Philly Proud: Filmmaker documents COVID-19 pandemic, local graduation

Colin Stewart, a Division I rower and recent film graduate from Drexel University, had the beginning of his adult life flipped upside down by COVID-19.

"I got a new camera which I spent my life savings on and I was really, really excited to go out there in the world and shoot some stuff but of course you can't go out in the world and shoot stuff," said Stewart.

He had an idea to make films. Films of the spaces and places people used to be before the virus.

"It was just empty streets the boardwalk, which early March, you know late March, is packed. it was completely deserted, it felt like a horror movie almost," he said.

He wanted to make that horror movie into something a little less scary.

After he caught wind of the Upper Township middle school not having video services for their graduation he thought he could help.

"I got a camera now, let's do it," he said.

So, he made the students a graduation video that they'll never forget.

"It was really touching you have all these kids just coming out of middle school and I remember being there and thinking this is really cool I get to experience this but they're not gonna feel the experience the same way I did," he said. "I told my professor when I get out there I want to do something that maybe affects people the same way this affected me for someone else to pass on that torch and if somebody for some reason or somehow this does that for someone than my job is done," he said.

"Philly Proud Of" is powered by NRG.