IAmA Cameraman for A&E's Intervention, I have worked on the show for over 6 years. AMAA.

kearneycation · 3 months

Thanks for doing this! A few questions:

I remember seeing one episode about a girl who would cut herself, a lot. There was a "scene" where it was just her and the cameraman, and she had broken a mirror and was cutting herself with it. I guess this was a regular occurrence, but I imagine it's gotta be pretty fucked up for the camera person. At what point do/would you have to intervene if the person is doing something unsafe like that?
How awkward is it being there during fights? Or what about the actual intervention when the family is putting everything out there?
What's the craziest thing you've had to film?
What's the funniest?
Were there any people who've had a lasting impression on you? Like someone who's life/issues still float around in your memory today.
Have you ever felt unsafe? Is there off camera security nearby in case shit gets out of hand?
Would you ever mingle or hang out with the subjects when the cameras weren't rolling?

Thanks for doing this, and sorry for so many questions.

BudMoore1234 · 3 months

Chris What's up?!?! I'd first like to thank you for assisting in save my sisters life. We are from south Jersey and Angelina was on your show;documented in September of 2008. I'm almost positive (I couldn't find a picture to confirm) you were at my house with a few of your co-workes because I remember my Mom LOVED you. It must be a pleasure working with Candy Finnegan and touching so many peoples lives.

A few questions I always had:

1) You guys are crazy for following my sister in Camden. Have you ever almost shit your pants when you thought you were in trouble? I know if I was a dealer in Camden and saw your rented out white van taping me I'd def shoot your car up.

2) If one of the persons you are taping OD's and there is no other family member around do you call an ambulance? I know there are a lot of things you couldn't do which must of made you job pretty stressful.

Anyways Ang is doing wonderful and is still clean!! We just got back from her Wedding in Mexico last month and I have never seen her so happy in her life. I appreciate what your show has done every day. You have no idea how stressed I was that she would die anyday and I'd never get to see her again. Preparing yourself for a loved ones death is the worst feeling in the world. Thank you so much, I always wanted to thank you in person after everything was said and done but never got the chance...

trexjess · 3 months

After all of these years on TV, how do you/the producers still convince the subjects that they are being filmed for a "documentary" instead of for an intervention?

abortis · 3 months

Please tell me you were there for all 10-12 hours?

whiteyx · 3 months

Intervention is definitely one of my favorite programmings. My wife and I wonder:

Do you catch contact highs from the crack smoke? And how do you handle some of the stinks of combusted drugs?

Please, please please answer this.

csbaron · 3 months

Did you film the guy with the best cry ever?

duke_perry · 3 months

did you film kristi? watching her fight her sister naked is ridiculous. how was filming that?

kwade · 3 months

Do you ever get to find out what happened to the addicts years down the road? If so, how many relapse?

mr_jellyneck · 3 months

[deleted]

BlowsYouForFreeStuff · 3 months

What exactly is the legality of you guys recording people doing drugs or buying drugs (although you guys don't usually film the actual drug buying process, just a picture of a house and say, "They're buying drugs,")?

Do you ever feel unsafe while recording?

How many of the people on the show do you genuinely believe have a chance at recovery?

Oh, and if you have proof, that would awesome too.

Helpful_Table_Maker · 3 months

Question	Answer
What exactly is the legality of you guys recording people doing drugs or buying drugs?	Going with a theme. I am a cameraman not a lawyer, so I am not sure what the legal workings are. I will say that we will always shoot a drug deal if it does not endanger the life of the subject or our lives. Usually that is not that case.
How many of the people on the show do you genuinely believe have a chance at recovery?	The current recovery rate for the people on the show is high, around 70-75 percent I believe. Much higher than someone just entering recovery.
Do you guys keep a bodyguard (or a very big producer) around just in case?	Every once in a while we hire security, then we make them act like our production assistant. I remember shooting in Camden, NJ. I had a security guy with me that was an off duty cop. He told me he was on Americas most wanted. Apparently he was shot in the face a few years before, right were we where shooting and they never found the person who did it.
After all of these years on TV, how do you/the producers still convince the subjects that they are being filmed for a "documentary" instead of for an intervention?	Because we are filming a "documentary" about addiction, they just don't know it is Intervention. As the show has become more popular it has become more difficult.
How often do people realize that they are on Intervention early on, refuse to continue the show and you are unable to make an episode out of it?	Hardly ever. The only time we really pull the plug is if we find out that they and the family know and are working together to just get free treatment. In those cases they don't need an intervention. They just need to go get treatment. I have been of 3 stories that we had to pull the plug on for that reason. And in each of the cases, we worked hard to provide them with treatment anyway.
Did you film the guy with the best cry ever?	No, but my buddy did.
Do you ever ask people to do it again? Or ask someone to push a sensitive question to prompt an emotional response?	Many times in TV you ask someone to "do it again". Like can you walk around the corner again, can you tell me that again, I was not on a good shot. But many of those rules do not apply to Intervention. I can't asked someone to do drugs again because I did not have a good shot. It is the truest cinema verite documentary show that I have worked on. And I have worked on a few.
What is the one thing that you can say that addicts seem to have in common?	I think that all addicts have some unattended emotional pain in common. I am a cameraman not a therapist, but in my experience addiction is largely a result of using a substance or experience (gambling) to cover up emotional damage that you want to hid from. Genetics does not help the cause for many people either.
What is the worst act that you've seen?	There are a couple things that stand out, Someone ODing in front of me, thankfully they made it. Another person trying to kill take their life in front of me, again thankfully they made it. I always remember the times that I have to put the camera down.
A lot of people I know who have seen the show say it is mostly staged, or the subject/family members are just actors paid to act crazy. Can you shed some light on people's skepticism of the show?	I have worked on many other shows and I can say truthfully say that Intervention is the most honest show that I have been a part of. The subject nor the family receive money, other than an opportunity to get help. The craziness that you see is real, addiction is crazy. More often than not, there is we capture stuff to crazy for the TV audience.

yourdadsbff · 3 months

Thank you for doing this AMA!

Do you and the Hoarders cameramen ever sit around and exchange horror stories?

"You filmed her going to give a blow job for meth? Psh! I filmed eight dead cats in this one woman's kitchen, rotting beneath a pile of empty Hungry Man dinner containers, moldy ham sandwiches, and porcelain angel figurines she bought at a mall back in the early nineties."

Squeetard · 3 months

What is the one thing that you can say that addicts seem to have in common?

FornaxMagazine · 3 months

How different do they act when they're off-camera? Do the people being intervened react mostly positively or negatively to your presence? Has anyone ever attacked you because you've got a camera?

burnzkid · 3 months

What is the worst act that you've seen? (Dudes blowing dudes for crack, infected heroin injection wounds, etc.)

American_Greed · 3 months

A lot of people I know who have seen the show say it is mostly staged, or the subject/family members are just actors paid to act crazy. Can you shed some light on people's skepticism of the show?

ANormalSpudBoy · 3 months

I hope to be a cinematographer when I graduate, what advice would you give to a college student who hopes to do what you do?

LegitAlmost · 3 months

Do you have any protocol as to when its okay to call the police/paramedics? Also, I've always wondered with the heroine addicts, do you guys just sit there filming their entire trip? Do you guys just baby sit them, waiting for them to come out of it?

csbaron · 3 months

Has anyone ever freaked out and threatened you for taping their lives basically falling apart?

xowasabi · 3 months

Please tell me you filmed at least of of these people Marcel & Sebastian, Christy, Linda or Allison.

If you were whatever happened to Linda?

And how crazy was Christy? and did she ever try to seduce any of the camera men for money or alcohol?

Did Marcel and Sebastian get the help or did the relasp?

And how is Allison doing?

NonWittyUsername · 3 months

-Have you ever felt your life in danger because someone in the show was so high on drugs? -What is the scariest thing to happen to you on the show? Thanks for the AMA, I love Intervention!

noved · 3 months

Did you ever meet Travis Meeks? He is my cousin and was on the first season.

HealthyandHappy · 3 months

Have any of the women offered sexual favors in exchange for drugs/money for drugs?

pan0ramic · 3 months

My brother is an alcoholic and it's really hurting my family. I had considered contacting the show, what sort of cases do the show look for? I don't want to lie on the "application", but it would be useful to know if he is a good candidate for the show.

Edit: I wonder if the down-votes are from my redditor brother trying to dissuade me, lol.

thecrushah · 3 months

What was the most difficult episode for you to film, either because it touched you emotionally or it was obvious the person was in real trouble.

ozzman54 · 3 months

Is there some sort of deal with the Police to not arrest the people on the show? Just asking because a lot of illegal shit gets caught on camera.

teotwawk1 · 3 months

As a member of the addictions treatment community I feel this show is a double edged sword. It raises awareness about the pain and destruction addiction can cause for everyone involved, but it also takes advantage of people who are in a moment of weakness and makes what should be a personal issue very public. Do you think any of the participants.in the show have reason to regret exposing their weakness to the world?

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