As you'll see in the first episode tonight, this show is fast and intense. From shutting down a major freeway in San Francisco for five days, to our EMT ride-alongs, what you see is what you get.
Marisa's helicopter landing in the middle of the I-280 freeway
We shot 18 scenes on the I-280 freeway, with a crew of more than 100 people, in five days, between the hours of 10am and 4pm (we had to be off before rush hour).
Lucky for us, Jeffrey Reiner (our director) shoots like Michael Muller -- fast and furious. So Reiner practiced the ENTIRE freeway sequence at once. As actors we were overwhelmed, but EMTs walk into overwhelming situations all the time. So, it was only fitting that we were shooting guerrilla style and racing against the clock.
EMTs don't have the luxury of time either. In fact, the best chance for survival following a traumatic injury occurs when the injured person is seen and treated within an hour of the event. That hour is known as the "Golden Hour." (After that hour has passed, the patient's chance for survival decreases significantly).
Cliff Curtis and Kevin Rankin train with Medical Adviser, Jeff Covitz
REINER: Hey, so I was thinking... You should get into shape.
Pause.
ME: Umm. I thought I was in shape?
REINER: Yeah. You're in good shape, but I want you to get into
bootcamp-ARMY-military shape.
ME: We start shooting in two weeks.
REINER: Yeah. I know, but I think you could do it.
(Good-bye Chocolate. Hello Egg Whites.)
At NAVY SEAL Training Base in San Diego
At NAVY SEAL Training Base in San Diego
The other thing I had to do was make my helicopter feel like "home." So, I decided to learn the in and outs of helicopters. I spent hours inside copters studying the different gauges, practicing putting on the suspender seat belts (without looking), and learning about pre- and post-flight inspections. I interviewed Medevac pilots and realized that flying a helicopter was much more difficult than I had imagined. But, I wanted to represent pilots as accurately as possible, so I put on my student hat and started taking notes.
Training with pilot Bill Probets in Hayward, CA
Six weeks of EMT training, Navy Seal Boot Camp, military diet, and shooting on the streets, freeways, bridges, and rooftops of San Francisco... and, it's just the first episode... let me know what you think.
