Photo By Chief Petty Officer Christopher Okula | 151104-N-HP195-042 LOS ANGELES -- Shane Brennan, left, attempts to gauge the thickness...... read more read more
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LOS ANGELES – More than 10 million viewers tune in every week to watch Special Agents Callen and Hanna investigate the Navy's most sensitive cases on the CBS crime drama "NCIS: Los Angeles" – and the real-world Navy is eager to help.
Members of the show's lead creative team met Wednesday in Hollywood with representatives from the Navy's Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) community, who volunteered to share their expertise with show executives in a bid to inspire entertainment that accurately represents the Navy's mission and values.
Navy EOD technicians presented an assortment of specialized tools and equipment for the show's creative team to consider – from digital X-ray kits to dive suits to radiation dosimeters – all while discussing the finer points of life in EOD.
The demonstration helped dispel several misconceptions about their line of work, particularly the notion that EOD technicians only work to prevent explosions.
“We blow things up pretty frequently,” said Chief Petty Officer Brianne Coger, who shared a video of EOD technicians laughing as potentially deadly roadside bombs are rendered safe by the Navy's own explosives. “It's hard sometimes to keep from getting excited,” she said.
After reviewing the Navy's training and techniques, members of the writing staff were keen to get hands-on with the EOD gear, as one after another took turns piloting remote-control robots and donning a Kevlar blast suit, which can protect wearers from the heat, shrapnel and concussive effects of a direct explosion.
Executive producer Shane Brennan, who created the LA-based "NCIS" spinoff, personally thanked each of the attending EOD technicians, and said that their demonstration inspired one of the largest meetings between show writers in recent memory.
By combining Hollywood's imagination with the Navy's real-world versatility, meetings like this can help ensure more factual and authentic representation of the Navy in the entertainment industry, which in recent years has showcased the service in blockbuster films such as “Battleship” and “Godzilla” and the TNT television series “The Last Ship.”
The Navy’s Office of Information West (NAVINFOWEST), based in Los Angeles, provides production assistance to the entertainment industry in exchange for access to audiences and a positive portrayal of the sea service in film, television, documentaries and video games. This service is provided at no cost to taxpayers.
| Date Taken: | 11.04.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 11.11.2015 12:37 |
| Story ID: | 181683 |
| Location: | LOS ANGELES, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 1,071 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 'NCIS: Los Angeles' eyes real-world Navy for inspiration, by CPO Christopher Okula, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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