Lazarus — Mini-Doc

One of the reasons I pursued a career in film was to tell meaningful stories that would impact our world. I often get to do that through short-form commercials in small ways, but selling the latest shampoo product isn’t as life-changing as hearing someone share their personal story. From time to time, I get to Produce a longer-form project that allows me to expound on a moment in someone’s life; in this case, that moment was the 1979 Iranian Hostage Crisis. As part of a more extensive campaign, I joined the project to Produce the story of a man who was instrumental in releasing those hostages. The story is fascinating and will make the hair on your arm stand up straight. The task was enormous, and Director Corry Wiens and I wanted to ensure we told the story right. From the get-go, we had taken inspiration from the 2012 film Argo, which helped channel our creative decisions.

We discovered that the gentleman the story highlighted lives in Oxford, England. So I immediately engaged my friend and local fixer, Ben Richards, to secure the right location for our sit-down interview. He had just finished working as a fixer on a narrative film for our mutual Producer friend, so he had the right connections to get us the perfect filming spots. So my crew and I flew to London, and with the help of our friends at Cameraworks we geared up and drove to Oxford. Our G&E crew from Gripvan met us there, and we spent the next couple of days filming the interview and B-Roll of our hero in and around the Oxford area. 

Being back in the UK and producing such a rich story was incredibly exciting. Getting to sit behind a camera and lights and hear the story of what went on behind closed doors during the hostage crisis was a fascinating experience. We returned home with beautiful footage and took the time to create an A-Roll, so we knew how the final edit would play out. With our first portion complete, we had the framework for part two of this project. Corry and I created a script of reenactment moments that would pair with the story details. Due to the story taking place in Iran, there was only one person to call, my buddy Frank at Blue Cloud Movie Ranch in Santa Clarita, CA. Having filmed there extensively in the past, it is always my ‘go-to’ whenever I need to film scenes based in the US and the middle east. My Production Coordinator and I then cast for our roles, hired our LA-based crew, and worked with a cultural expert to ensure everything, from the art direction to the scene dialogue, we were culturally staying true to the story and the historical era.

Our day on set at the movie ranch began early. We had an entire cast and crew to wrangle, a period-accurate picture car, and catering/crafty logistics to handle right out of the gate. My good friend and AD Amy Covell led the charge as we got the day going. Our PA team would shuttle cast and crew in golf carts between our set location and basecamp/holding, and our trusted snake wrangler Marissa Schwierjohn would advance each filming spot for us to ensure the areas were safe and free of any scaly creatures.

It was a full-blown operation, but such a fun one! The actors gave their all in their performances, and we walked away from the production, knowing that the shots we had gotten would elevate the mini-doc to the next level. I’m very proud of this piece and the story we were allowed to tell. I love the filmmaking process, regardless of the project, but there was something extra special about this one. I am grateful to work in this crazy career that gives me the opportunity to tell stories that impact me and help others as well.