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In the tradition of the Discovery Channel's Mole People: Life In The World Below, Chasing Giants: On the Trail of the Giant Squid, and Cannibalism: The Last Taboo, comes Gut Busters, a look at the world of competitive eating. The documentary, produced by LA-based Original Productions, follows the "three amigos" (Don "Moses" Lerman, "Krazy" Kevin Lipsitz, and rookie Ed "Cookie" Jarvis) on their quest to return the Nathan's Famous Hot-Dog Eating Contest Championship Belt to American soil. ViDEOGRAPHY spoke with Gut Busters' Executive Producer Thom Beers (who has served as VP of Series and Specials at Turner Broadcasting and as Jacques Cousteau's executive producer) on his gastronomic experience.
Q: Where did the idea for Gut Busters -come from?
A: Very simple. It was an article I saw in the LA Times about three guys heading to Las Vegas because they had not qualified for the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating contest in New York. So that was it. And God bless Discovery because I literally called them on a Thursday and said, "I'm going to Vegas on Monday to shoot this hot dog eating contest-do you want the show?" And they said, "Yes."
I find what's most interesting when you're looking for a subject is to find the most complete subculture. Something that actually has a life of its own-not just a person. That's what I'm always in search of-a supportable subculture. It has rules, it has heroes, bylaws, history. That's really my agenda when I'm picking does.
Q: How long did it take to complete the documentary?
A: We shot that film over a six-month period. It was a long production window because I think the most successful films you can make are time-arc films. Unless it's scripted, I don't think films are made successfully in a 12-day shooting period.
Preproduction was long but we shot the initial event first, then went back and started looking at the culture. I thought, "I've got to get this in the can and then I'll figure out what the film is." Which I don't normally do. Cousteau used to do that-I'd call and say, "I need a treatment-- something-a one sheet on the film we're making." And he'd say, "Tumm, 'ow can I posseeblee geeve you a one...