By ROBIN CAUDELL
n 2009, the gods of financing struck Mountain Lake PBS twice.
The station hadn't completed its documentary "The Forgotten War" on the French and Indian War when it went back to Lakes to Locks Passage to get funding for another project — on Samuel de Champlain during his quadricentennial year.
"That project honestly, I was a little surprised," said Colin Powers, who served as executive director on both projects. He is also director of production and programming at Mountain Lake PBS in Plattsburgh.
"It felt like lightning striking twice in the same spot. Grants are hard to get. I was really pleased."
The concept for a documentary on Champlain was pitched to Powers by Dr. Sylvie Beaudreau, a Plattsburgh State professor of history and Champlain scholar.
"Sylvie came here to talk about her important Champlain was and how important he was to North America with so much passion and vigor, it really swept me off my feet," Powers said. "It fit with the station's mission and vision. I took it upon myself to write a 15-page treatment on his life. I was shooting for the stars: a mini series. The guys's life was huge. Beyond what you could do easily."
AUTHENTIC ANIMATION
Animation was the vehicle chosen to tell the story of the French explorer and his exploits in this region that bears his name.
"First, we wanted to be unique and reach young people. We knew we had a problem: No one re-enacts Champlain. If they did, you only have a few months of the year. He only came here in the summer. You can't cross the North Atlantic in winter. All of his adventures in North America, by and large, were in summer."
Working in animation allowed year-round, indoor production, and that cut down on costs.
"Secondly, we created a completely authentic 17th-century North America," Powers said. "The landscape, trees, plant and animal species, even the look of the people, we could create perfectly, authentically. Thirdly, we could find a whole new audience, reach a younger demographic. And finally, an animated piece can stand out from other projects on PBS and make it newsworthy."
The less-than-$500,000 project was funded by Lakes to Locks Passage, America's Byways, Quebec, Northern Utilities and the Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial Office.
"That (Quad Office) was the second big part of the puzzle," Powers said.
The tiny budget stacked things against them even with animation.
"We had to find some very creative ways to do this on the cheap, as it were. That's when I hired Frank Christopher as writer/producer. He liked that I was really taken with the story. What an incredible life this guy has led."
ICEBERG'S TIP
Christopher and Powers teamed up with March Hall of Montreal-based Artifex Animation Studio.
"By producing it in Montreal, we were able to use Canadian tax credits to the project's advantage, adding a third to the budget," Powers said. "We got this great well of talent. Montreal is this fabulous resource for animation. There are dozens of studios. They're doing cutting-edge work."
Mountain Lake also partnered with Studio La Majeure, also in Montreal.
"They provided an incredible array of services — helping us compose original music, record all the voices and sound effects and do it all for a very affordable rate."
Mountain Lake PBS aired a 42-minute quad version of "Dead Reckoning," but it is still tweaking Champlain's biography to include an additional 10 minutes for global broadcast.
"There are about five scenes that include another battle and several key interactions between Champlain and Native Americans," Powers said. "It really rounds out the picture of his exploration and gives more insight of his appreciation of Native culture and how the Native cultures operated."
Education is at the core of both projects. Both films have free, downloadable lesson plans at their Web sites: wwww.champlaininamerica.org and www.forgottenwaronline.org.
"We really invite students and adults to think more deeply than the films," Powers said. "The documentaries are the tip of the iceberg."
E-mail Robin Caudell at: rcaudell@pressrepublican.com
