Creating a Heritage Minute to honour the 75th anniversary of D-Day was similar to writing a card of thanks to the men who participated in the battle, according to the director.
Historica Canada — well-known for producing one-minute vignettes about Canadian history — commissioned a Heritage Minute piece for the anniversary of D-Day, which took place on June 6, 1944. More than 156,000 Allied soldiers — including 14,000 Canadians — stormed five beaches as they took back Western Europe from Nazi Germany.
This particular Heritage Minute tells the story of 47-year-old Major Archie MacNaughton, a First World War veteran and leader of the North Shore New Brunswick Regiment’s A Company. The video can be found on YouTube.
Calgary-based director Chris Petry and his crew filmed for two days at McKenzie Lake and Heritage Park in Calgary, before spending the next seven months in post-production. The Heritage Minute was released on May 29.
Petry — who worked on all 10 seasons of the teenaged-theme Superman show, Smallville, and has nearly 20 years of experience in the TV industry — spoke to the Moose Jaw Express about creating the Heritage Minute short.
He explained he was honoured to have been selected to shoot the piece. It was extra special since his father and grandfather both served in the navy, while several uncles served in the army and were life-long service members.
Petry wanted to do a good job since he also has two young daughters about the same age as MacNaughton’s daughter when he was killed on D-Day.
The director's main goal during filming was to honour Archie MacNaughton’s story, along with the sacrifices his family made. During filming, many people on the set — including main actor Michael Shanks — said making the video “was like writing a love letter” to their grandfathers.
While filming, Petry never knew if he was doing it right, he continued. He was simply following his creative instincts. While he could only gauge what they were doing by looking through the lens or at the monitor, he wanted to ensure they were creating a video that connected with people emotionally.
“I’m very proud of (the finished product),” he said. “I was proud with the way we were able to execute and touch all the bases of what the soldiers would have gone through, but really, to tell the story of one particular soldier (MacNaughton) …
“I would hope his family felt the same because that really was the focus.”
The crew had to figure out how to re-create Juno Beach and the town inland. They filmed at McKenzie Lake, a man-made lake that is blocks away from Petry’s house. The team created concrete Czech tank traps and added smoke and barbed wire. Air cannons send sand and explosions into the air, adding to the atmospheric effect.
The team shot from a hill looking down at the beach to ensure they didn’t record the playground and houses in the background, Petry explained. They also attempted to re-create the feel of soldiers running through the sand in panic and in fear.
Every aspect of the shooting involved meticulous accuracy, from the uniform patches, to the numbers on the landing craft, to the walls of the small town where MacNaughton led his troops.
“We really wanted to honour the soldiers, but I think the piece was really meant to honour everyone involved, including the families and everyone who sacrificed … ,” Petry added. “When you stop to think about it, there was also a little girl (MacNaughton’s daughter) who had to grow up without a dad.
“I would hope by way of telling one person’s story really well, it would honour everyone (who) was a part of (D-Day).”
