Hazard Pay Productions :: Project Detail

Synopsis

As a Pararescueman in Iraq, David Broyles's job was to save lives and help those in need, and after leaving the military in 2005, he wanted to continue that mission. He soon found a charity that provided assistance to severely wounded and disabled veterans, the same men and women David had been tasked with rescuing in Iraq. To raise funds and awareness for their needs through the charity, he wanted a tough challenge in their honor, something worthy and symbolic of their struggles and sacrifice. David soon discovered that fewer Americans had swum across the Strait of Gibraltar, from Spain to Africa, than had reached the top of Mount Everest.

Separating the Atlantic from the Mediterranean Ocean, the Strait of Gibraltar is 12 miles across and the busiest shipping channel in the world. Besides boats, swimmers face cold water, rough currents, strong winds, and sharks.

David and his teammate Rush Vann spend six months fundraising and preparing for the Strait. Along the way, they swim more than 280 training miles, meet disabled veterans like Joe Washam and Kenny Adams, and face physical and mental obstacles that threaten to sink the swim before it even begins.

Once in Spain, weather conditions make it impossible to swim in the foreseeable future. As the days slip by and the swimmers begin to run out of time and money, the unlikely prospect of returning empty handed becomes an awful possibility. With only one day left, the two finally get their chance, and attempt to become only the 16th and 17th Americans to swim across the Strait of Gibraltar.

Production Notes

The idea for the documentary began with an extremely long-distance phone call on a hot April night in 2006 after a long patrol. I was in the heart of the Sunni Triangle of Iraq and it had been a while since I’d spoken with David Broyles. He and I have been like brothers since we were 16 and I needed to hear a friendly voice. He’d just recently gotten out of the Air Force where he’d served numerous tours around the globe as a Pararescueman.

David excitedly told me about the idea he had to help disabled veterans, along with his friend and Army officer Rush Vann, by attempting to become the 16th and 17th Americans to swim the Strait of Gibraltar. I got back to my hooch and tossed and turned in my bunk, our conversation repeating in my head. It finally occurred to me that this was our chance to make an honest film with a great story, void of politics. Two hours later I was back on the phone with David asking him how he felt about being the subject of a documentary. He agreed and we began brainstorming. I had been saving my hazard duty pay from my tour in Iraq for what I was hoping would be a trip around the world. But it was clear that producing this film was a chance of a lifetime, and I couldn't pass it up.

And so Hazard Pay Productions was founded, and our first film had funding. My trip would have to wait. The next step was getting my old friend Chantz Hoover involved. He’d recently relocated to Los Angeles to pursue his own film career, but I knew the project would be something he’d be interested in co-producing. So after a few emails back and forth, Chantz packed up his truck and drove straight out to Austin to start production.

Principal photography was shot in several locations including Austin, Dallas, Houston, Orlando, and Tarifa (Spain) over the span of six months. It was shot on a Panasonic DVX 100 in NTSC format and was edited on Final Cut Pro.

Director's Statement

This film has been a labor of love and the process has been more gratifying and unforgettable than we could’ve imagined. It's a documentary about struggle, hope, and sacrifices. SWIM is not about politics - it’s about people.
-Matt & Chantz

Production Crew

Producers: Matt Cook and Chantz Hoover
Directors: Matt Cook, Chantz Hoover, and Andrew Cockrum
Editor: Andrew Cockrum
Cinematographer: Kyle Ryan
Additional Footage: Matt Cook and Chantz Hoover
Music: George Oldziey and Wes 'Huffhead' Hufnagel
Sound Mix: Chris Keyland
Graphics: Glenn Dill
Promotional Materials and Artwork: Lauren Wolf
Production Assistants: Sarah Brown and Will Pike
DVD Authoring: Expression in Video

Selected Crew Bios:

Andy Cockrum: With over 15 years in the film and television industry, Andy has worked as an editor and special effects compositor on a vast array of projects for local, national, and international clients. His documentary feature film, "Team Everest: A Himalayan Journey" follows a group of people with varying disabilities on 21 day trek to Everest Base Camp. He also produced and directed the television pilot "The Monkey Project," which features a group of artists who visit an animal sanctuary, and tell the stories of the animals that live there. In addition to his own film projects, Andy has worked in editorial and visual effects for several Robert Rodriguez films, including "Spy Kids 2", "Spy Kids 3D" and "Sin City". Currently he has several projects in development. (Read more about Team Everest here)

George Oldziey: George has composed and arranged music for television, video games and feature films, including "Once Upon a Time in Mexico," "Sin City," and "Grind House." (www.oldzieymusic.com)

Wes Hufnagel: Huffhead is Wes Hufnagel on vocals and playing guitar, bass and keyboard. He moved to Florida in 2006 and shares a home in Melbourne with his beautiful wife Sheri and their precious daughter Lola. He is an active duty Air Force Pararescueman assigned to Patrick Air Force Base. (Listen to Huffhead's music at: www.myspace.com/huffheadmusic)

Chris Keyland: Chris has recorded, edited, designed, and mixed sound for several award winning films and his work has been showcased at both the Sundance and Cannes Film Festivals. Some of his feature credits include the Independent Spirit Award nomintated "Room", the Los Angeles Film Festival Narrative Feature Award winner "Gretchen," the SXSW Audience Award winner "State vs. Reed," Spencer Parson's Danish/American collaboration "I'll Come Running," and "Farenheit 9/11" producers' Tia Lessin and Carl Deal's Hurricane Katrina evacuee documentary "Trouble the Water." (www.keylandsound.com)