Production Approach

What will RE be like?

Think of a program with the style of “Dirty Jobs,” then add in a dollop of “This Old House,” a soupçon of “Mighty Machines” and a touch of classic documentary style. Now, add some of the “gee whiz” (without the cheez-whiz) of Food Channel’s “Unwrapped.” RE will be fast-paced and informal, with a sense of humor and a bit of “attitude.” But we’ll never lose sight of the ball. The RE approach is not to be “teachy” or “preachy,” but to share our own curiosity and amazement with our audience. Our co-hosts will address their audience as equals, holding a conversation, rather than delivering a lecture.

In order to obtain the highest production value while retaining the ability to move quickly with a relatively small, agile crew, we intend to shoot the program on location with the latest generation of small high definition cameras, recording to either tape, disc, hard drive or cards (HDV, HDCAM, and HDCAM-EX). Because these cameras are so light and portable, even a small documentary-sized crew will be able to employ lightweight cranes, dollies, and other techniques to provide the kind of unique visual perspectives that will make RE stand out from the competition. Our goal is to provide the maximum production value possible while remaining within realistic budgets and schedules.

Post-production will be completed digitally using Final Cut Pro editing suites along with the latest effects and graphics software. Using the Pro-Res codec in Final Cut, we will be able to retain full high definition quality throughout the process while retaining flexibility for final output. The final programs will be output as HD or SD in whatever format is required by the network. We are currently researching stories for the program and can begin pre-production and shooting within a few months.