BEHIND THE SCENES: Developing “CARRIERS AT WAR”

One of the secrets of film and television is how to make things look easy. Bear Grylls jumping off a cliff? No problem. Ten couples travel the world, camera crew in tow? A cinch! Track a lion pride stalking a wandering wildebeest? As easy as 1-2-3. 

Correction: NONE OF THIS IS EASY. It’s all very difficult with tons of extremely talented people working to ensure everything goes off without a hitch–especially line producers who deserve every bit of kudos. If this is all done right, it becomes a seamless experience for the viewer. Bear Grylls successfully lands at the base of the waterfall. That one couple you like makes it to the airport in time, and an interview leads to a confession of a decade-old murder. 

Sometimes, one of the biggest hurdles is gaining access. Especially when dealing with the military and a potential warzone.

2016. Red Rock Films was in its third season of Smithsonian Channel’s AIR WARRIORS, a series about military aircraft. Our team worked closely with four armed services: Army, Marines, Air Force, and Navy. Elizabeth Elson, showrunner extraordinaire, had created some fantastic programs about planes. Planes?!?! That’s not easy. Planes don’t have personalities. Sure, they fly fast, and some can blow up things, but military planes are not as sexy as, say, THE GOLDEN BACHELORETTE. But Elizabeth understood what the audience wanted and, time and time again, delivered success.

Smithsonian execs approached us and asked if we could get access to an aircraft carrier. But not just any carrier but access to an actively deployed ship AND to the latest, yet-to-be-deployed 21st-century Ford class. This was different. This was above and beyond the usual request. 

First, it’s tricky to be embedded with deployed military. 

Media crews can’t just walk around willy-nilly, filming whatever. Security is high and for really good reasons. This is truly a case where life and death are on the line. Ergo, television crews need a representative at all times. That’s a big ask. And we weren’t just asking for an hour or two. We were asking to be embedded for, at minimum, two weeks. 

Second, it doesn’t get more “real” than being embedded with a military unit. 

Things happen: good, bad, and truly awful. Good is seeing how a carrier or any military operation works. Bad is a lack of cooperation and a crew sitting around doing nothing. And the truly awful? Violence. A few colleagues of mine have been caught in the crossfire, physically and emotionally scarred from the experience. 

Lastly, access to new military technology is filled with risks. 

You want as much coverage as possible. But take the idea of “trade secrets” and elevate it up to global espionage and potential war. Here is an example. While producing AIR WARRIORS, we had to ensure that no identifying characteristics of the pilots appeared on screen. Why? Web sleuths with nefarious motives were trolling for names and planning attacks. Take that and amplify it to the newest state-of-the-art floating military base. It’s a lot. You need a good working relationship with the military, a production crew understanding the real risks involved in filming, and a leader like Elizabeth, who could tell a provocative and compelling story within strict parameters. 

First step: access. We talked with some of the PIOs (Public Information Officers) we had worked with on AIR WARRIORS. This led us to a Pentagon liaison who worked with lead admirals and fleets across the globe. We drew up our plans in an official proposal, touting our experience. We also did deep research into how Naval fleets are structured, their different roles, their history of deployments, and much, much more. We needed to do our homework before we walked in the room. It shows respect for their work and how you have already put in the time and effort for the concept.

After doing a background check on our company and getting positive reviews from our past interactions with Naval officials, the lead PIO arranged a meeting at Naval Base San Diego, the second largest surface ship naval facility and home to the Pacific Fleet. This was a big opportunity. Meetings like this can/will make or break a relationship. We rallied the troops. From Red Rock, it was owner/lead creative Brian Armstrong and myself. From the Smithsonian Channel, it was David Royle, the Executive Vice President of Programming and Production, and Tim Evans, the Executive Producer of our AIR WARRIORS series. We were united in our mission: convince the leader of the third fleet that we would do an exciting doc series while not putting anyone in harm’s way.

Coronado was intimidating. The entire military complex employs over 36,000 people and spans across 57,000 acres. Security was tight. Just getting a pass and escort can be overwhelming for civilians. We got through security and were met by the lead PIO. He supported the idea of a series. The admiral was friendly and, understandably, curious about our goals. I explained that audiences are fascinated by the inner workings of a carrier. We would show the world how it is run. He expressed concern because a past production was too focused on what he called “reality drama.” Our project wasn’t interested in an exposé type story because we knew the audience wanted process, engineering, and history.

The admiral agreed we could access the new Ford carrier and embed on the USS George HW Bush, a carrier soon to be deployed to the Middle East. But he had one caveat: we had to get the OK from the Bush’s Commanding Officer, which meant a trip to Norfolk, VA. 

ROAD TRIP from DC to SE Virginia for Elizabeth, Tim and myself. Note to self: a vegetarian has difficulty finding something to eat at Powell’s BBQ on I-64 outside Williamsburg, VA. That’s on me. 

First stop: Huntington Ingalls, Newport News. Elizabeth, Tim, and I headed to the dockyards holding the USS Gerald R Ford. Their Public Affairs director took us on a tour of the new craft. It was shockingly big. When you hear that the crew can play football on the deck, you can imagine it but it’s still not real until you experience it. It’s massive enough to play football, basketball, and a NASCAR race if they wanted. It was amazing to see. They outlined their security concerns, and we assured them they were in safe hands. The carrier was behind schedule, so we planned to keep in the loop as the ship progressed to deployment. 

The next day, we headed to the Norfolk Naval Base to meet with the Commanding Officer of the USS George HW Bush. I took a wrong turn at the entrance and ended up at a security booth, an ensign with an automatic rifle on his side, and me saying, “Oh my god... oh my god…….I took a wrong turn!” The ensign laughed and explained that it happens all the time. He gave me thorough directions to the correct facility & pointed me towards his equally armed colleague. He directed us to the right exit. Whew. Idiot civilians on a military installation. How embarrassing.

We experienced a very similar check-in to San Diego: very stringent and unnerving. The PIO took us on a carrier tour, highlighting the differences between the Nimitz and Ford class. It was fascinating. After what felt like a few miles, we were led to the Commanding Officer’s quarters. This was not a bedroom. It was a conference room, office, sitting room, and everything else. We met the Captain’s team and sat down, hoping for a warm welcome. We were disappointed. 

The Captain was cautious about letting a camera crew tour his ship. Would we adequately detail how a ship functions? Would we be seeking salacious commentary from the crew? Do we even care about the how and why of having a carrier fleet? His concerns were valid. I would have posed the same questions and told him so. I explained that our goal was to analytically and thoroughly outline why a carrier was important. We detailed how the Smithsonian Channel audience wanted facts and data, not staged drama. The audience would be in awe of not only the ship but the personnel who man this floating military base.

I then talked directly to each unit head, outlining how our story would focus on their divisions and how each role played a vital part in the carrier’s mission. I detailed what I knew of the differences between the Nimitz and Ford classes and what I thought the audience would be interested in. 

As a unit, we demonstrated that we had done our homework and understood the story that needed to be told. 

The leaders started to relax and be more open to our presence. By the end of our meeting, we had secured access. 

Our tour continued, including a visit to an air wing meeting room. There were all these chairs with pilot’s call signs labeled on them. Unable to pass up an opportunity, I plopped down in one of them, declaring, “I’m Iceman!” Sometimes, you can’t take the fan out of the professional.

We returned to Washington, DC, with access to an active mission and the world's newest and most modern carrier. Mission accomplished! 

Not really. Premature to declare success.

Elizabeth, her team, and the rest of Red Rock–myself included–had to make the show. We succeeded in Stage 1: securing access and getting the greenlight. Now, the second step: make the damn thing! The gang at Red Rock was phenomenal with logistics, research, capturing the action on the carrier, working with the Navy, and putting together an engaging story. It was about 14 months of work, including six+ weeks on the USS George HW Bush. We went in-depth on how an air wing is structured, the history of aircraft carriers, and the differences between the two classes of ships. We delivered to the viewer’s expectations and the Navy’s. 

The lesson from shows like this and others is what looks easy and almost normal takes a lot of effort in the background. It needs an incredibly capable team like Elizabeth and the talent she assembled. It takes a network of supportive executives to have your back and work hand in hand with you. It takes a lot of homework, so when it comes time to negotiate, you know what you’re talking about. It takes tact, diplomacy, and tenaciousness–all in equal measure. 

It takes a curious mind and a sense of wonder about these incredible engineering marvels so that interest, that awe conveys to everyone you meet and the program you produce. 

I was Iceman for a brief shining moment.