The Drive "pulls back the curtain" and provides viewers with a rare look into what a nationally-ranked college football team goes through on their quest for a Pac-12 Championship. Fans get to go "under the helmet" to learn the players personalities and personal stories ... and by doing so, makes fans more invested in the games themselves. Catch up with Senior Coordinating Producer, Michael Tolajian, as he shows viewers much more than they could ever see by just watching the game broadcasts.
Q: What went into creating this documentary? What were some challenges that the production team had to face?
A: Our weekly docu-series "The Drive" is a partnership between Pac-12 Networks and the individual universities. We pitched the schools (and their football programs) on the idea of doing an all-access series, and many of the programs were extremely excited to participate in the show. In season 1, we focused on Cal and Arizona State. This season (#2) we are focusing on UCLA. The producers of the show work extremely closely with UCLA head coach Jim Mora and his staff to create the best, most authentic portrayal of the Bruins football team, and the dramatic journey the have begun. Without this close participation, and trust, this series would not be possible.
Q: What kind of equipment was used to shoot the doc, and why was it chosen?
**A: **Our field producers and camera crew are using Canon cameras and lenses. We are using the Canon C300 and 1D C cameras, along with a variety of prime and telephoto lenses. Since season 1, we have worked closely with Canon to assemble the best equipment package possible to capture the raw action, and intimate interviews for the series. The Canon cameras provide a cinematic aesthetics. Yet, at the same time, the cameras are small, nimble, and reliable. The allow our crews to be as "stealthy" as possible, so our presence goes almost unnoticed by the coaches and players.
We also utilize a combination of wireless and boom microphones to capture the raw sound from coaches, players, and fans.
Q: What was your vision for this documentary? What did you want the audience to get out of it?
A: Our vision was simple -- give Pac-12 football fans a true window into UCLA Bruin football. The Drive "pulls back the curtain" and provides viewers with a rare look into what a nationally-ranked college football team goes through on their quest for a Pac-12 Championship. Fans get to go "under the helmet" to learn the players personalities and personal stories ... and by doing so, makes our fans more invested in the games themselves. We show viewers much more than they could ever see by just watching the game broacasts.
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Q: What's something about the creation of this documentary that most people might not know? **How long did it take to shoot and edit this documentary? Is there anything else the team is creating that we should be on the look out for?
A: Creating this series each and every week (for 15 weeks) is extremely challenging. Perhaps the toughest challenge is the production schedule -- with most games played on Saturdays, and with our air date on Wednesday nights at 7:00 pm PT, our producers and editors must pour through over 24 hours of game footage, in addition to practice and off-field footage -- and have a finished show ready to air on Wednesday. That includes on-line, color-correction, script, voice-over narration, mix and graphics. It is a grueling process to say the least. I know of no other sports access series that delivers a show at this pace for an ENTIRE football season (15 straight weeks).
Q: What important production tip should all up and coming documentary filmmakers make sure to remember?
A: My biggest suggestion to young documentary filmmakers is -- "tell me a story." I've noticed that with the rapid advance in camera technology, many young filmmakers have become adept at shooting fantastic looking images. However, often that is all these filmmakers are concerned with ... and the overall product suffers. Beautiful images set to cool music is fine for a minute or two, but if you don't give the audience a "story" ... it quickly becomes boring. The story, and the characters in that story, are more important than any camera, steady cam, song, etc.
Q: Anything else you'd like to add?
A: Watch "The Drive" on Pac-12 Networks Wednesdays at 7:00 pm PT ... you'll love it!
