Tuesday January 13th around 11am… Joe Roti was calling me. A good friend of mine, I met him in Chicago while working on two projects for Norman Skul. He was Norman’s long time friend and Joe was the “fireman” helping Norm keep his dream on track.

Joe told me the bad news over the phone. Norman had a heart attack.

I knew him for just fourteen days total. And for that I am truly thankful. Once and a great while, you meet someone who leaves an indelible mark on your life. Norman was that someone.

I remember his first email to me…

Mr. Guilmette,
Do you do freelance work? I have an upcoming short project in autumn that will be shot by a lake in Wisconsin. We are “bringing to video” a column by the famed Chicago journalist Mike Royko. I also am in the process of acquiring some equipment myself and would like to get some hands-on training as well.

If so inclined, is there a convenient time for us to talk?

Thanks for the consideration…

Norman Skul

I had just created my website and I was getting a few strange requests from people all over the world. I was a little nervous.

I emailed him back and told him I was interested in the job and we could chat on the phone about it. Norman did not want that. Norman jumped on a plane from Chicago to Boston to meet with me, the phone was just too “impersonal”. That was his only purpose for the expense, to fly in and chat with me for one hour as I worked a lacrosse game at Harvard University. In fact, he wanted me to work on his project so badly, he paid me in advance! I remember saying to him (as he handed me the check), “Norman, I haven’t even said yes to the job yet.” He smiled and said, “Don’t worry, I trust you. If you can’t do it, just rip up the check, but I really want you in Chicago.”

He flew back home the next morning. Why would someone spend money and time to fly all the way here just to talk to me? What a great way to do business, I thought.

My first job with Norman was the first nine days in October 2008. We maxed out these days working on a short film called, “A November Farewell”. Norman was a huge Mike Royko fan. He was set on taking some of Mike’s best Chicago columns and bringing them to life with film and video. Mike passed away in 1997, but had many books detailing his newspaper columns. I later found out that Norman never knew Mike when he was alive and really did not build this passion for the writings until after Mike’s death.

One thing about the October trip that surprised me was how Norman became energized by the young Columbia College student filmmakers. We worked with Columbia to shoot this first column on 16mm film. Norman kept asking me, “…can you believe their passion, their energy?”

Norman was very generous through out the chaotic production and made sure that people were fed and taken care of. He treated us all to a few excellent meals. During our wrap dinner, I shot a quick speech that Norman gave at the restaurant. He states how he was honored to be working with the film students and feeds off their passion and energy.

Here is that speech from Sunday, October 5th, 2008 at 6:30pm:
Click to Watch!

Norman also changed my life by introducing me to Manuel Mora Guerrero, an abstract artist from Columbia, South America. Norman loved Manuel’s work. In addition to promoting Mike Royko, Norm was also trying to show the world the visual style of Manuel. With help from Dr. Rene Karlson and Lucho Cortes, Norman hoped to display the paintings in galleries around the world.

I shot three shorts in Chicago and rural Wisconsin during my time with Norman, Mr. Karlson, Lucho and Manuel. An Artist in Chicago, Natureland, and Carson’s Gallery.

While shooting a few scenes for “A November Farewell”, I captured this moment between Dr. Kristine Welter D.V.M. and Norman Skul on her dairy farm in Whitewater, WI. This short conversation shows just what type of person Norman was… always saying thanks to people who help him along the way and doing something nice for them.
Click to Watch!

My second project was shot during mid-December of 2008. It was a shorter job, and Norman really wanted me to work along side Philip Bloom. Norman found us both by our websites with Letus videos and colorful blogs. Norm said we “had similar styles” and wanted to see what would happen when we worked together on a Royko short film.

We shot “Bound with Love” during very long, cold and windy days, sleeping for only a few hours during the days and working straight through the night… 16 hours. We had problems along the way, but we worked through them. I was frustrated at times, but really kept going because I could sense that Norman was doing something special. I enjoyed, “Bound with Love” and respected it’s message. I respected Norman for spending his time and money to bring this column to life and present it to a new generation. I felt like I was doing something of great importance, but not entirely understanding exactly what the payout would be.

I expect Norman’s work to be continued by the family and friends he has left behind. I will continue to work with Lucho, Mr. Karlson, Manuel and Joe to help promote Manuel’s abstract art with video. I hope that the Mike Royko project continues in the future, with my help directly or indirectly.

I will never forget Norman Skul. As time goes by, I think about some of the small disagreements we had, the problems that I helped him work out with his crew and I am inspired by his his remarkable generosity and passion. I am thankful that he aligned me with Philip Bloom and Manuel Mora Guerrero.

Rest in peace my friend. I am sure that you are sitting with Mike Royko right now, asking all the questions you wished you could have asked him when he was alive.

One last thing, I read this small excerpt from Mike Royko’s book, “One More Time”, to Norman as we relaxed at the cabin on Whitewater Lake after a long tough day of shooting. It seemed important at the time, now it means something else to me. I am glad I read it to Norman that night…

When I was a kid, the worse of all days was the last day of summer vacation, and we were in the schoolyard playing softball, and the sun was down and it was getting dark. But I didn’t want it to get dark. I didn’t want the game to end. It was too good, too much fun. I wanted it to stay light forever, so we could go on playing forever, so the game would go on and on.

That’s how I feel now. C’mon, c’mon. Let’s play one more inning. One more time at bat. One more pitch. Just one? Stick around, guys. We can’t break up this team. It’s too much fun.

But the sun always went down. And now it’s almost dark again.

-Mike Royko, on the death of the Chicago Daily News, March 3, 1978

I had trouble typing that quote.

I set my camera to time lapse and Norman and I watched the sun set in the western sky over Whitewater Lake. I can remember Norman saying, “Tom, thanks for all your hard work and professional attitude. It is appreciated.”