Arrivederci, Burt

Burt Humburg isn't exactly the warm and fuzzy type, but I couldn't resist giving him a rare hug before leaving Iowa this afternoon. This was the last shoot we had planned with him, which means I have probably interviewed Burt for the last time.
Then again, when I first wrote about him in 1997, I never thought I'd be making a movie about Burt 18 years later. So who knows? I do know he's changed my life, and I know I'll forever be grateful for the access he gave us to make "Out Here In Kansas" possible.
I'm also thankful for marketing/PR specialist Jodi Ball and the entire staff at Mercy Medical Center. Shooting video in a hospital is no small task these days. Instead of simply telling us no, they recognized the value of the project. We didn't have unlimited access, of course, but I was impressed by how they accommodated what we went up there for.
In other words, it's awesome to work with professionals.