Features, Series, Docs & Drama

Generation 9/11

Arrow Pictures for PBS / Channel 4 / Arte

ARROW PICTURES' GENERATION 9/11, A 3-WAY COMMISSION FROM PBS, ARTE FRANCE AND CHANNEL 4, TAKES A UNIQUE LOOK AT THE IMPACT OF THE 9/11 TRAGEDY ON ITS 20TH ANNIVERSARY.
An estimated one hundred and eight children were in their mother’s womb when they lost their fathers in the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001. Generation 9/11 (1 x 120 mins) is an intimate film telling the stories of their children, born in the wake of their deaths.

Following the lives of this unique group of teenagers, Generation 9/11 will document what’s happened to them and their families in the 20 years following al-Qaeda’s assault. Whilst the film weaves together shared chapters of the lives of these children - their first day of school; the first time the absence of their father was felt; the moment they learned how their father died - it also serves as a lens to look at the broader world.

Generation 9/11 will follow its protagonists on their personal journey over the last 20 years using a combination of new footage, family photos and home archives. It follows in the footsteps of a range of 9/11 films for which John Smithson has been responsible, including the Emmy-nominated 9/11: Phone Calls From The Towers (1 x 90 for Channel 4) and the BAFTA-nominated 9/11: The Falling Man (1x 90 for Channel 4/Discovery Channel).

Generation 9/11 is directed by Liz Mermin. An award-winning filmmaker who has directed high-profile documentaries for Netflix, BBC, CNN, PBS, Sundance Channel, many more, Mermin’s films include First Ladies, detailed portraits of Michelle Obama and Nancy Reagan for CNN; and The Beauty Academy of Kabul for BBC Storyville. Lucie Ridout is the film’s Executive Producer.

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My Role:
Remote Camera Director of Photography - During lockdowns, when crews were not allowed to film, I worked with a remote camera rig sent to contributors and operated it remotely to film observational footage and interviews with all of the characters in their homes.

Extreme Rescues - Nat Geo

Arrow Pictures for Nat Geo

ARROW PICTURES REINVENTS SURVIVAL IN A NEW NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SERIES
Arrow Pictures has made Extreme Rescues, a 6x60 returnable series, for National Geographic Channel (broadcast as Rescued in the UK). Through the innovative use of User Generated Content (UGC), the series tells the stories of some of the most gripping, real-life rescue situations told for the first time.

Ludie Ridout, Executive Producer, says: “Dashcams, body cams, helmet cams, GoPros and drones enable us to capture second-by-second detail of some truly perilous situations. What our viewers see is the actuality of real-life events unfolding, getting closer to the action like never before. By using UGC we are also able to take the viewer to some of the most remote parts of the planet, without roads, phones, or emergency services to hand, by having access to the UGC that was recorded by people at that moment. It’s an extremely powerful series.”

Each programme allows viewers to experience the story from the moment tragedy strikes, following every beat of the rescue operation as it unfolds. The UGC content is intercut with powerful interview footage of the rescuers, the survivors and the helpless and anxious family members who waited to hear news of their loved ones.

John Smithson, Creative Director, Arrow Pictures, says: “The challenge with survival programming is how to put the audience in the raw of the moment as something goes wrong. They want to experience as much of the jeopardy and heightened emotion as possible. This series draws on our extensive experience in this genre, giving the viewer even more of a front-row seat because of the exceptional UGC we have used. This isn’t about using UGC clips, this places UGC at the heart of each and every programme. No matter how rough the quality of the UGC, it’s the real deal and packs so much more power than by using recreation.”

Arrow is a leader in the survival genre with programming including: Nightmare on Everest for Channel 4; feature documentary Sherpa for Universal, Screen Australia and Discovery; and Mayday: The Passenger Who Landed a Plane for Channel 4. I Shouldn’t Be Alive, the hit returning series for Channel 4 and Discovery Channel; the multi-award-winning box office hit Touching the Void; and Oscar-nominated feature film 127 Hours are all part of John Smithson’s creative portfolio.

The series is Exec Produced by Lucie Ridout for Arrow Pictures and John Smithson is Creative Director.

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My Role:
Series DP - I Established the shooting style for the series and I was part of the first of 3 shooting teams. For our block we travelled to Vancouver Island, Montreal, Vermont, North Carolina, Arizona and Costa Rica, covering 5 stories, before being sent to France to pick up another one.

The shoot involved us climbing down into an underground cave system in Canada, using ropes and a harness, which as an experienced climber I was comfortable with doing. We also hiked a mountain in a 40 degree heat in Arizona and spent a couple of days at sea on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica.

My shoots directed by Nick Miller & Tristan Goodley