Matt Ohl ’20

Matt Ohl ’20 on the set of This Day Forward

As the boom operator, Matt Ohl ’20 of Independence, was on set for every scene in This Day Forward.

“It was an incredible experience for my resume,” Ohl said. “A boom op is a central member of the production crew, and the jobs I apply for the in the future will put a lot of stock into this experience. I also have a much stronger grasp on how an entire movie set works because I saw the ins and outs of it all for an entire month.”

But for Ohl, the best times were spent in one-on-one conversations with professional members of the crew.

“I had walked to the edge of a nearby pier as the grip and electric crew were setting up another scene. I sat on the stone trim in the low light and someone casually asked ‘What’s up?’ I almost jumped out of my shoes,” Ohl said. What followed was a conversation between equals that will not soon be forgotten. “Christian, our sound mixer, whom I worked with the most, was sitting right next to me. We chatted about our lives and the direction we were taking. He had just graduated from a music engineering school in Minneapolis and this was his second feature film.

“We talked about how I was unsure of the path I wanted to take in my life as far as my career. I think I was too caught up on needing to make a huge impact on the world, but he helped me realize that if I am able to inspire a single person or a handful of people, together we can make a difference.”

Ohl also learned about strength and love watching the Jensens and others.

“There were so many treasured moments both on and off set,” he said. “On the fourth day of filming, we had gone to the barn (where family and friends gathered for a concert with Mike’s bandmates after his diagnosis) and everyone was gathered around to see the extravagant lights and decorations inside. Mike and Jen held onto each other as we bustled about to prepare for the next scene.

“When Kallen Blair, who was playing the Jensens’ oldest daughter, walked to the stage and began to sing the song Mike and Aria had sung together many years ago, there wasn’t a single dry eye. The full gravity and importance of the film hit me then, and I truly understood the meaningfulness of our task. Seeing that raw emotion in the Jensens is something I will never forget. I stepped through a side exit and wept. Hope can be found in the most worn of people.”