TAKE, TAKE, TAKE, TAKE, TAKE, TAKE, TAKE, TAKE, TAKE, TAKE, TAKE…

I can’t stop hearing that word after a TOUGH four days of filming the Reality Show “In the Real World” here this week.  Thirty-some Canadians and local guys in the industry showed up last week for the segment and we showed them how it’s done in SEAL Team and KICKED MAJOR ASS. 

Eighteen teenagers started seven weeks ago in a Reality Show cross between “Fear Factor” and “Survivor.” The final three young bad-asses came here after riding bulls, fighting fires, rappelling down cliffs, and a host of other challenges across America and Canada, with teens being eliminated along the way.

Planning began months ago after Apartment 11 Productions contacted me as to what we had to offer. An advanced party of directors and producers came down and we ran them through what I thought would make for good TV.

Half of what I planned had them grinning like a possum in the garbage, The other half had them big-time concerned for the kids safety, but I used a young local boy to demonstrate the challenges and after he kicked ass doing them.

The hook was set and we were on for the most dynamic episode in the series…

Arriving on Tuesday, we were briefed on security…

1. Say nothing to the kids about the challenges.

2. Watch behind you, as they will attempt to overhear conversations.

3. They may seem innocent and unassuming when they talk to you… There not…  They are bleeding you for information.  This is a completion and behind those cute, innocent faces are serious competitors. 

It did not take long to find out how right they were… Lie, beg, and steal… Win at any cost… As a SEAL, I truly admired the whole attitude.

Two Ryder Trucks were filled with camera, sound equipment, and props. A HUGE RV was brought in to keep the kids cool between segments and where they ate their meals, isolated from our lunch chatter.

Diane and Fallon fed the cast and crew like fat men, and they RAVED about the chow after having been subjected to crap food for many of the other episodes. With so much hard work that needed to be done, the attitudes from all the cast and crew was noticeably improved with good meals and a cool cabin to lounge in.

They had a blast…

The first scene was the introduction shot at the cabin. A Tom Car brought the kids back that a friend of mine let us use, and the challengers were positioned by the Cabin and given a few moments to try and figure out what the episode was.

They had no idea or advanced knowledge of what they’d be doing.

They’d find out soon enough…

The host of the show was a beautiful woman named Sabrina and she lined up the challengers and began to explain what the acronym SEAL stood for, as the cameras rolled to capture the expressions on young faces as Mad Dog and I were introduced.

Jim and I were in full face-paint and cammies, concealed a few feet from them for 15 minutes before my cue was given to emerge.

One contestant screamed when I came out, the others had the “Ooo Shit, what are we doing this time,” and I began with a beating of push-ups, leg-levers, and a tirade of verbal bashing that was all adlibbed to the delight of the director and producer.

Sabrina explained their challenges would involve sea, air and land…  SEAL.

They first ran a course shooting paint-balls at targets along the way and being timed.

They started survival fires next and had to boil a canteen cup of water.

They did a stealth and concealment mission.

They did a booby trap course and were blown up.

Finally, they rescued downed pilots and cast from helicopters to do it.

While it sounds kind of tame, anyone who knows me, knows it wasn’t, and there was much adrenaline pumping for what the cast and crew said was the most dynamic episode they had filmed.

The kids said it was their favorite when they left exhausted.

Early days and late nights, much was learned about the industry and the complexities of filming a show like that. After just finishing with the July course, and immediately flowing into this show, my brain is fried and I think I’ll catch a few fish from the pond today and kick back.