“The auction industry pushes almost twice the revenue through every year as the fast food industry does. It’s close to half a trillion dollars of merchandise that is sold at auctions…It’s a huge chunk of our economy.”
Rich Penn
Speaking of Jessica Lange (see yesterday’s post) have you ever seen the movie Country? Lange was nominated for an Academy Award for her role as a wife of a farmer during the farming crisis of the 80s. That film was shot in Waterloo, Iowa and the most memorable scene to me was the auction of a farm family that, well, loses the farm.
Today I was a cameraman for a TV program that is being shot in Willmar, Minnesota through the weekend featuring Rich Penn Auctions—a company that just happens to be based in Waterloo, Iowa. They are auctioning the Mikkelson Collection which features more than 50 vintage boats including many boats known as the Falls Flyer. It’s interesting to see and interview people coming from Canada, Wisconsin, Kentucky, and California and to know that people will be bidding online from Spain, Germany, and Thailand. (You can watch and bid online from wherever you are in the world.)
It’s not only nice to experience seeing a once in a lifetime collection, but to witness how Rich Penn and his team team pull off a full blown auction of more than 900 items. Something I’ve never seen before. And it’s also great to meet and work with a crew that I’ve never worked with before, including the producer of this program (Bid America!) Glenn Avent of Icon Television Music and director Darren Mann of Mann-made Pictures based in Santa Monica.
Can you think of any other movies that feature an auction?
P.S. Last weekend I was shooting some b-roll in Willmar I came upon a soccor game between Somalia and Mexico. I was told there were 3,500 Somalians living in the area and a large hispanic population as well. (At half-time the score was 1-1.) Tell me there aren’t some interesting stories to tell in Willmar about Somalians and Mexicans living in Willmar. Call it The Midwest Melting Pot.
P.P.S. Did you know that the History Channel TV show American Pickers got it’s start in Iowa? Check out Wikipedia to learn the story and if your ever in LeClaire, Iowa check out the home base of Mike Wolfe, Frank Fritz and Danielle Colby-Cushman at Antique Archeology.
[...] Speaking of Jessica Lange (see yesterday’s post) have you ever seen the movie Country? Lange was nominated for an Academy Award for her role as a wife of a farmer during the farming crisis of the 80s. That film was shot in Waterloo, Iowa and the most memorable scene to me was the auction of a farm [...] Original Source… [...]