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How Seamus Gets a Fish
My seven-year-old son Seamus wanted a fish.
More than that, he wanted to be just like his older sister, Alcina, who had earned the privilege of having her own pet (she wrote a persuasive essay). So Seamus set out to earn the money for fish himself.
I pitched the idea for a film about this to the Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative, who our team at Blue Chalk was already working with on other projects. They were so supportive of the idea and allowed me creative freedom to approach this from a personal point of view.
The film follows Seamus on his mission to collect enough bottles and cans to buy his fish. It captures Seamus exactly as he is - his energy, his determination, his seven-year-old logic about how the world works. There was no directing involved because there couldn't be. Seamus was going to be Seamus, with or without my camera around.
What emerged was something that I believe worked on multiple levels. The environmental message wasn't forced into the story. It was already woven into the larger questions we all face: How do we teach our children well? How do we recognize these fleeting experiences for what they are - opportunities to witness who our kids are becoming?
This is a client project, an environmental short film, and a family story. But mostly, it's my own take on innocence that only lasts for a while.
Years later, as both kids have grown, I'm so grateful this project exists. Not just because it tells a good story, but because it captures what life was like for our family at that moment. It reminds me how good those simple times were.
Seamus still has fish, by the way. Now it's a 75-gallon African Cichlid tank. He's currently considering careers as an ichthyologist, sports broadcaster, marine biologist, high school teacher, lego designer, or architect - sometimes all in the same conversation.
How Seamus Gets a Fish
My seven-year-old son Seamus wanted a fish.
More than that, he wanted to be just like his older sister, Alcina, who had earned the privilege of having her own pet (she wrote a persuasive essay). So Seamus set out to earn the money for fish himself.
I pitched the idea for a film about this to the Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative, who our team at Blue Chalk was already working with on other projects. They were so supportive of the idea and allowed me creative freedom to approach this from a personal point of view.
The film follows Seamus on his mission to collect enough bottles and cans to buy his fish. It captures Seamus exactly as he is - his energy, his determination, his seven-year-old logic about how the world works. There was no directing involved because there couldn't be. Seamus was going to be Seamus, with or without my camera around.
What emerged was something that I believe worked on multiple levels. The environmental message wasn't forced into the story. It was already woven into the larger questions we all face: How do we teach our children well? How do we recognize these fleeting experiences for what they are - opportunities to witness who our kids are becoming?
This is a client project, an environmental short film, and a family story. But mostly, it's my own take on innocence that only lasts for a while.
Years later, as both kids have grown, I'm so grateful this project exists. Not just because it tells a good story, but because it captures what life was like for our family at that moment. It reminds me how good those simple times were.
Seamus still has fish, by the way. Now it's a 75-gallon African Cichlid tank. He's currently considering careers as an ichthyologist, sports broadcaster, marine biologist, high school teacher, lego designer, or architect - sometimes all in the same conversation.
Director / Director of Photography / Dad: Rob Finch
Production Company: Blue Chalk
Client: Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative
Editor: Eric Schoenbrunn
Production Manager: Sebastian Weinberg
Graphics: Miró Merrill
Rob interview footage: Megan Clark
Assistant Producer: Gordon Klco
Director / Director of Photography / Dad: Rob Finch
Production Company: Blue Chalk
Client: Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative
Editor: Eric Schoenbrunn
Production Manager: Sebastian Weinberg
Graphics: Miró Merrill
Rob interview footage: Megan Clark
Assistant Producer: Gordon Klco