telluride Festival!
By Alexandria Bombach
I often get asked how I got this “job.” The question always catches me off guard because it quickly reminds me that what I’m doing is considered a job. Being a documentary filmmaker is definitely hard work, but it follows the idea that “if you find something you love to do, you’ll never work a day in your life.” And I love what I do.
I feel very fortunate to have found my calling early in life. I know for many 20 and 30-somethings, it’s an ongoing search. But becoming a filmmaker was not an obvious route for me when I first started. I had always loved the idea of filmmaking, though it wasn’t until I received encouragement from a certain college professor that I even gave the idea a second thought.
I bought my first camera when I was 13. I had saved for a long time, cleaning empty, run-down houses for a real estate company, until I finally had enough money to walk into a Best Buy and proudly purchase a $500 mini-dv tape camcorder. I filmed anything and everything I could and made short videos of friends and family. But as high school went on, I became serious about grades and what college I wanted to attend, and the camera was set aside.
I never considered filmmaking a viable career path. We’re encouraged during our youth to be practical with our future choices, and “filmmaker” never fit the bill. I remember taking a test in high school that advised us what to be when we grew up. I landed in the social services category. I was so confused and conflicted about being put in that box because it was very far from what I thought I wanted to do. Being told what I was destined to be by such a simple test left me deflated and uninspired about my future.
After graduating from high school I attended Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado. I went for the skiing but stayed for the amazing professors. Small class sizes allowed ample one-on-one time with instructors, and the highly acclaimed business school of FLC offered an amazing education.
I started out as a tourism resort management major thinking that one day I would own a bed and breakfast. After cleaning my first room at a local Holiday Inn, I decided that the hospitality industry was not for me. I switched to a marketing degree the next day, though I felt a bit lost as to where it would take me.
On the first day of my junior year, during a systems management class my professor, Dr. Yoos, told us that a large portion of our grade would be determined by one project. Our eager ears perked up, waiting for a project outline. Dr. Yoos smiled and simply said: “Explain a system… any system.” He quickly moved on to attendance and the rest of the syllabus after that. One student raised his hand, obviously a bit confused and asked: “What do you mean? Do you want a paper? A presentation?” Dr. Yoos simply replied “You can explain it any way you want – as long as you explain it well.”
While the students asked more confused questions and Dr. Yoos continued to reply vaguely, my eyes lit up with the opportunity before me. The idea of not being told exactly what to do was exciting. I remembered that the school rented out cameras, and I thought I might as well make a short video for the project.
Alexandria piled in with the luggage while filming in Baja last year for MoveShake. photo: Brenda Barrera
I set out to film how pro-form in the outdoor industry works. Completely jealous that my ski patrol friends were getting discounted gear from the companies I was paying retail prices for, I wanted to know how it all worked. I interviewed local manufacturers Osprey Packs and Venture Snowboards along with local retailers Pine Needle Mountaineering and the ski patrol at Purgatory. I had to capture B-Roll and pulled my hair out over audio. This wasn’t a home video any more.
After turning in the project, Dr. Yoos was so pleased with the results that he showed the video to the dean and asked for a personal copy. He encouraged me to do more and it was the first time I even thought of making videos as an option for a “job.”
Other professors in the business school encouraged me to turn in videos for projects instead of papers and posters. My senior year I made videos for Fort Lewis and then for Osprey Packs. After I graduated I had my own camera and started my own company from there. It all started with one open-ended project by Dr. Yoos, who didn’t tell us exactly what to do, but challenged us to do something well.
Professor Yoos
I am so thankful for Dr. Yoos and the other professors at Fort Lewis who encouraged me to do what I love. Teaching is so much more than telling students what to do – it’s asking them what they would like to do – and encouraging them to go for it.
Working full-time as a filmmaker now, I try to remember Dr. Yoos when people ask me how I got this “job.” Because I wasn’t told to do what I love, I was given the opportunity to find it.
Week three of five in the 
It’s such a simple idea… just ask people what they think matters, and listen to what they have to say. Here’s how it works — a card table, a couple of chairs, a pair of microphones, and a sign that reads “Interviews — 50¢”. Long time NPR journalist Alex Chadwick waits in public places where people can stop to talk. People often ask, Do I pay you or do you pay me? “Well,” Alex likes to say, “sit down and let’s see how it goes.” The stories he collects don’t often get into the mainstream media — personal tales about love gone wrong or right, a cross-country road trip with a corpse, a daughter weighing reconciliation with the father she dreads, a small chance encounter that saves a life. Horny Toad flew Alex out for the MountainFilm Festival in Telluride and here are a few of the everyday adventures and extraordinary people he met. Catherine, Claire & Stephanie(skunk dog): 