As serious members of the firearm community, television and the silver screen can be a source of frustration and irritation. I mean, yes, it would be nice to have a 37-round revolver or a wooded table that is apparently bulletproof. Yet these seem to be common themes we are forced to suffer through. While we are willing to suspend reality for the likes of Selma Hayek shooting while riding backward on a motorcycle, usually we grit our teeth. To the brother and sisterhood of the gun, it sometimes feels as if there is no hope for a realistic look when it comes to Hollywood weapons.
Until…in 2017, a discussion between producers Dan Ramm and Tim Cremin regarding a movie scene with a firearm lead to the question, would that work? The wheels started rolling, and in short order, they knew that had the bones for a TV show. At that moment, one of the most entertaining factual firearms television shows of all time was launched; Hollywood Weapons—Fact or Fiction.
Hollywood Weapons
In this show, the hosts take a scene from a TV show or movie where a weapon is used and test that weapon using real-world conditions to see if it’s “Fact or Fiction.” The face of the show falls to two firearm veterans. First up is Larry Zanoff, who has been involved with firearms his entire life. A combat veteran of the Israeli army, Larry is P.O.S.T. Certified, holds a college degree in law enforcement and the administration of justice, and has worked in U.S. law enforcement, as well as the private security industry. An additional college degree in gunsmithing and firearms technology led to Larry holding several positions in the firearms manufacturing industry. That life experience led Larry to a position at the largest rental armory in the film and television industry, ISS, providing custom weapons manufacturing, actor training, on-set armorer services, safety training and more.
The second part of the dynamic duo is Terry Schappert. Terry is a United States Army National Guard Special Forces veteran and martial artist who is a periodic commentator on FOX News. He served as the host of the 2009 show, Warriors, on the History Channel. He left active duty before 9/11 but returned to serve in the Army National Guard. Terry deployed three times since as a Guardsman. He hosted a special during Discovery Channel’s Shark Week where he demonstrated ways in which to survive a shark attack. The pairing of Larry and Terry on screen has made for some very enjoyable television.
Full Disclosure
Larry and I have been friends for some time, and he has always impressed me with his firearms knowledge. Because of this, I found myself with an invitation to visit the set of Hollywood Weapons—Fact or Fiction. They were busy filming season six near Chino Valley, Arizona, which was just a short drive for me. I drove through the congestion of Phoenix traffic and was soon in the open countryside of Arizona. My destination was the ProForce Tactical Law Enforcement Range run by the Chino Valley Police Department. This has become a bit of a regular location for the show now, and the Chino Valley PD has been gracious and professional at every turn.
I soon found Larry, and we quickly moved inside. He was in the middle of getting makeup done, and the room was buzzing with activity. It was here that I met Terry Schappert, and I watched as he and Larry practiced their lines. Even in rehearsal, the enjoyable back and forth between Larry and Terry was obvious. Soon, Larry and I were walking out to the set to meet the rest of the crew. As we walked Larry shared, “I always want people to know just how many people it takes to make this show happen. We are here for three weeks to shoot an entire season. All the hours and hours of work we put in today will boil down to 22 minutes of airtime.”
Well-Oiled Machine At Work
In short order, I saw just what he meant. Every member of the crew had a specific role, and yet there was nobody that seemed to have less than two jobs. The person that seemed to personify this work ethic was Alivia Olson. Alivia is the producer of the show and was kind enough to give me a few minutes of her time.
Alivia grew up in the film industry and worked her way through the ranks to reach the spot she is in now. When I asked just what a producer does, she gently laughed and explained, “In short, I manage every aspect of the filming logistics. I have a notebook with 163 pages covering everything from the shooting schedule to equipment storage and crew scheduling.” In that she has been in the industry a while, I asked what the unique challenge of this show was. “Safety is first because we work with firearms. On top of that, we only have three weeks to get the entire season filmed.” On the topic of safety, the protocols on set were unlike anything I had experienced before. They have never had any problems on set because they are absolutely safety conscious.
Problem Solver
From there, I visited with one of the creators of the show, Dan Ramm, who has been in the firearms TV world for some time and produces Gun Stories with Joe Mantegna. He has also worked on the popular show Criminal Minds. When I asked Dan what the biggest challenge is, he said, “Trying to keep the show different and interesting.” He shared with me that they have received some great ideas from fans that turned into shows. In a moment of perfect timing, I was also able to grab the director of the show, John Carter, for a moment.
John is a veteran of complicated production efforts. He produced projects like the Olympics, the Tour De France and the Dakar Road Rally. John had previously worked with Larry and was quick to call him once the show took shape. For lack of a better term, John is the sensei on the set. He is absolutely in charge but is skilled at letting people do what they need to do. He shared that one of the challenges in his role is “problem solving.” This became truth before my eyes, as one of the tests became problematic with a touchy pneumatic trigger device. He literally waded in and solved the problem before returning to his directors’ chair and saying, “Action.”
A Team Effort
I could go on and on about the crew and the hard work they put in. From Molly Kuciemba, with her incredible makeup and wardrobe skills, to Billy Rutherford and his masterful editing skills, everyone is a star in their own right. In the background, I heard “action” once again, and I quietly made my way toward the set. This specific scene was looking at a moment from Jack Reacher when he ends up in a pool and scrambles for his Desert Eagle .50 AE.
With his life on the line and time running out, he fires three shots, hitting the bad guy standing at the edge of the pool, center mass. Just like the creators of the show, I found myself wondering…would that work? With the set built, pool filled, and gun mounted into a rig and all the safety protocols put into place, it was time to try. The command “action” came, and a deafening silence rang out. The pneumatic trigger device was a temperamental creature and was being a problem. A second and third try proved to be the same.
So John Carter demonstrated just what he meant by problem solving. John climbed into the pool and went to work on the rig. After what seemed like hours of adjusting and tinkering, the crew was ready to give it another go. With everyone holding their breath, John shouted, “Action,” and a moment later the surface of the pool erupted as the massive Desert Eagle launched a round at the ballistic dummy. The crew cheered and there were smiles all around.
Final Shots: Hollywood Weapons–Fact or Fiction
My takeaway from the day on the set is that it takes many hands to pull it all together. I was impressed by the incredible work ethic and commitment that the entire crew demonstrated. Filming on location is tough, but filming on location in Arizona in June has its own special challenges. Brutal heat and what seemed to be a constant wind did their best to break the spirit of the crew without success.
When the director finally shouted, “That’s a wrap,” it closed out a 12-hour day of hard work. I was soon on my way back to Phoenix and literally riding off into the sunset. As for the Jack Reacher scene with the Desert Eagle, the gun did indeed fire underwater. The question was, however, would it fire three times? Well, my friends, I am afraid you are going to have to watch that episode of Hollywood Weapons–Fact or Fiction to find out. You will enjoy it!
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