Very Interesting;
CAF officials travel to California next week to discuss TV series.
Stephanie Miller
Staff Writer
Midland Reporter-Telegram
02/23/2006
By Stephanie A. Miller
Staff Writer
Interest for a possible televised pilot featuring the Commemorative Air Force are taking CAF officials to California next week to discuss the project's developments with television distributors.
John Lage, the CAF's director of marketing and communications, said several distributors have expressed interest in documenting the CAF, headquartered here in Midland.
Next week, Lage will be traveling to the Golden State to meet with various distributors, like Warner Brothers and 20th Century Fox, interested in the project.
Details, such as when and what station the 60-minute docu-drama will air, also will be discussed, he said.
While some details still need to be ironed out, Lage said the theme of the ongoing, episodic TV series will focus on all conflicts since World War II with the first season emphasizing World War II.
"If Hollywood knew I had these stories, they would come banging down my door," Lage said. "They're stories of honor, courage and perhaps the ultimate sacrifice," he said.
"These are our fathers and our grandfathers and they've come back to tell their stories. They're good stories, compelling dramatic stories one may never forget."
Rusty McInturff, the CAF's vice president of development, said the project would show the public all operations of the CAF.
"The general perception is that we're the old boys who fly planes, but we haven't made well known what we do and why we do it," McInturff said, adding that of the estimated 10,000 CAF members, less than 390 of them actually fly the CAF planes.
"What we do is honor our military veterans and provide education," McInturff said, adding the program can show the public what they do and why they do it and hopefully will encourage others to become members and support that mission.
Not only could people learn about the CAF, but also about "the cost of freedom and the sacrifices that come with it," McInturff said.
"Especially because at this time, we are in the state of war and it needs to be pointed out what each generation has had to do to maintain that freedom."
Lage said the CAF has created a pilot presentation, which includes a summarization with highlights of the show. The presentation also has production value, or budget, of about $150,000 to $300,000 per episode. The cost will be covered from the entity that chooses to carry the series, Lage said.
CAF President Bob Rice believes the CAF's image would be enhanced in several ways with the addition of the potential TV series.
"I think the very fact that this program would be on national television would provide positive exposure for the CAF that would be invaluable," Rice said.
"An opportunity of this nature comes along very rarely in the life of an organization such as ours and we would be excited beyond words to have this opportunity."
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