I can think of no more difficult thing than watching an episode of 24 and not post things people would consider spoilers. Let me state that if you have not watched the first two episodes, then do not proceed with this blog post.
In the last episode we learned what the end-game is for Margot (Michelle Fairley)–the killing of an American president on foreign soil by hijacking a drone. Helping her is her daughter Simone (Emily Berrington). Jack (Kiefer Sutherland) and Chloe (Mary Lynn Rajskub) are hot on Simone’s trail. Kate Morgan (Yvonne Strahovski) and Erik Ritter (Gbenga Akinnagbe) are not far behind Jack and Chloe. I’m biting my nails and am hyperventilating at this point. Chloe shares with Jack some news that shocks him and makes me cry. We are now just 14 minutes into the show. Jack and Chloe learn the identities of the players involved, but the plot and mystery thickens. Are allies really allies? Are enemies really enemies? And the there is what I call “creepy cam.” I was cheering for Audrey and for the last minute of the show, I actually held my breath.
All I want to hear now is that Fox Broadcasting orders a pickup for this show! Today is upfronts for Fox Broadcasting. Come on, Fox. Make my day. Give it the green light for another season.
Watch tonight, Monday, May 12, on Fox Broadcasting at 9/8 Central.
(Thank you Fox Broadcasting and FOX VIP for the privilege of watching the screener for tonight’s episode)
Tonight Kiefer Sutherland returns in his iconic role as Jack Bauer in 24: Live Another Day. Watching the first two episodes was like visiting with an old friend–it picks right back up as if there had not been 4 years between the end of the season 8 and today’s reincarnation. I knew some of the major cast members who had been announced but I was pleasantly surprised to see Colin Salmon, the actor who I have come to know from Arrow on the CW for the last 2 seasons. Ironically, he had a role in the Bond series “Die Another Day.” Another funny parallel is Yvonne Strahovski‘s character, Kate Morgan. Dexter fans will enjoy that last name.
Some of my observations from the first hour (without outright posting spoilers):
– Cool tech!!!
– Captures your attention immediately.
– How Jack Bauer does not shatter his ankles I will never know.
– The content is relevant to today’s politics.
– Heller (William Devane) is still witty.
– Jack always has a plan.
– It’s the CIA but it still feels like CTU.
– I love Chloe’s badass look.
– Who are the players? We find out who some are during this first episode.
Observations from the second hour:
– That’s unexpected!
– Dangerous bedfellows.
– Was that Stephen Fry? (Yes, it was).
– Chloe is downright bitter.
– Lesson for episode 2: Never trust a woman.
Tune in tonight at 8 Eastern/7 Central for the return of 24: Live Another Day
Follow some of the cast/crew members of 24: Live Another Day on Twitter at:
How long do you get to work on a particular preview before it goes to air? Have there ever been close calls to deadlines? Can you share anything specific if you did?
Usually you get a week to work on promos for a show during the regular television season. You want to finish promos for an episode at least a week before the episode airs so there’s time for viewers to see them. On launch promos for new shows you get a longer time frame, perhaps weeks or months because you have the pilot episode already. For returning shows, you have to wait for production to start before you can get material to cut promos with.
There have been some close calls when it comes to a promo making air. Back in the day when I was doing promos for “America’s Most Wanted,” we would promo the specific fugitive that the show was looking for and sometimes viewers would see the promos, recognize the fugitive, call the police and the fugitive would be arrested before the actual episode could air. This would throw everything off and we would quickly have to produce new promos featuring a different fugitive. I remember having an hour to produce a new promo and finishing just in time for the new promo to be slapped into a tape machine and broadcast. Haven’t had to do that in a long time, thank God.
(X-Files Promos)
How do you decide which way to take a preview? I noticed that just recently on Twitter you asked viewers what they wanted to see in a preview and you got a pretty good response–no spoilers, action, explosions, relationships, which I think pretty much covers all aspects.
Ideas on how to approach doing a promo will usually come to me while I’m watching an episode. I take lots of detailed notes on dialogue and shots that I like. For “Fringe” alone I’ve taken around 2000 pages of notes. Notes make things move faster during an edit session because it’s easier to find what you need.
During most of my career I’ve never really had an occasion to ask fans of a show what they’d like to see in a promo / trailer. Twitter provided the perfect opportunity to learn what fans thought about how a favorite show is being sold to them. I asked fans questions when I was working on “Fringe” and the responses were very helpful. The music we used in the final “Fringe” promos was suggested by a fan. Fox has always been a leader in embracing new technology. Twitter is a wonderful tool for promotion and linking fans together and with “Fringe” it really showed. There are some AMAZING “Fringe” fans in the Twitter-verse and I am still awed by what they were able to pull off.
(Fringe Promo–Thanks @NataliaQuique)
I think that in some aspects part of your job is sales. You have to sell a show in a very specific short period of time. I think it is very reminiscent of commercials for products except people are usually flipping through commercials on their DVRs. Would I be right to think that while flipping through these commercials they have to see this preview of an episode and want to stop and look at it before they continue flipping through the products to get back to their show? If so, that’s pressure!
Television promos and trailers can be considered an art form but in the end yes, you are selling something. Promo producers are acutely aware that viewers are very adept at wielding the DVR remote. I try to have at least one shot in whatever promo I’m producing that will entice a viewer to stop fast-forwarding through a commercial break and rewind the DVR to watch the entire promo. Sometimes a few frames of a promo will be all you have to promote a show so you’ve got to really think about what you’re putting on the screen. It has to be interesting. It has to be compelling because most everyone is an expert at watching television and people know when you’re messing with them. The audience knows when you’re not being honest. They may not be able to quantify exactly why something in a promo or trailer isn’t quite right but they know something’s wrong. Make sense?
Alcatraz Promo
Have there ever been moments where after a piece airs you feel you could have done things a little differently, or is there no second guessing yourself in this line of work?
Yeah, I have thought of better ways to do a promo after the fact. Sure, there are a times when I feel that I absolutely nailed it but they’re rare. Given time you can find a million different ways to make a promo so there is some second guessing, I suppose.
I remember a particular promo I did for “The X Files” that had a shot in it that I thought was really cool. I didn’t stop to consider that younger viewers might be frightened by this shot. It was just a cool creepy shot to me. So the promo aired and I got a few irate e-mails from some parents who didn’t appreciate having to explain the “coolness” of this particular shot I’d used to their children. They were right. I learned from that mistake and don’t think I’ve ever repeated it.
Second guessing has its merits the trick is to do your second guessing before the promo airs.
With all the changes coming so rapidly in the way people view television, do you have any thoughts about the future for promotional clips?
Yes, things are changing fast in the world of television viewing. I think the future of what a promo will look like and how it will be viewed will evolve depending on one thing and that is when a viewer records a show on a DVR or streams it off the internet, will that viewer be able to fast-forward through promos. We all know that right now if you record a show on DVR, you can blaze through anything by fast-forwarding. Will that continue to be possible? We’re already starting to see disabled fast-forwarding in video on demand and streaming. Will that extend into all viewing options? Only time will tell.
Regardless of what happens, my personal philosophy regarding promos is this: Most everyone who watches television is an expert at watching television. Even if they can’t quantify why what they’re watching promo wise feels wrong or out of place, they will know something is not right. Viewers know when they’re being messed with because they’re experts at watching television. So, if you’re viewing a recorded show and a promo begins to play, that promo had better somehow grab your attention from the first frame and be compelling enough so that you don’t fast forward through it, you just have to watch it. It’s as simple and complex as that.
The future of promos will be interesting. I suspect there will be many new options explored for enticing viewers to watch new shows as well as established ones. Ten years from now who knows what the promo world will look like? It’s certainly changed a lot in the last ten years. One of the most exciting things to me is fan participation. It’s amazing to see fans up-loading promos of their favorite shows to the internet and sharing them with others or creating their own fan made pieces. It’s really cool. When fans get involved in this way, great things happen and as a promo producer, it’s really a lot of fun to watch!
Bart next to the Headless Horseman costume from Sleepy Hollow
I’d like to thank Bart for being SO generous with his time and his answers and to @NataliaQuique for being the ultimate uber-Bart-fan who gave me an idea and a push in the right direction. I hope you enjoyed getting to know him better. I sure did!
For a brief period of time from August 2008 until November of 2008 I had the tremendous opportunity to be part of a live newscast for Fox 26 Houston for a segment once a week called “Your Family Matters.” Other women within the community were also invited. While I was not on every week, because I had a unique perspective of being a mother of a child with a disability or politically because of my no-party affiliation, I was often selected for a particular topic as part of a group. I was captivated by all the elements that went into a production of a newscast. Every job is important. About the same time, I found a blog by Joseph Mallozzi who was an executive producer and writer on the series Stargate. Oftentimes he would feature a Q&A of different people working on the show. It was a wonderful opportunity to learn more of all the elements that went in to creating a popular series. Occasionally I get a chance to ask questions of people working on a show. Occasionally they graciously indulge my request for an interview. What I am learning is that their stories are far more fascinating.
One such person is Bart Montgomery. Many of us on Twitter got to know him as the man behind the promotional pieces for Fringe on Fox Broadcasting. He became a rock star to us (although the modest man he is, I imagine that he would blush that I have said that). I wanted to know more about his career and how he makes certain decisions that lead him to create the videos that lead the viewer to decide whether or not it is something they might want to view. The answers were so terrific that I had to break this up into two parts. Here is the first of two. Enjoy!
What is your official title at Fox?
Senior Writer/Producer, Fox On-Air Promo Creative.
How long have you been with Fox?
I’ve been with Fox for 16 years, first from 1990 – 1999 then from 2006 to present.
Where the magic happens!
How did you get into this particular field of work? Was it something you studied for in college, or something that you got on-the-job experience? If you didn’t study for this particular field in college, what was your major?
I studied Film and Television production at the University of Missouri-Columbia. There isn’t a university level course that I know of that deals with producing television promos. It’s kind of a specialized thing that you learn on the job. I mean, you can learn the basics of television and film production in college and that will help you in promo work but in my university experience, I never studied anything as detailed as promo or trailer production.
To tell the truth, I kind of fell into producing promos by chance. I had moved out to Los Angeles to get into the film and television business in some capacity. I didn’t know what I wanted to do yet but just wanted to get involved. Unfortunately I arrived in L.A. during a writer’s strike so there was no work to be had. Every show and film set was shut down. After a couple of weeks looking for work, a friend of mine from college who was living in Florida and knew I was looking, told me that a friend of hers in Florida had a sister who was working at a promo / trailer production company in Hollywood. She told me that I should contact her friend’s sister so I did. I met her the next day and she hired me on the spot for the high profile job of runner / tape librarian. I had a masters degree and I was running around Hollywood picking up and delivering video tapes. Exciting huh? It does prove, however, that when it comes to getting a job in Hollywood, it IS who you know.
After several months working as a “runner” I was delivering tapes to an edit session for one of the company owners, a man named Geoff Calnan, who is a legend in the promo business. I kid you not, he is a promo master and anyone reading this has seen his work. I had dropped off the videotapes that were needed for the session and Geoff turns to me and asks me what I wanted to do in the company. Without thinking I replied, “I want to do what you do, produce promos and trailers.” I remember he looked at me for a moment and said, “Okay, you’re doing the next promo for “Superboy.” “Superboy” was a syndicated show that we had the promo contract for at the time. So, that was the first show I ever produced a promo for and it launched my career. I’ve even found some of my “Superboy” promos on YouTube— Go figure.
You do/have done the previews for episodes like The Following, Sleepy Hollow, Fringe, Almost Human, Touch, and X-Files. What are some other shows?
Well, in addition to the shows you’ve listed, I can give you a short overview. I’ve produced promos for “America’s Most Wanted” “Beverly Hills 90210” “The Simpsons” “Married with Children” “Millenium” “Harsh Realm” “24” “Family Guy” “Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles” to name a few.
Is it a team effort to produce the one preview or do you work on a particular project/episode by yourself while others are working on other episodes?
Usually each producer is assigned a show to write and produce promos for. Sometimes, especially when a show is first launched on the network, several producers will be assigned to produce multiple launch promos. But, most of the time, there is a single producer for each show.
Fox is a very creative place to work. They give you a lot of freedom to try different approaches. I’m biased of course but I think Fox is the best network on television and I’m proud to work here. There, I said it.
(Space Above And Beyond within a commercial block)
Do you get to choose the music for a particular preview? If so you must have to listen to quite a variety and be very knowledgeable about current trends. Do you hear something and think, “That would be great for such-and-such show” or do you file it away for a different time in the future?
Yes, as a producer I usually select the music for the promos. There are times when someone at a higher level will have a specific music idea or there may be a new music track being offered at a reduced rate by an established band looking for exposure that we’ll use but most of the time it’s me listening to various production music libraries. I’m always listening to current popular music tracks looking for ways to use songs that that I think would be good for a show I’m working on. More often than not, I’ll find something really good that I’ll file away in my mind for possible use later. I remember listening to Pandora one morning on the way to work and hearing a song by the band Collide called “Am I Here?” I just had to use it and it became the track I used for the “Fringe” Season 4 launch promos so sometimes it’s just pure luck that you find exactly what you need musically. I’ve used music from Trent Reznor to Johnny Cash and everything in between. One band I’m dying to use in a promo / trailer is Garbage, just haven’t found the right situation yet.
(Come back for Part 2 in the next day or so. The best is yet to come!)
Kim Raver and William Devane will reunite with award-winning star Kiefer Sutherland when they reprise their respective daughter-father roles as AUDREY RAINES and JAMES HELLER on the thrilling new event series 24: LIVE ANOTHER DAY, premiering Spring 2014 on FOX.
Both joined the original “24” in Season Four (2005). Devane served as Secretary of Defense JAMES HELLER and the father to Raver’s character, AUDREY RAINES, a committed and passionate woman with a tragic past, who fell in love with JACK BAUER (Sutherland). They were both last seen in the final scenes of Season Six, when Jack said goodbye to a catatonic Audrey.
Raver and Devane’s reprisals add to the previously announced return of Mary Lynn Rajskub as CHLOE O’BRIAN, Bauer’s quirky CTU confidante. Raver, known for her roles on “Third Watch,” “The Nine” and “Lipstick Jungle,” was most recently featured on the network series “Revolution” and “Grey’s Anatomy.” Devane, best known for his villainous role on “Knots Landing,” recently played the U.S. President in the feature film “The Dark Knight Rises.”
Restarting the groundbreaking and Emmy Award-winning drama franchise, 24: LIVE ANOTHER DAY will be set in London and will follow the further exploits of Bauer, taking up his story four years after the events of “24’s” final season. Once again, viewers will join the heroic agent on a pulse-pounding ride in real time.
24: LIVE ANOTHER DAY is a production of Teakwood Lane Productions in association with 20th Century Fox Television and Imagine Television. Howard Gordon, Evan Katz, Manny Coto, David Fury, Robert Cochran, Brian Grazer, Jon Cassar and Kiefer Sutherland will executive-produce. The original series, which had its last American broadcast on May 24, 2010, was created by Joel Surnow and Cochran.
NEW ACTION-PACKED EVENT SERIES “24: LIVE ANOTHER DAY”
TAKES JACK BAUER TO ENGLAND FOR 12 ACTION-PACKED EPISODES
24: LIVE ANOTHER DAY Marks the First “24” Production to Film Abroad
Since 2008 Telefilm “24: Redemption”
Twentieth Century Fox Television, Imagine Television and FOX are sending the production of 24: LIVE ANOTHER DAY across the Atlantic to London for a thrilling international adventure, as the new tent-pole event series restarts the clock on the groundbreaking and Emmy Award-winning drama franchise starring Kiefer Sutherland. As previously announced, 24: LIVE ANOTHER DAY will make its historic debut in the summer of 2014 on FOX.
“‘24’ has always had such a global sensibility,” said Sutherland, who also serves as an executive producer on the event series. “But to be able to tell this intense ‘24’-style story with the beauty of Europe’s history and architecture as the backdrop is going to be fascinating. Hopefully, by the time you’re finished watching an episode, you’ll feel like you’ve been there…on the edge of your seat.”
Co-showrunner and executive producer Evan Katz added, “We wanted the show’s return to be an event, and part of that was putting Jack in a very different context. Four years ago, we left Jack a fugitive from justice and we’re going to pick him up four years later in London.”
Co-showrunner and executive producer Manny Coto continued, “Jack is soon back on the run and it takes us into the streets of London and in places that break new ground for the show. We’ve shot in New York, Washington, Los Angeles and Cape Town — but now we’re in London and Jack’s loose on the streets of Europe, hunted by and hunting bad guys.”
Originally premiering November 6, 2001, “24” was nominated for a total of 73 Emmy Awards, winning for Outstanding Drama Series in 2006. Over the course of eight seasons, and a two-hour telefilm, Sutherland garnered seven Emmy Award nominations and one win for Outstanding Lead Actor – Drama Series. While the series gained global recognition, Sutherland’s portrayal of the legendary character penetrated the American psyche like no other dramatic television character to become part of the cultural lexicon.
24: LIVE ANOTHER DAY is a production of 20th Century Fox Television and Imagine Television in association with Teakwood Lane Productions. Howard Gordon, Brian Grazer and Kiefer Sutherland will executive produce, along with an additional team to be announced. The original series, which had its last American broadcast on May 24, 2010, was created by Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran.
NEW ACTION-PACKED EVENT SERIES “24: LIVE ANOTHER DAY” TO RESTART ICONIC CLOCK IN SUMMER 2014 ON FOX
Kiefer Sutherland to Return as JACK BAUER in New Event Series Produced by 20th Century Fox Television, Imagine Television and Howard Gordon’s Teakwood Lane Productions
(Press Release) FOX has ordered 24: LIVE ANOTHER DAY, a thrilling new tent-pole event series set to restart the clock on the groundbreaking and Emmy Award-winning drama franchise starring Kiefer Sutherland. Produced by 20th Century Fox Television, Imagine Television and Howard Gordon’s Teakwood Lane Productions, 24: LIVE ANOTHER DAY will make its historic debut in the summer of 2014 on FOX.
The announcement was made this morning by Kevin Reilly, Chairman, Fox Broadcasting Company; Dana Walden and Gary Newman, Chairmen, Twentieth Century Fox Television; and Brian Grazer, Chairman, Imagine Entertainment.
The high-octane saga will reunite showrunner Howard Gordon with Sutherland and retain the real-time, pulse-pounding, fast-paced format with split screens and complex interweaving storylines, with 12 episodes representing 24 hours. The suspenseful event series once again follows the exploits of heroic agent JACK BAUER (Sutherland), who will resume his story several years following the events of the final season.
“It’s great to have Jack back. ‘24’ redefined the drama genre, and as we reimagine the television miniseries, this iconic show will again break new ground for the network,” said Reilly. “The series remains a global sensation, and everyone at FOX is thrilled to be back at work with Kiefer, Howard and the incredibly creative ‘24’ team.”
“When Howard came to us saying he had an idea for a new chapter of ‘24,’ he quite simply had us at ‘hello,’” remarked 20th Century Fox Television Chairmen Gary Newman and Dana Walden. “’24’ is a signature series for this studio, beloved by critics and audiences worldwide. Howard’s idea to revive the franchise as an event series couldn’t be timelier, and with the brilliant Kiefer Sutherland on board to reprise his iconic role, we can’t wait to get started.”
Added Imagine Television Chairman Brian Grazer, “I’m both excited and proud that Howard, Kiefer, and I, along with ours partners at 20th and Fox, have this new opportunity to give ‘24’ fans what they’ve been asking for – more Jack Bauer. It’s been my experience that people love Jack Bauer because he’s a guy who cuts through the red tape and gets the hardest things done. I am certain 24: LIVE ANOTHER DAY will again have a huge impact on our culture.”
“The response to ‘24’ is unlike anything I have ever experienced as an actor before,” noted Sutherland. “To have the chance to reunite with the character, Jack Bauer, is like finding a lost friend. The story ideas from Howard Gordon are exciting and fresh, and will not disappoint. Great thanks to 20th Century Fox Television, Imagine Television and the FOX network for this opportunity. Make no mistake, my goal is to knock your socks off. See you soon.”
“Jack Bauer has always been an exciting, thrilling character, and I confess that I’ve missed him. I think the audience has too,” said executive producer Howard Gordon who served as showrunner for most of the series’ run and won multiple Emmy Awards for his work. “The character has evolved through the years, and this new and exciting event series format is perfect to tell the next chapter of his story and continue to reflect how the world is changing. Fans can rest assured that the Jack they know and love will be back.”
Originally premiering November 6, 2001, ‘24’ was nominated for a total of 73 Emmy Awards, winning for Outstanding Drama Series in 2006. Over eight seasons, Kiefer Sutherland garnered seven Emmy Award nominations and one win for Outstanding Lead Actor – Drama Series. While the series gained global recognition, Sutherland’s portrayal of the legendary character penetrated the American psyche like no other dramatic television character to become part of the cultural lexicon.
24: LIVE ANOTHER DAY is a production of 20th Century Fox Television and Imagine Television in association with Teakwood Lane Productions. Howard Gordon, Brian Grazer and Kiefer Sutherland will executive produce, along with an additional team to be announced. The original series, which had its last American broadcast on May 24, 2010, was created by Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran.
I can think of no more difficult thing than watching an episode of 24 and not post things people would consider spoilers. Let me state that if you have not watched the first two episodes, then do not proceed with this blog post.
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