Sure, there had been hundreds of programs done about this group of ace aviators, but how many of them got 'behind the scenes'? We knew that any member of our audience could go to an airshow, see the bright blue jets, and get autographs from the friendly pilots in the flightsuits. But what were those guys really like? What did it take for them to become part of the team? What went on after the weekend airshow was over? What was their organization all about? We quickly committed ourselves to answering those questions.

But in planning the four hour-long programs, we knew we faced a huge series of challenges. The team's show schedule was a daunting one, with pilots, planes, and support crew hopscotching the country six days a week. They were understandably wary about granting a camera crew unlimited access, but that's exactly what we needed. And because we had committed to shooting in HD, how were we going to get cameras inside the cockpit to capture the pilots' in-flight maneuvers? Those logistical challenges aside, what were the signposts and milestones during the season that we would structure our stories around?

Our production crew, stripped to the essential members only - producer, DP, and sound recordist - immediately began a long series of shoots, first at the team's winter training facility in California, then at their Florida base. Only after we gained the team's trust were we able to start building the moments, scenes, and larger narrative chunks that would form the backbone of the series. Traveling on to Oklahoma, Alaska, Michigan, and Hawaii, the squadron entered the heart of the show season, with our crew firmly embedded. As the footage came back, we knew we had the makings of something special. But the edit was not straightforward. The field crew had to capture the key events as they unfolded, but they also needed to work around the Blue Angels' daily travel and rehearsal schedule to shoot more in-depth interviews. The key to getting the right mix of material was staying nimble - relaxing some of the traditional boundaries between production and post-production - and pulling together as our own team.

As the airshow season neared completion, we finally cleared a major technical hurdle: finding and installing state-of-the-art HD cameras small enough to fit into the cockpit of an F/A-18. No production company had ever attempted high-definition cockpit footage, but we knew we had to bring our audience along for the ride. Combined with the sync audio from the officers on the ground, these amazing images took on a new importance. They provided a dramatic complement to our in-depth coverage of the team on the ground, as well as a compelling record of the physical demands on the pilots in-flight.

Despite these accomplishments, bringing all of the pieces together had to take on new urgency if we were going to meet Discovery's Military Channel deadline. At the end of our edit schedule, incorporating other Henninger personnel became a huge advantage. Our production staff took full advantage of the audio, telecine, and graphics departments to polish the finished programs. In a very real sense, the four programs represent a true collaboration of talented professionals, and the resulting product is a direct reflection of the commitment Henninger staff brought to the project. In fact, Discovery executives reacted so positively to the series that they decided to pre-empt their originally scheduled shows to air 'Blue Angels: a Year in the Life' on the flagship Discovery network. More recently, we worked with our DVD department to produce special features and package the series for retail distribution. Beginning this season the public can complement their airshow experience with a truly first-rate look at the Blue Angels - from the inside. And we're thrilled to have made it happen.

About the Director
Brian J. Kelly is an award winning and nationally recognized television producer and director. He began his television production career in 1987 at the Discovery Channel where he developed his expertise as a producer, writer and director. His knowledge of the business and technical aspects of production have been instrumental in his ability to develop and produce hundreds of hours of cutting edge television programming worldwide. He is known for his ability to captivate audiences with compelling non-fiction television, and has created many highly-rated broadcast programs.

Produced by Henninger Productions
DVD Release Date: August 2, 2005
Run Time: 206 minutes