Bo Faulkner

While producing scenes, conducting interviews, dealing with the talent, and keeping in contact with post were my primary responsibilities, the small size of our crew required that I operate B Cam, take notes, handle releases, scout locations, etc.- whatever it took for the production to go smoothly. A large portion of my time was spent dealing with difficult talent, reconciling their desires with the needs of the show.

For this show I really got to stretch my legs creatively and was given the opportunity to write a great deal alongside the EP. With such a large crew on this production, I was able to focus more on story and directing our talent than I have been in the past. In addition to producing scenes, I was a part of the scout team sent ahead of production to cast pass-through characters and secure locations.

I was promoted from segment producer to field producer for this season and was given a set of talent to follow in the wilderness with a small crew. I shot often but my primary responsibility was to build a story that fit into our large universe of characters, working closely with the post supervisor and the field supervising producer to keep the story under control and ensure that everything made sense. This production used small mobile units, so I was usually also handling all AP/Art department/etc. duties myself, including notes and daily hot sheets as well as casting and location scouting. At the time I was a certified Wilderness First Responder and served as the de facto set medic.

Field producing for Rivermen involved, as so many jobs do, wearing many different hats. I led a three person unit documenting life off the grid on the Mississippi river. I shot B cam and rolled GoPros when necessary but I spent a great deal of my time coordinating with story producers in post, dealing with talent, casting pass through characters, and shooting pickups for the other units. My DP and I were sent to shoot all of the pickups- both interview and scenework- at the end of the shoot. At the time I was a certified Wilderness First Responder and served as the de facto set medic.

In my first role as segment producer, my responsibilities were a mix of associate producer duties and field producer duties. I took detailed time coded notes, transferred digital media, wrote hot sheets, secured releases, gassed up trucks, etc. - whatever needed to be done. In addition to these responsibilities, I directed many scenes and conducted sit down interviews that made the national commercial for the pilot and eventually the show. Due to the remote nature of the shoot, I also served as the set medic.

Associate Producer on the set of this show meant not only handling media, taking notes, doing hot sheets, getting releases, art department duties, but also very regularly having to handle animals, guns, and large trucks. In addition to general AP duties, I was responsible for securing heavy loads of livestock and/or equipment, driving crew, equipment and livestock off road to difficult to reach locations, and assisting with maintenance on equipment- changing out tires, putting out fires, etc. I also served as set medic for this shoot. Thanks to an EP that wanted to see my skills grow, by the end of this season I was conducting almost all of the sit down interviews with primary talent.

This season I got my first chances to operate camera and direct scenes. Also, the EP began to let me conduct some of the sit down interviews, a skill I continue to develop. As stated before, Associate Producer on the set of this show meant not only handling media, taking notes, doing hot sheets, getting releases, art department duties, but very regularly having to handle animals, guns, and large trucks. In addition to general AP duties, I was responsible for securing heavy loads of livestock and/or equipment, driving crew, equipment and livestock off road to difficult to reach locations, and assisting with maintenance on equipment- changing out tires, putting out fires, etc. I also served as set medic for this shoot.

This was my first job in the industry. My duties included but were not limited to: Shopping for and setting up craft services, assisting talent with paperwork, maintaining a clean set, driving on/offroad, feeding/taking care of animal talent, set medic, time coded notes, assisting camera department, etc. This show set the standard that working in the TV industry was forever going to be an exercise in "wearing many hats."