Project

Chain of Command

For almost 2 years, we’ve been working on an incredible new series for National Geographic. In collaboration with Jeff Hasler, Brian Lovett, Scott Boggins and many other talented people at National Geographic Studios; Co-Directors & Executive Producers Joel & Jesse Edwards along with the Evolve team have helped craft this groundbreaking documentary episodic series.

On Monday Jan 15th 2018 at 9/8c, National Geographic will premiere CHAIN OF COMMAND, an incredible and unprecedented look at the U.S. military’s mission to fight violent extremism. Filmed over 18 months and spanning two presidential administrations, this series offers an intimate portrait of how military strategies are implemented throughout the chain of command, from inside the highest reaches of the Pentagon to the front lines all around the world.

Working closely with Gen. Joseph Dunford, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, National Geographic was given rare access to cover how our service men and women carry out their responsibilities and cope with the sacrifices they must make in their personal lives in order to serve our country.

For more on the series and exclusive content visit:
channel.nationalgeographic.com/chain-of-command/

Client

National Geographic Studios

Content

Episodic Series

Services

Live Action, Editorial & Post House

CHAIN OF COMMAND | TITLE SEQUENCE

CHAIN OF COMMAND | CASE STUDY

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MAKING TELEVISION HISTORY.

It’s not easy, it’s not to be taken lightly, and it comes with great responsibility. So when National Geographic Studios came knocking with this incendiary docuseries, we had to step up our game, because we were about to go where no filmmaker had before.

Narrated by Chris Evans, Chain of Command was uncharted territory in the world of documentary television. Never had a crew been given access like we were to the secret strongholds and intelligence of the Department of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

With regard to this unprecedented moment in TV history, Scott Boggins, veteran showrunner and our partner, said the following:

"This has never been tried before. There has been an incredible amount of reporting on Iraq, but nothing like Chain of Command. It's a collection of soldier stories. we go into a lot of depth with these relatable characters. We spent a lot of time with them. some of the soldiers are at the highest-ranking levels of the US military, and others are the boots on the ground. you get to understand their commitment, sacrifice,and the passion they have."

A Collaboration of the Truest sense.

Collaboration – it’s the reason America stays safe, and it’s the reason we’re in this business.

So we not only united creative forces with the talented people at National Geographic, but we also allied with some of the most elite powers and committed personnel in charge of protecting our freedom.

This project was an incredibly rewarding collaboration that affirmed our belief in the democracy of ideas. Over the course of two years and the span of four continents, our work in lockstep with more than 200 talented and passionate people gave Chain of Command unparalleled scope, scale, and drama.

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Our Team's Orders

Alongside Scott Boggins, Joel and Jesse Edwards served as co-executive producers and co-directors, and led crews into the Pentagon to bring home some of the most immersive and immediate glimpses behind the curtain ever captured on film.

But before descending on our nation’s capital, the first order of business was to give this groundbreaking series a unique and consistent aesthetic signature. Evolve designed a look book for the visual style of the series, and then ran numerous cinematography tests, experimenting with how best to lens and shoot the action throughout 10 different worldwide theaters of war.

Evolve was also responsible for shooting and producing the additional elements that helped frame this eight-part series, such as aerial photography of the Pentagon and other Washington D.C. scenics. Finally, in post, we created show titles and dynamic color grading that brought our efforts to give Chain of Command its distinct, ownable aesthetic full circle.

ALWAYS EVOLVING

AS WE HELPED BRING TO LIFE THIS HISTORIC UNDERTAKING IN EPISODIC TV, SO OUR COMPANY CONTINUED TO EVOLVE. WE SAW SOME THINGS NO CIVILIAN HAS SEEN, AND FACED SOME CHALLENGES NO FILM CREW HAS EVER FACED – BUT THAT’S JUST HOW WE LIKE IT.