Farrell Video Productions and Photography

27/10/2024

In the Autumn of 1931, my grandfather, Carl Landon Houghton, began as in ironworker on the French King Bridge. He often told me that while he was afraid of heights and never learned to swim, he embraced the job provide by the Massachusets Highway Project because with four young children and at the height of the Great Depression, he desperately needed to provide for his family. Years later, he and my grandmother Melina Christine (Podwin) Houghton would spent hours on the bridge's walkway gazing northward at the landscape and the river below. Photographed on October 27, 2024.

20/10/2024

With eight months of filming and 168 hours of post-production work, Shelly and I finally finished the documenting of this impressive community effort to build the Distant Hill Nature Trail Outdoor Pavilion. Narrated by Distant Hill Nature Trail founder and steward, Michael Nerrie. Length 20 minutes.

With eight months of filming and 168 hours of post-production work, Shelly were honored to document this impressive community effort to build the Distant Hill Outdoor…

26/08/2024

While watching New Hampshire Chronicle last week, Shelly and I were impressed by Dan Brown's writing and composing the music for his "Wild Symphony", and ordered his delightful children's book. The combination of linking Brown's wonderful music with a smartphone together with "Mimi's" reading the passages to our grandchildren, Martin and Olivia, resulted in a cherished memory.

12/08/2024

Shelly and I are reaching out to our Facebook friends to vote for Distant Hill Nature Trail. Currently, they are in a heated contest for a $50K grant that is greatly needed to complete their new outdoor educational pavilion that will serve the children and students in the Walpole and Alstead, NH community and beyond. This community-based non-profit continues to provide a free-to-the-public wheelchair accessible facility as well as outdoor educational opportunities for everyone.

The daily voting ends on August 14th, so here's how to vote:

1. Open the Kubota Hometown Proud webpage (link below).
2. CLICK on the Northeast area of the map. Here, you'll see the two contenders to choose from, Distant Hill and Matthew 25 Farm.
3. Scroll down and CLICK on the 'Choose One Project to Vote For' button' and choose 'Distant Hill Accessible Nature Trail and Pavilion Project'.
4. CLICK on 'VERIFY EMAIL ADDRESS' and enter your email address.
5. Confirm your votes - COPY the verification code on the email sent to you (it might take a moment), and PASTE it into the webpage box. Then CLICK the Enter button. You should get a pop up thanking you for voting!

Link below:

https://www.kubotausa.com/hometown-proud/vote

Many Thanks...Bill and Shelly William Landon Farrell

I produce well-crafted, high definition promotional films, short documentaries and photographs for businesses, non-profit groups and Realtors. I have a selection of professional equipment and I'm an FAA Part 107 licensed and fully insured drone operator.

20/07/2024

Today is our granddaughter, Makenna Jane Millar’s10th birthday. We made this short video for her back in 2018.

I Don't Want to Live on the Moon

16/06/2024

We began the aerial filming to promote the United States Canoe Association's National Championship races to be held in August of 2025 on the Connecticut and Millers Rivers. For me, this race will have a special meaning as the course passes beneath the French King Bridge that connects Erving and Gill Massachusetts. In September of 1931, my grandfather, Carl Landon Houghton, was hired on as a steelworker. Despite the dangers of working 140 feet above the river (he never learned to swim), he related how thankful he was to secure employment as it was at the height of the Great Depression. It reminds me of the scene in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" when Paul Newmann said to Robert Redford that it didn't matter if he couldn't swim..."Are you crazy? The fall will probably kill ya."

22/05/2024

1962 was the last time I saw my best childhood friend, Tim Selivanoff. As elementary school classmates, we frequently embraced risky adventures such as riding our bicycles for countless miles (without our parents' knowledge), and almost drowning while swimming across the Connecticut River during flood stage. After 7th grade, Tim left to attend another school and then...62 years passed much too quickly.

A few weeks ago, I was riding my bicycle past Tim's old home in Deerfield, MA and stopped and asked a lady if she knew about the whereabouts of my childhood friend. She said, "Oh...Tim is my husband." They had moved back from Florida and rebuilt the family's home.

Upon meeting Tim, to say that I was overjoyed would be an understatement. While we were no longer 7th grade classmates, Tim still had the same glint in his eyes and the smile on his face was infectious. Perhaps there are a few more adventures awaiting us!

18/05/2024

Our grandson, Martin Landon Farrell (right), and his good friend Ian after a successful T Ball game in New London, NH this morning. It's a beautiful thing to watch children bond with each other. Next stop...kindergarten. Where did the time go?!

11/04/2024

We are looking forward to the new Outdoor Classroom Pavilion at Distant Hill Nature Trail in nearby Alstead, NH. This community sponsored wheelchair-access project will provide a shelter for classes, family gatherings and quiet reflection.

This is "The New Classroom Pavilion is Coming to Distant Hill Nature Trail in Alstead, NH" by Farrell Video Productions on Vimeo, the home for high quality…

27/02/2024

Yikes! We've come a long way in mitigating risk for our Alpine ski training. This 1978 photograph shows the way we used to train GS with our juniors. With abundant birch trees and white pines lining the trail, we had no safety netting, helmets weren't required (only CB woolen hats with a "protective" pom pom), 2 inch thick bamboo and the panels were removed whenever there was a strong wind was blowing up the hill. What the hell were we thinking?

18/02/2024

Peter and David Dodge at the 1978 Peugeot Tour, Stratton Mountain, Vermont.

These brothers, originally from St. Johnsbury, Vermont, would go on to make impressive contributions to the sport of Alpine ski racing and to the snowsports industry.

I first met Peter when we were roommates at the 1972 Roch Cup Downhill in Aspen, Colorado. A few weeks later, his older brother David shared quarters with me at the FISU World Championships in Lake Placid, New York. From the start, I had the greatest respect for their analytical minds, achievements and especially for their humility.

Peter won numerous titles on World Pro Tours including rookie of the year in 1980 as well as the top money winner in 1983. He went on to lead the Dartmouth Men's Alpine Team for 33 years.

David was an All American skier at UVM before signing on as an engineer and pro ski racer for Rossignol in Williston, Vermont. Along with longtime friend Bill Doble, Dave founded the Dodge Ski Boot Company in Essex, VT. These revolutionary custom carbon fiber boots are sold on-line using an innovative app that generates a 3D model of the customer's foot.

Their parents, Duffy and Pat did a mighty good job.

14/02/2024

On this Valentine's Day, I reflect on a day in October of 1976 when I said goodbye to friends in Charlemont, Massachusetts before driving out to Colorado to race in the Coors Professional Ski Tour. I also wanted to meet and ask Roy Schaefer, the new owner of the Berkshire East Ski Area, if he was out of his mind for attempting to turn a then dilapidated and completely bankrupted ski area into a profitable success. Roy enthusiastically described his vision and within a few minutes, I began to to realize that failure was not an option for this delightfully cocky guy. Roy then introduced me to Shelly Decker, a graduate student from Michigan State University. Roy recently hired her be the marketing director and upon my first look at Shelly, I realized that I would never made it out to Colorado. Roy hired me to be his racing director, and Shelly has been my Valentine for the past 48 years.