Bob Trondson on the impact of human stories
As the founder of Cloud North Films, Bob Trondson brings a passion for history, literature, and a background in African American Studies to his work in documentary storytelling—producing short-form films, or micro-docs, for nonprofits, schools, and grassroots organizations. Trondson’s career began at Wisconsin PBS, where he directed a documentary on civil rights leader and icon Vel Phillips. Since then, he’s focused on amplifying the stories of historically underrepresented communities, often weaving themes of race and equity into his visual work. “There’s power in the ability to tell an engaging story in sixty minutes or less,” he notes. “Documentaries match my sense of justice and my sense of earnestness.”
His path to filmmaking was shaped in part by his time in the African American Studies department at UW–Madison. Trondson enrolled in an elective literature course taught by Professor Craig Werner; by the end of his second year at UW–Madison, Trondson became a major. He remembers encountering books like Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man and Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God for the first time. “It was the most exciting literature I think I’ve read in my life,” he shares. “African American literature is based in realism, blending history with personal narrative, and that felt momentous to me at the time. I found African American literature to be endlessly fascinating in contrast to the literature I grew up with.” Enrolling in courses with Freida High and Nellie McKay gave Trondson historical and cultural context to his being in the world. Trondson describes the program as “a lens that I’ve looked and reacted to the world through ever since.”
Now, he continues that practice of layered, historical storytelling through projects with clients like One City Schools, the Red Cliff Tribe and Wisconsin Wetlands Community Wetlands Project, and the Center for the New Energy Economy. “It’s all about discovery. All my clients have a story interwoven with a unique history and some, with societal pressures,” he says. “I always feel so honored to be a part of them.” In a recent piece, he sat down with Professor Gloria Ladson-Billings to create a short film that speaks to the role of education in community building. “I would have never been in that room with her without African American Studies,” Bob reflects.
At the center of Trondson’s work is an emphasis on the relational and human side of documentary making. He spends hours talking with his subjects before filming (and sometimes after) to fully understand their stories. He views storytelling as an act of radical connection—bridging gaps across race, class, and political beliefs. His work is designed to inform and move audiences to action. “It’s hard to remain ignorant when you see a story well told,” he says.
As for what’s next, he’s continuing to grow his company by seeking stories that speak to courage in the face of long odds. “If I’m impacting 100 people now,” he says, “I’d love to impact 10,000—just through the power of good storytelling and a camera. I want to grow my company so I can tell bigger stories…ones that, when you watch them, you are forever changed.”