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����vlog EIGHT NEWS AT TEN. WELCOME BACK. THIS WEEK WE’RE CELEBRATING ����vlog DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY CORTNEY KINTZER. HE IS RETIRING AFTER AN INCREDIBLE CAREER THAT SET THE STANDARD FOR JOURNALISM RIGHT AROUND HERE. ����vlog ERIC HANSON TAKES US BACK TO THE MOMENT IT STARTED MORE THAN 50 YEARS AGO. THE MOTORCADE WAS IDLING AND GOVERNOR RAY WAS WAITING ON THE TARMAC WHEN AIR FORCE ONE TOUCHED DOWN IN DES MOINES IN OCTOBER OF 1974. CORTNEY KINTZER WAS THERE, TOO. I WAS A SOPHOMORE AT ROOSEVELT HIGH SCHOOL. I DIDN’T WORK FOR ANYBODY, BUT I HAD A HOME MOVIE CAMERA. THE KEYSTONE REGULAR EIGHT MILLIMETER. HE STILL HAS. YOU WIND IT UP. OH, GOSH. AND. IT KIND OF WORKS. THAT THURSDAY MORNING. THE WIDE EYED TEENAGER WITH A PRESS PASS STOOD JUST A FEW FEET AWAY FROM PRESIDENT FORD. BUT THE LEADER OF THE FREE WORLD WAS NOT THE ONE WHO CAUGHT COURTNEY’S ATTENTION. I LOOK OVER AND IT’S THE NETWORK POOL CAMERA CREW RUNNING FROM THE BACK OF AIR FORCE ONE, AND THESE TWO CAMERAMEN AND SOUND MAN, THEY’RE ATTACHED TOGETHER. NEWS PHOTOGRAPHERS SPRINTING TO GET THE SHOT. IN MY MIND, I THOUGHT, THAT IS THE COOLEST THING I’VE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE. THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO DO. THE HIGH SCHOOLER WHOSE PASSION TOOK OFF AT THE AIRPORT GOT A BUSINESS CARD A FEW MONTHS LATER FROM A REPORTER, A CARD HE STILL CARRIES IN HIS WALLET AND ON THE BACK OF IT HAS LYLE’S PHONE NUMBER. I CALLED LYLE AND I SAID, I WANT TO BE A TV NEWS CAMERAMAN. LYLE SHIRES HIRED COURTNEY AS FILM DIRECTOR IN 1975. FOR 12 YEARS THERE, AND NOW 38 AT ����vlog, EVERY DAY’S A NEW ADVENTURE. UNLOCK MY CAMERA. HERE WE GO. CENTRAL IOWA’S ENERGIZER BUNNY BEHIND THE TRIPOD. HE’S BEEN ON THE MOVE, AND WE HAVE LESS THAN A HALF AN HOUR TO GET TO OUR NEXT INTERVIEW DOWNTOWN AT CITY HALL. IF WE’RE LUCKY, MAYBE WE’LL GET LUNCH. CAN’T GUARANTEE THAT, BECAUSE I’M HUNGRY. SETTING THE STANDARD FOR TELEVISION PHOTOJOURNALISM IN AMERICA WITH AN UNRIVALED DOSE OF INFECTIOUS PASSION. LET ME GET MY SHOT. I HAVE TO KEEP ON REMEMBERING WHO’S WEARING MICROPHONES. DID I TURN THEM ON? ARE THE MICROPHONE BATTERIES GOOD? COURTNEY’S CAPTURED MILLIONS OF MAIN STREET MOMENTS AND FOUR VISITS TO THE WHITE HOUSE. THAT’S PRETTY AMAZING. ALWAYS GETTING ACCESS TO WHAT HE CALLS HIS BACKSTAGE PASS TO LIFE. HAVING A CAMERA OPENS A LOT OF DOORS, AND YOU’RE ABLE TO PARACHUTE INTO PEOPLE’S LIVES. SOMETIMES ON THE BEST DAY OF THEIR LIFE, SOMETIMES NOT, BUT ALWAYS MEMORABLE. THERE ARE LITTLE, I CALL IT BRAIN LINT, WHERE YOU’LL REMEMBER LITTLE PIECES OF STORIES THAT YOU’VE SHOT AND YOU NEVER FORGET THEM, LIKE THE SLEDDING DAY IN THE 80S WHERE A TEACHER SAID, BEEP, BEEP. OKAY, HERE WE GO. BEEP BEEP. I DON’T KNOW WHY, BUT THAT THAT LITTLE PHRASE POPS INTO MY HEAD. I DID A PHOTO ESSAY ABOUT SOME KIDS DOING A LEMONADE STAND, AND THERE’S ONE LITTLE CLIP WHERE THIS GIRL IS CARRYING HER LEMONADE. OH, I GOT THAT IN MY EYE. YEAH, I GOT SOME IN MY EYE. I’LL NEVER FORGET THOSE LITTLE. THOSE LITTLE NUGGETS THAT I JUST FEEL PRIVILEGED TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HAVE RECORDED. AND ASSEMBLE THEM INTO A STORY. ����vlog VISUAL PERFECTIONIST IS QUICK TO PULL OUT HIS HAIRSPRAY TO HELP REPORTERS FLY AWAY. ALFALFA’S YET PATIENT ENOUGH TO CREATE HIS OWN HOMEMADE TIME LAPSE OF PRINCIPLES. 801 GRAND BUILDING GOING UP, SHOOTING ONE FRAME A WEEK FOR TWO FULL YEARS, OR WAIT FOR A BIRD TO TWEET NEXT TO THE MICROPHONE HE HID IN THE TULIPS. WHEN HE STARTED, IT WAS ALL ON FILM, WHICH TRANSITIONED TO VIDEOTAPE AND THEN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY. I’M GOING TO GUESS WE’RE GOING TO BE LIVE AT NOON, FOUR, FIVE, AND SIX. THAT CAN CAPTURE FLOODWATERS IN HIGH DEFINITION. OH, I CAN SEE THE CREEK. THAT’S GOOD. AND THEN USE A BACKPACK TRANSMITTER TO SHOW IOWANS LIVE PICTURES. WHEN THE CLOCK STRIKES NOON, OR FOUR OR 5 OR 6. WE ALWAYS SEEM TO MAKE THE DEADLINES, BUT WE HAVE TO. YOU’RE CONSTANTLY LOOKING AT YOUR WATCH. WE’VE GOT FOUR MINUTES TO OUR LIVE SHOT, AND WE’RE SET UP AND THERE’S NO PROBLEM. LET ME JUST GET A FEW MORE SHOTS HERE AND THEN WE’LL GO TO THAT SPOT. ALWAYS ON THE MOVE TO CAPTURE THE SHOT. BEING THERE AND CAPTURING THESE MOMENTS THAT HAPPEN IN FRONT OF YOUR CAMERA. IT’S LIKE MAGIC. IT’S BEEN AN AMAZING, AMAZING JOURNEY. HE’S QUICK TO COMPLIMENT COWORKERS AND EVEN COMPETITORS. I KIND OF CONSIDER MYSELF THE HEAD CHEERLEADER FOR BOTH THE PHOTOGRAPHERS AND REPORTERS. AND HE STARRED ON OUR TEAM, HONORED AS AMERICA’S STATION OF THE YEAR FOR PHOTOJOURNALISM EIGHT TIMES, WHILE ALWAYS MAKING TIME FOR YOUNG PHOTOGRAPHERS. TEACHERS ONLY SUCCESS WHEN THE STUDENT SURPASSES THE TEACHER. BUT AFTER 50 YEARS, I THINK WE GOT IT. IT’S A WRAP. COURTNEY INSISTS I’VE BEEN VERY LUCKY TO BE INVITED INTO PEOPLE’S HOMES AND SHARE THEIR STORIES, AND I’LL NEVER FORGET THAT. BUT IOWA IS BETTER BECAUSE THAT TEENAGER WHO FOUND HIS PASSION AT THE AIRPORT PURSUED IT, CHASING DOWN