‘He has a great visual eye.’ LS man up for an Emmy for his documentary of Drumm Farm

Putting the story of a Kansas City cattleman turned philanthropist to film has earned a Lee’s Summit man a nomination at the upcoming regional Mid-America Emmy Awards. Chad Godfrey, owner of Summit Video Services, will find out if he’s won at the ceremony Nov. 21.

He’s been doing small promotional videos for the Drumm Farm Center for Children in Independence for years, and when the center asked him to make a feature-length documentary on the history of its founder, Godfrey was eager for the task.

Much of the challenge was “trying to not only compile all the interviews (but) keep that story cohesive from beginning to end,” Godfrey said.

Drumm Farm provides foster family housing and many related outreach services. The 42-minute film, “The Andrew Drumm Legacy: A Cattleman’s Promise to Children,” was part of the organization’s centennial celebration last fall.

Godfrey did much of his research in tandem with journalist Brian Burnes, who was writing a book on the same topic for the centennial. Burnes also appears in the film.

“It was great to work with him as we were going through this archival material. We would both instantly agree when we would find a photograph or map,” said Burnes, a former reporter for The Kansas City Star. “He has a great visual eye. His film, but also my book, very much benefited from his judgment.”

The story of Andrew Drumm reads like an adventure novel. From taking part in the 1849 Gold Rush to cattle ranching in Oklahoma to taking charge as a major player as Kansas City earned its Cowtown nickname, Drumm seems to have been in the thick of things constantly.

“I really just enjoyed the history of it, because Andrew Drumm seemed to have had his finger in many pots in Kansas City. … It just really hit home knowing that here’s a person who directly impacted our culture and who we are as Kansas Citians today,” Godfrey said.

One distinctive thing about the film is its variety of visuals.

“(Godfrey) got some great drone footage. He went down to Oklahoma and filmed there and took photos of where Mr. Drumm operated his cattle ranch. He also used drone shots of the Drumm Farm, and so what you get when you watch the movie is this very cinematic sweep of this very vivid pioneer life Mr. Drumm lived,” Burnes said.

Although a large focus of Godfrey’s film is on Drumm’s life, there’s also a big emphasis on the legacy he left after his death in 1919 through Drumm Farm. To encompass what it’s done for people in the Kansas City community, Godfrey interviewed three men who all lived at Drumm Farm in their youth.

They all discussed the dire circumstances they were able to leave through the auspices of the program and how the program helped improve their lives going forward. The most well-known among the three is Pulitzer Prize-winner Richard Rhodes.

“This interview was one of the most rewarding interviews I have ever been involved with, because he had such a compelling story of how his experiences at Drumm propelled him forward,” Godfrey said.

The documentary is available to view for free on Drumm Farm’s YouTube channel.