Benedict Men

Benedict Men is a docuseries (executive produced by Steph Curry) that “examines the high school basketball team at St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark, New Jersey, an all-boys school founded on the core belief ‘What Hurts My Brother Hurts Me.’ The series follows the young men on the team, who seek to balance their lives in complicated surroundings.” - ew.com

The series is developed and produced by Whistle. The project is among the first produced for the new mobile subscription service Quibi. 

WORKING ON A BASKETBALL FOLLOW-DOC AT A HIGH SCHOOL WAS A BIG CHALLENGE AND A BIG OPPORTUNITY.

OVER THE COURSE OF A WHOLE SEASON, BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE PLAYERS, COACHES, AND EVEN THE STAFF OF THE SCHOOL WAS VITAL. WHEN GETTING A LAVALIERE ON SOMEONE IS A CHANCE TO CATCH UP WITH A FRIEND, THEN EVERYTHING GOES SMOOTHLY. WHEN YOU'RE IN AN EMOTIONAL LOCKER ROOM AFTER A TOUGH CHAMPIONSHIP LOSS, IT HELPS TO BE ON THAT PRODUCTION TEAM THAT'S BEEN THERE THE WHOLE WAY.

We followed the team in and out of the locker room, busses, into families' homes, and on the road. Being ready for anything is key. And so was working as a co-op: when the tech setup is continuous, the gear the same, and the relationships are strong, there's a solid basis for dealing with the unexpected, the moments in front of the camera.

Early on, production let us know that sound would be a big part of the story. We worked with post early on to establish track assignments, syncing, and sends to camera, and communicated it to co-op mixers to make post go smoothly.

In follow docs, often sound is key for directors and camera people to find where the story is. We outfitted everyone with IFB headsets that switched channels between multiple sound bags. These, unlike headphones plugged into cameras, can be turned up above the roar of raucous crowds.

We also miked backboards for the "swish" of the net, and to capture some of the tussle of action that happens in scrums under the basket. We used other plant mics to pick up ambience too.

All-in-all, it was a great experience to work with so many talented people who cared about young people, a commitment to telling their story, making a quality product, and each other.