Interview With Ozzie Ozefovich, Creator of The Underwater World of Trout Series

State of the art camera techniques literally take the viewer into THE UNDERWATER WORLD OF TROUT in this ground breaking highly acclaimed series. Never before seen footage of trout in their undisturbed natural environment makes these programs essential viewing for fishermen and nature lovers.Discovery is a comprehensive introduction to THE UNDERWATER WORLD OF TROUT exploring behaviors feeding patterns spawning and stream conditions. Indiefilmchat.com recently got a chance to talk to the creator of the DVD series, Ozzie Ozefovich.

Indiefilmchat.com: The Underwater World Of Trout series has developed a very passionate following over the past couple of years. Why do you think these films have been so well received?
 
Ozzie Ozefovich: The films are well received for several reasons.  First, they are unique in that they open up the whole new world of life beneath fast and turbulent water where scuba divers and their cameras cannot hold their position to shoot.  No one has ever obtained film of trout behavior when they are in their natural habitat – moving, feeding, fighting and reproducing.  Also, the camera does not scare the trout, so they behave as if the camera is not there.  The colors of the trout, their environment and the magnification obtained by the camera are astounding to many viewers.  The films open a beautiful and magnificent window on a world few have ever seen and therefore are of interest to more than just anglers.
 
Indiefilmchat.com: You had a rather unique journey to become an independent filmmaker. What was you background and career prior to conceiving these films?
 
Ozzie: I joined the Navy at the age of 18, serving as an electrician’s mate for four years.  Most of that time was spent at sea on destroyers and I never regretted it for a minute.  My 39 year career in instrumentation and control systems in the power generation industry had me working with water all the time.  Generating stations use a tremendous amount of water for cooling purposes.  Part of my responsibility involved the operation of the systems controlling the discharge water returning to the river. It had to be free of pollutants and below the thermal limits that would have a serious impact on fish and other aquatic life forms whose cycle would eventually affect us. So I thought about the health of fish every day.
 
The last 16 years of my power generation career were spent in training course development and as an educator in the corporate field.  I am sure that my work  could never have evolved into film making without this teaching experience.
 
Many years ago, I joined Trout Unlimited whose mission is to conserve, protect and restore our coldwater fisheries and their watersheds.  As a director, I am involved in many projects including the Trout in the Classroom program.  It is an environmental education program in which students in grades K-12, following a TU curriculum, raise brook trout from their egg state to parr over a period of seven months and then release the trout into a state-approved watershed.

Ozzie- Trout Fishing God

Indiefilmchat.com: Can you describe what you’re working on now?
 
Ozzie: Currently I’m working on Volume 3 Trout Vision and Refraction.  It has been a work in progress for a few years while I add new scenes to make a point or replace prior shots with better ones. I expect this DVD to be available by late spring 2009.  A synopsis can be found on my website:  www.underwateroz.com
 
I am also in the process of creating a video for students who are engaged in the Trout in the Classroom program entitled The Life Cycle of the Brook Trout.  It will show the class where the trout eggs came from and what happens to the trout after their release. It explains the life cycle of both hatchery-bred and wild trout that reproduce naturally in our streams and rivers, the food they eat, their predators, and other perils that trout face throughout their life cycle.  It also includes the spawning sequence of wild trout from the physical changes that take place in the fall to the final spawn.  
 
Indiefilmchat.com: What advice would you offer for aspiring non fiction filmmakers?
 
Ozzie: If your intentions are to be a wildlife photographer, whether above water or underwater, be prepared to spend many hours, days and weeks shooting and reviewing the take, resulting in only a minute or two of usable content.  The primary issue is the constant struggle against the weather.  The 24-hour weather forecast helps, but not if you have plans to film longer than a day.  Camouflaging yourself and your equipment al all times is a must - but not during hunting season, so check the hunting compendiums where you intend to work.  Finally, I'd advise that you do not quit your day job -- and pack some cash away before you start!

To purchase your very own copy of this great DVD fishing series, CLICK HERE
 

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