Entry No. 9 : Waves of Stories; Stories of Waves

Neil Hillstrand always fascinates me.  As the youngest Hillstrand, he grew up under circumstances that are exceptional by most standards.  Sometimes, as I listen to him tell his tales I think to myself, “Can you imagine growing up in Homer, Alaska, with Johnathan and Andy as your older brothers?”  Like all of the men of the Bering Sea, Neil has a raft full of stories to tell.

Today, as he was cooking another excellent dinner, Neil told me a tale of how he used to fish in his own skiff on the inlets and coastal waters of Homer.  After he had made his catch, he would take it to a sandy spit of land.  There he would cook his fish on a driftwood fire and eat it while he stared out across the sea.  The tale seemed pretty normal until he mentioned that he was 8 years old at the time. At 8, I couldn’t walk home from school alone -- while Neil was fishing the ocean alone.

As Neil finished his tale, Russell put an old VHS tape into the VCR.  All of the Time Bandit crew sat down at the table and watched as images of huge waves and proportionally smaller crab boats flickered onto the screen of the galley’s TV.  The waves in the video were at least 50 feet high.  The crew watched as two struggling crab vessels fought their way through the crashing waves.  The Bering Sea tossed the Time Bandit as we watched, adding a sensory enhancement to the overall viewing experience.  Inspired by the video, the crew of the Time Bandit excitedly burst into waves of stories and stories of waves.

For more than an hour I rolled camera as I watched and listened.  It was a fabulous experience for me - - what stories!  I knew even while I was shooting the footage that it was unlikely that this scene would be used on the show. It did not matter to me.  I was compelled to record it anyway.  I feel that it is an honor to have been accepted into this community of exceptional men.  They have all been through a lifelong string of wild experiences. I never tire of their tales. I just wish that we had enough time to share every one of these incredible stories with our viewers. 

Comments

[curious]

Love the production notes. Who is writing the notes? Person behind the camera? Story person?

[Michael Bodick]

Hi Doug,
My name is Mike Bodick, aka Mongo and I met you and Zac several years ago while you were doing a show called All Access NASCAR. I worked for DEI on the #1 car. I have been a big fan of Deadliest Catch since the beginning and am not surprised that you and Zac are involved w/ the show - give me a call or shoot me an email - Please also let Zac know I was asking about him and am looking to get in touch with him. I don't have his number anymore. I hope you are both safe and well.

take care,
Mongo

I would love to have been the proverbial fly on the wall of that conversation! I hope it can be aired in the future. My husband was stationed with one of the Time Bandit's crew from last season (Deushkin -sp?- Marine Corps. Camp Pendleton, CA. 1993-'94) so I've especially kept track of that particular boat all this time. I really respect Captains Andy and John and the gutsy moves they make. I'm glad I belatedly discovered this blog. I will continue to follow along. Keep up the great job here and on the show.
Rebekah Castleberry

[Alex]

I'd like it very much if you guys released some of that material as a bonus DVD or some sort of thing.

I find the whole cinematography on the show amazing. Hats off to you guys!

Get more shots of the ocean around the boat. Sometimes it is hard to get a sense of scale on the boat. Hard to get a sense of how high a wave is. I'm guessing that is because you are ON the wave as you are shooting it and the only way I'd know how big a wave really is is to see how high above the ship it is.

[Jenn]

God I can only imagine the wonderful stories that they have to tell ! I want to thank you for creating this blog to give us even the smallest glimpse of what its like to work with the great crew of the Time Bandit.

[matthew christe]

I watch the show during my 3rd shift at work. I and fellow coworker have a bet what was wrong with Captain Sig's boat when he had to go into harbor for repairs. Could you please notify us what was wrong with the boat, and what was the extent of the repairs needed. thank you Matt

[Bonnie Tucker]

My husband and I caught this show by accident a while back. Since then, I've been telling everyone I know about it. I use to think that I had a favorite Captain or crew, but now I think of all of them as my favorites. The courage that they show is remarkable. I will never again eat a crab leg without thinking of these incredible people. Everyone of them are in my prayers. My God keep you all.

[Doug Stanley]

Hi everyone,
I can't tell you how much I enjoy being a part of this show.
I love to check in here at my blog, read the comments and answer questions...so here goes.

First question: who is writing the blog?
My name is Doug Stanley. I am lucky enough to be one of the producers of the show and also act as the shows Director of Photography. I am also a big fan of the crab boys.

Hey Mongo. Yes I remember you from Nascar! Zac and I still discuss our adventures there. Running a camera in the pits at Nascar is probably just as dangerous as working on the crab boats. Zac is off chasing tornadoes in Kansas right now. He is also quite visible on the show. When the big waves crack across the deck of the Cornelia Marie, you can clearly see Zac rolling a camera, risking it all for the shot! I will pass on the hello from ya.

We struggle at times in our photography as you might imagine. One of the hardest things we face is providing scale to the waves that the boat is in. You are right, it is difficult because we are on the wave that we are shooting. It really is much bigger than it looks. This year I had the chance to shoot a bunch of boat to boat shots that I am really proud of. You see these shots in the promos, in the show opening and throughout the series. I can't believe how good they are, we will definitely continue shooting these boat-to-boat shots. They really do give our viewers an idea of the scale.

As far as the 3rd shift bet goes:
I was not on the Northwestern when it had mechanical problems. I will dig around a bit and try to find out what the problem was. If I can figure it out I will post it in this comments area later.

I am glad that we have so many fans watching the show. Your dedication keeps me heading back to sea. It may seem strange, but I love it out there!
Doug

[Michael Bodick]

Doug - Thanks for the email/blog response! Mongo is actually in Pocono for the race this weekend but asked me to write a quick note to you. We both actually watch the show and have since the beginning, before he realized that you and Zack were on it! We are really excited about this season - it has been terrific. Great shots as usual and it is good to konw that Zac is as daring as ever. Be careful and we will keep in touch, through the show and the blog.

Take care and be safe,
Wendyleigh aka Mongo's wife

[Brighteyes44]

Thanks Doug for taking the time to share your experiences out there, I am loven the detail!

[Ducky]

I was wondering if Discovery Channel is ever going to come out with a special DVD for each boat? I think that would be a great way for viewers to get a more in depth look at their favs and DC can use some of the film that made it only as far as the cutting room floor.

Does the Time Bandit have a website of their own? It would be nice to get more background, be able to write to them, send them a care package, etc.

It's wild that they designed and built their own boat! Is there really a 4 person sauna and queen beds on it? How did they choose the boat's name? Oh gosh I better stop there. I could ask as many questions as there are stars in a clear Bering Sea night sky.

Also, if Neil ever wants a break from cooking duties let me know. I would love to pamper those Time Bandits or any of the other adrenaline junky, crab hunting, hard working men battling the Bering Sea.

[Dierdre]

I would love to see all of the footage released as bonus DVD's. I absolutely LOVE Deadliest Catch. I don't miss an episode and have watched it from the very start! In my "younger/healthier" days I would love to have tried fishing on the Bearing Sea with the Crabbing ships! I've always had a love for the water.

Keep safe and keep shooting film!! LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!