Hawkeye Trail Camps
Video footage shot for the USDA Forest Service in Alaska by Bill Curtis
Most of this footage was shot in Beta-SP between 1993-2006 for three video projects: including a flight safety and helicopter safety videos. The Prince William Sound helicopter footage was used in identifying areas that were negatively impacted by the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Kenai Helicopter footage was for a documentary on the the devastation caused by Spruce Bark Beetle. Most aerial footage was shot using a Tyler Helicopter Nose Mount. Other helicopter footage was hand-held with the front helicopter door removed and a safety strap on the camera (not me). Helicopters from ERA in Anchorage and Temsco in Ketchikan & Juneau- All footage is in SD and edited in 16:9 format.
Bill Curtis
Personal Background
(probably more than you want to know)
Education: BFA, MFA in Theatre Arts-Utah State University
My professional background is largely in American Indian Education. I was a speech and drama teacher for 9 years at Intermountain Inter-Tribal High School, an Indian boarding school, in Brigham City, Utah. In 1980 I was given the opportunity to start a video production unit for the Bureau of Indian Affairs on the Utah campus. When the school was closed in 1984, I was transferred to Haskell Indian Junior College (later university) to design and teach a college level instruction program in television production. We were able to fund our instructional program by producing documentaries and training videos for Indian Tribes and US Government Agencies, including the USDA Forest Service in Alaska. The money generated by the productions funded the instructional program for 21 years. We received three national video awards and some of the footage I shot for the Forest Service in Alaska has been used by the Discovery Channel, A&E, and the History Channel.
I retired in 2006 and now work on productions related to the 8th Air Force in England during WWII and the 466th Bomb Group based in Norfolk - East Anglia.
B-24 Graphic work actually started as an experiment. At an 8th Air Force Historical Society reunion, I was talking with a WWII B-24 pilot. He complained that almost all of the posters and artwork that were on display at the event only showed B-17's. He showed me a painting that depicted a specific bombing mission. There were B-17's all over the place. He said to me I was there. It was on that same mission. The sky was full of both B-17's and B-24's. There wasn't one B-24 in this painting. The veteran was right. The reunion was heavily weighted on B-17 Bomb Groups and the B-24 groups veteran crews felt a bit ignored.The B-17's was celebrated as the bomber that won the war. But that was not the case. The B-24's flew higher, faster and carried more bomb weight than the 17's. The B-17''s were replaced with B-24's. The B-17's received much better press coverage because of "Memphis Belle". The press missed the fact there were more B-24s flown in WWII out of England than B-17's.. I told the gentleman that I was not an artist, but I was a photographer and I would try to use photography and the ability to combine photos graphically by computer. The results can be seen on this site. I take requests from veterans and family members to research specific aircraft and make large prints for display.
Personal Areas on Website
I have added 2 other personal areas to the site:
Hawkeye Trail Camps
This is the summer camp my sister and I went to in the 1950's. It was located in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. I started at age 7 and went for five summers (2 months) . I put this on line in order to see if I could make contact with any other campers. I was from Ohio and most of the other campers were from Baltimore, MD, Washington D.C., and Short Hills, NJ. So far it has worked.
The Rogers of Oxford
This section is information on my mother's family that lived in Oxford, Ohio. She and her 7 siblings all attended and many graduated from Miami University. We all used to gather somewhere in Ohio for my grandmother's birthday each year as she got older and we didn't know if there would be another. I think the first was for her 95th Birthday. But it wasn't her last. She lived to be 108 years-old (1882-1990)
_____________________________________
Video Productions
on YouTube
These are a variety of the projects I've produced and directed over a period of 30+ years. Since 1995 and even after my 2006 retirement from Haskell Indian Nations University, I've been working with co-producer, Mike Tosee a Kiowa /Comanche Historian who also recently retired from Haskell. We've produced several documentaries American Indian Athletes, as early Historical look at the old Haskell Institute, and a 90-minute history of Comanche Nation U.S. Military Veterans
Mike is an alumnus of Oklahoma City University, where he played for the legendary basketball coach Abe Lemons. He was instrumental in compiling all of the historical materials and conducting player interviews for two sports videos we produced for OCU.
Documentaries
1 “American Indians in WWII”
produced for a seminar for the
8th Air Force Historical Society Reunion . It examines the reasons
for high enlistment numbers of American Indians in both WW I and WWII.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byTvc411luE&feature=youtu.be
2. “Haskell Institute 1884-1944- Cultural Survival in a Changing World”
An early history of Indian Education at Haskell Institute- a boarding school for
American Indian children- an attempt at assimilation
3 “The Golden Age of Haskell High School Sports- 1952-1962”
They came from more than 100 different Tribes and 49 states, most for family
economic reasons. Athletics was an outlet where they could excel and compete.
US Olympic Gold Medalist, Billy Mills started his career on the Haskell Track.
4. “Ancient Traditions in a Modern World-
The Ayta Abellen of the Philippines”
The Ayta people are the original tribal people of the Philippines.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1akrbADrqi4&t=2s&frags=pl%2Cwn
2017
Trailer for Return to Attlebridge
produced for the 466th Bomb Group Assn.
2012
Trailer for "In the Tradition of the Warrior"
"In the Tradition of the Warrior
A History of Modern-day Comanche Veterans"
Produced for Comanche Nation of Oklahoma
Scenes from An "American Indian Tribute to Abe Lemons"
An American Indian Tribute to Abe Lemons
Often referred to as the "Will Rogers" of College Basketball, Abe Lemons was an
unforgettable figure in NCAA Basketball. His humor plus his exceptional skills
as a coach led the (2000 student) Oklahoma City University basketball team to
11 NCAA Tournaments in 16 years.
produced for Oklahoma City University Athletics Department
Trailer for "The Great Eight"
The Great Eight- The story of the Oklahoma City University
Division One Basketball All-Americans 1950-1973
These were the eight exceptionally gifted All - American basketball players
who played for the great coach Abe Lemons in the 1960's
produced for Oklahoma City University Athletics Department
The Art of John Collier- Truth & the Beautiful Lie
"The Art of John Collier- Truth & the Beautiful Lie"
1988 production that is still being used by university art departments
across the country featuring world class illustrator/sculptor John Collier.
Produced by John Collier, DougRobinson, and myself,
with original music inspired by the paintings and performed by
composer Karen Seals. The script was written by Doug Robinson.
"Virtual EPA Inspection of a College or University"
Low Budget US EPA Project
This was the ultimate quick and dirty production.
It was shot and edited in a two-day period in 2001. The actors were all EPA
Inspectors and the script was improvised. The message was simple:
What could a university or college expect during
an unannounced EPA Inspection of their facility? The video is considered
to be a "Horror Film" of sorts.
It was undoubtedly the most widely distributed video I ever produced.
Copies of this video could be found in most major universities in the U.S.
"Virtual EPA Inspection of a College or University"
DVD COPIES OF ANY OF THE ABOVE PRODUCTIONS CAN BE PURCHASED
FOR $20 INCLUDING SHIPPING WITHIN U.S.
call (785) 766-3351) or e-mail: bcurtis419@juno.com
Checks Payable to Bill Curtis
______________________________________________________________________________________________
DVD 's of 8th Air Force Historical Society Reunions are available
From 2003- 2019 I video recorded each annual reunion of the 8th Air Force Historical Society held in cities all over the U.S. The Keynote Speakers were outstanding.