Interview: Daniel Koenig of Power 10 Films on His Adaptive Rowing Documentary

Joshua Langston-White on the dock (Photo: Daniel Koenig)

Filmmaker Daniel Koenig is in the midst of a powerful project on rowing, and he could use a helping hand. Koenig is currently in the process of shooting a documentary on four adaptive rowing athletes who are aiming to make the U.S. national team this summer: Dan Ahr (shown in the video clip below), 2012 Paralympian Andrew Johnson (read his RR interview here), Margaret Stran, and Joshua Langston-White. The film will serve to not only offer insight on the process of training for a national team bid, but also on adaptive rowing as a whole. We checked in with Koenig on the project, his rowing background, how you can donate to this project, and what's next.

RR: What fist inspired this project? Did you have a personal connection to the sport beforehand?

Daniel Koenig: I started rowing in Oklahoma City as a freshman at the University of Oklahoma and currently row with Rio Salado Rowing Club in Tempe, Arizona. I’ve always had a passion for the sport and love the feeling of being out on the water. Rowing is a unique sport in that it can be an intense workout or a calm escape and I wanted to find a way to show others why I have such a strong love for being out on the water. Having a rowing background has actually been very helpful while filming this documentary. In addition to knowing the lingo and what questions are important to a rower, being a rower myself, I have the ability to take a single out alongside the athletes and do interviews on the water while rowing down the Anacostia or Black Warrior River. I think having such close access to the rower will help the viewer connect with each athlete and have a better feel for the sport.



RR: What has been the most significant challenge you’ve faced so far?

DK: The most difficult aspect of shooting this film is probably in the logistics. One thing I love about this documentary is that it features four athletes from four very different locations. Over the span of 8 months I have driven up and down the East coast, from Boston, Massachusetts to Crystal River, Florida, several times in order to show the progression for each athlete throughout the season. Making sure I am aware of each rower's schedule and that I am in the right city at the right time is a constant concern. As this is a documentary, life happens and plans don’t always pan out as expected. You just have to be flexible and adjust as changes occur.

I also find many mornings when the weather is perfect and the water like glass that I just want to put down the camera and go for a row myself. It’s a tough temptation but so far I’ve been able keep the documentary as the higher priority. I guess that’s the downside to taking on a subject you’re passionate about.

RR: From a cinematographer’s perspective, what tips could you offer anyone looking to create a film about rowing?

DK: Rowing is beautiful and nothing quite compares to slicing through water at 6am. When something is that beautiful, it’s hard not to come out with usable footage. But the best ways to insure a quality image is to keep a fast shutter speed so that the motion is crisp, and buy a nice circular polarizer. Because rowing is outside on water, there is a lot of light reflecting around—being able to control how that light is seen will really make the images stand out. Also, not every day is warm and sunny so having the commitment to endure those cold, wet, or even snowy days can be a major test.

RR: How can the rowing community get involved and help?

DK: Through the first week of June we are raising funds to help send us into post production strong. This being an entirely independent film, it has only been through the support of those who believe in our message that we have reached this point into filming. Entering the next stage, we would really appreciate any help so that we can deliver a high quality film that will shine a positive light on our sport. There is an Indiegogo page running until June 6, which will give people the opportunity to join us in showcasing how the sport of rowing is able to make an impact on the lives of four individuals. There are also quite a few perks available to those who donate, including a DVD, advanced screening tickets, and a trip out on the water with myself or one of the featured athletes.

Beyond just this documentary, I think it would be great for the rowing community to continue to add adaptive races to the schedule when planning a regatta. For athletes training to represent their country on the international stage, having sufficient racing experience is important. Currently, there are few regattas including para events to their race schedules. These athletes want the opportunity to race just as much as anyone else and having more options and opportunities to race will only improve their performance.

RR: What impact do you hope that your film will make? Are you finding that even in production, your project is helping to shine a light on adaptive rowing?

DK: There are a few things I hope this film will be able to show. I hope people who see this film will leave understanding the importance of equality for people with disabilities. Just because someone only has one leg or can’t see doesn’t mean he or she has any less desire to be a strong competitor. I hope this documentary will show how rowing has developed a way to be inclusive and will reach someone who is seeking a way to become active despite whatever limitations they perceive they have. I also hope the film will inspire all people, regardless of ability, to get out, be active, and strive to achieve their dreams.

I’ve tried throughout the production phase to update people outside the film with what is happening both on the set and throughout the rest of the adaptive community. Through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, we've posted photos of anything from race results to practices as well as sharing some of the positive things being done across the globe which benefit the adaptive community. I think awareness is important in building up a sport like pararowing, and if people can see what others are doing in communities like Boston, DC, Tuscaloosa, and Inverness, they too will see the positive impact a sport like rowing can have on the lives of others.

Here's where you can find Power 10 Films on the web:
Website - www.Power10Films.com
Indiegogo - igg.me/at/rowingdoc
Facebook - Facebook.com/power10films
Twitter - twitter.com/power10films
YouTube - youtube.com/power10films

Thanks very much to Daniel for the interview!

 Coming up tomorrow on RR: NCAA and IRAs recap and review—to be the best, you have to beat the best. 

-RR

Popular posts from this blog

The 30 Best Rowing Coaches of All Time, Part 3: The Top 10

Image
The top 10 best rowing coaches, including guess who (Photo © Iain Weir / Rowing Photography ) It's time for the third and final part of our 3-part series on the best of the best in the rowing coaching ranks. These coaches not only command respect based on performance, but have also shown the ability to adapt to new circumstances, build dynasties, and ultimately help shape the trajectory of rowing as a sport. Honestly, it would be easy to extend this series into 10 more posts... But we wouldn't do that to you. As we've said before, the hope is that the following may serve to educate and spark discussion, as both an appreciation of history and of the coaching craft. Also note: As we stated in Part 1 and Part 2 of this series, there are few women in this list, but that is a reflection of a general underrepresentation of women in the head coaching ranks in our sport—and indeed (as has been well documented ) a growing number of NCAA sports in the United States.
Read more

"I Row Crew" — Rowing in 'The Social Network'

Image
Like many of the rowing faithful, I've been keeping up with the saga penned by Dan Boyne about the filming of the rowing scenes in David Fincher and Aaron Sorkin's The Social Network , and I must say I had high hopes going into the film. The first problem I encountered: the phrase, "I row crew." It was uttered so many times before anyone "rowed crew" on the water that I had trouble buying any of it later. It's understandable that the character of Mark Zuckerberg makes that mistake, since he has no idea about the sport. But when the Winklevoss twins themselves utter the phrase several times, one begins to wonder where Boyne was when these lines were not being chopped or changed. Seriously, who says that? As far as the actual rowing goes, the first scene, which has the twins out training in a pair along with the rest of the Harvard squad, is not all bad — it just ends that way. The line, "Those guys are freakin' fast" is certainly every b
Read more

RR Interview: Nick Trojan's New Feature on Yale Men's Rowing

Image
Nick Trojan's latest feature documentary is twice as long as his previous work—but leaves you wanting more, just the same.  There’s a new feature in Nick Trojan’s series, taking an inside look at top-tier college rowing programs in the US. This time, Trojan focused his project on Yale and the legendary coach Steve Gladstone, blending outstanding camerawork with one of rowing’s most compelling stories.  Having uploaded the video to YouTube only two weeks ago, it’s already approaching 70k views. And for good reason.  RR sat down recently to talk through it all with Trojan in an exclusive interview, from origins to development and finally a finished product—as well as what might come next. Here’s what we learned. Navigating shifting waters Elite rower turned filmmaker Nick Trojan’s new feature, titled simply, “Yale Men’s Rowing,” was years in the making.  “The initial idea was to do the same kind of rinse-and-repeat that we had done with Harvard and Cal,” Trojan says, “but I think wha
Read more

Video Of The Week: Holland Beker 2013

This week's video comes to us from the Bosbaan, where the 2013 Holland Beker saw truly elite, international competition over the weekend. Perhaps the most outstanding racing came in the women's single, where the A Final closely mirrored a world championship or Olympic final in recent years—the lineup included two-time Olympic champ Ekaterina Karsten of Belarus, Kim Crow of Australia, New Zealand's Emma Twigg , reigning Olympic champion Mirka Knapkova of the Czech Republic, another two-time Olympic champion (albeit in the women's eight) in Eleanor Logan , and 2012 Olympic bronze medalist (also in the eight) Chantal Achterberg of Holland. As it turned out, the final was a wire-to-wire victory for Kim Crow, who looks to be on top form and may be the athlete to beat in this event for the foreseeable future, holding off both Karsten and Twigg in the closing stretch, with Knapkova finishing fourth. Elle Logan had another solid race in a great field, finishing just over
Read more

Best Rowing Drills: 5 Favorites of Olympic Champion Esther Lofgren

Image
Lofgren training in the single (Photo courtesy of Esther Lofgren) Olympic gold medalist Esther Lofgren is no stranger to success on the water. In addition to her podium-topping performance with the U.S. women's eight in London, Lofgren also won two world titles (2010, 2011), with her first international medal—a bronze—coming in the women's straight four in 2006. Here, Lofgren shares some insight into the drills that have helped her progress technically along the way.
Read more