On Location With Dr. G: Chief M.E.
Full Sail grads are on the production crew for new Discovery Health show.
On the set with Discovery Health Channel
“Every body has a story,” reads the tag line for the upcoming series, Dr. G: Chief M.E. Filming for the series, which is slated to debut this summer on the Discovery Health Network, has been under way for several months in the Orlando area – giving several Full Sail Film graduates the opportunity to be a part of the production team.
Dr. G is a documentary-style show that follows one of America’s top female medical examiners, Dr. Jan Garavaglia, at her home and office as she works through some of her toughest cases. The show’s pilot, set in San Antonio, Texas, has already aired on the Discovery Health Network and was well received. When shooting for the series is complete, its Orlando film crew will have filmed a total of three sets of nine episodes.
During the show’s production, Film grad Mariel Wells has been taking care of a diverse range of duties. Even though her responsibilities ask a lot of her, she remains well prepared for her daily tasks due to the education and experience she gained from her degree program. “Full Sail taught me the structure of production, from preproduction to postproduction,” she explains. “It gave me the confidence and knowledge to apply myself and get involved on professional productions.”
When the team is on location, Mariel preps the cameras, labels tapes, operates the second camera, and secures location releases, among other duties. She and her fellow crewmembers spend every morning at the morgue filming autopsies, then take the afternoon to gather interviews with relatives of the deceased, the police, and investigators. Additionally, the team is responsible for filming death scenario reenactments where Mariel serves as both the casting and talent production assistant. One shoot even found Mariel and fellow Film grad Dan Simonton back on Full Sail’s campus to use it as a location for one of these recreation scenes.
There’s no question that this gig has given Mariel a few good stories. But when asked to share one, it’s hard for her to narrow the field. “Honestly, because of the subject of the show, every day is an interesting experience,” says Mariel. Her former classmate and colleague, Jonathan Clauson, couldn’t agree more.
Clauson worked on the crew as an intern, and says that he found filming in one of the medical examiner tech’s homes to be the most intriguing aspect of production. To be more specific, he has fond recollections of the home’s porch art. “Not too many people have a black doormat with a body chalk line that says, ‘Los Angeles Coroner Dept.” Having worked closely with Mariel at Full Sail, Jonathan was an obvious pick when the crew needed some extra help for a few days. He has put his skills to work in many different settings, including shoots for The Golf Channel and Trading Spaces: Home Free. “I learned all the ins and outs of basic small film production [at Full Sail], which has grown with my observation as a production assistant on large productions. Even now, as a producer for a NYU film, I am still learning things.”
As for what might be in store for Mariel, she’s staying focused on working hard and developing her career. One thing’s for sure – working on a gig like this puts an entirely new spin on having an interesting day at the office.
Dr. G is a documentary-style show that follows one of America’s top female medical examiners, Dr. Jan Garavaglia, at her home and office as she works through some of her toughest cases. The show’s pilot, set in San Antonio, Texas, has already aired on the Discovery Health Network and was well received. When shooting for the series is complete, its Orlando film crew will have filmed a total of three sets of nine episodes.
During the show’s production, Film grad Mariel Wells has been taking care of a diverse range of duties. Even though her responsibilities ask a lot of her, she remains well prepared for her daily tasks due to the education and experience she gained from her degree program. “Full Sail taught me the structure of production, from preproduction to postproduction,” she explains. “It gave me the confidence and knowledge to apply myself and get involved on professional productions.”
When the team is on location, Mariel preps the cameras, labels tapes, operates the second camera, and secures location releases, among other duties. She and her fellow crewmembers spend every morning at the morgue filming autopsies, then take the afternoon to gather interviews with relatives of the deceased, the police, and investigators. Additionally, the team is responsible for filming death scenario reenactments where Mariel serves as both the casting and talent production assistant. One shoot even found Mariel and fellow Film grad Dan Simonton back on Full Sail’s campus to use it as a location for one of these recreation scenes.
Honestly, because of the subject of the show, every day is an interesting experience.
Full Sail grad Mariel Wells
Clauson worked on the crew as an intern, and says that he found filming in one of the medical examiner tech’s homes to be the most intriguing aspect of production. To be more specific, he has fond recollections of the home’s porch art. “Not too many people have a black doormat with a body chalk line that says, ‘Los Angeles Coroner Dept.” Having worked closely with Mariel at Full Sail, Jonathan was an obvious pick when the crew needed some extra help for a few days. He has put his skills to work in many different settings, including shoots for The Golf Channel and Trading Spaces: Home Free. “I learned all the ins and outs of basic small film production [at Full Sail], which has grown with my observation as a production assistant on large productions. Even now, as a producer for a NYU film, I am still learning things.”
As for what might be in store for Mariel, she’s staying focused on working hard and developing her career. One thing’s for sure – working on a gig like this puts an entirely new spin on having an interesting day at the office.
