HCTV strikes gold with documentary about Hudson chairmaker

by Judy Stringer

A Hudson Community Television staffer and his former colleague are the proud owners of television’s most coveted golden statue.

Philip Leiter, a Hudson resident who has worked with HCTV for nearly 25 years, and former HCTV producer Phil Sieb, brought home an Emmy from the 55th Great Lakes Emmy Awards ceremony in June for the documentary, “The Master Craftsman.” The 30-minute film delves into the artistry and expertise of Hudson chairmaker Richard Grell and won an Emmy in the Lifestyle category.

While Leiter was not able to attend the swanky Emmy ceremony, he and his wife caught the event via livestream.

“We watched the moment it was selected,” Leiter said. “It was pretty exciting. You don’t do these things to win awards. You do them because you care about what you’re doing.  But it’s nice to get the award.”

Leiter said he met Grell and his wife, Gay, in the late 1990s at a Case-Barlow Farm fall festival where Grell was demonstrating his woodworking technique.

“Richard Grell is one of those interesting characters you meet once in a lifetime. It’s amazing what he’s been able to do over 50 years’ time, the craftsmanship he puts into the chairs,” Leiter said. “Also, he would dress up in period costume, and he and his wife would have a booth set up there every year, and I always wanted to do a documentary to tell his story.”

That dream came to light when Sieb, a filmmaker and director, joined the HCTV staff in 2018. Leiter said Sibert’s production prowess was integral to making the film. Leiter acted as director of photography, which earned him a second Emmy nomination from the
Central Great Lakes Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

The film follows Grell through the process of making a chair, beginning with sourcing the wood directly from his two-acre Norton Road property.

“We assembled the film, piece by piece, just like he assembled the chair,” Leiter explained. “And in the process of that, we get to know Richard a little bit more, more things would come out, and we’d catch things during the making of the chairs, and the documentary kind of emerged out that process, the same way the chair did.”

“The Master Craftsman” took eight months of filming and another three months of editing. It broadcast on HCTV in 2021 and was picked up by PBS Western Reserve one year later.”

“They put it in right after ‘Antiques Roadshow,’ which is their most popular show, and very quickly, it gained a lot of viewership,” he said. “They even asked Richard Grell to do little woodworking workshops at the studio.”

Leiter admitted he is a little “surprised” at how well the documentary has been received – including its role in inspiring a whole new generation of would-be woodworkers – but is none the less grateful for the recognition.

“We put a lot of our blood, sweat and tears and every, every ounce of our creativity and hard work into that film, and so we were thrilled that [PBS] would nominate it and amazed it won,” he said.

Watch “The Master Craftsman” online at pbswesternreserve.org/luminus/master-craftsman. ∞

Photo: The now golden documentary “The Master Craftsman” is a collaborative effort between (l-r) former HCTV producer Phillip Sieb, artisans Rich and Gay Grell and longtime HCTV photographer and videographer Philip Leiter. Photo submitted.