Think about what is going on around the world today with our national security and servicemen and women. How did we get to this point? What is the history behind it?<\/p>\n
There is a new documentary series answering these and other questions relevant to the evolution of the U.S. military and our protection\u2014from \u201cterrorist attacks\u201d to \u201canimal warfare\u201d to \u201curban combat,\u201d \u2014 all with production roots firmly established here at East Stroudsburg University. <\/p>\n
\u201cAmericans should care about this,\u201d Michael Gray, Ph.D., said. \u201cIt makes you aware of what\u2019s going on around us and the importance of our own security.\u201d <\/p>\n
Gray, associate professor of history at ESU, is hosting \u201cBattlefield 101,\u201d a documentary series which can be viewed on Miliary.com. Yet Gray\u2019s background goes much deeper. The history professor authored a book \u201cThe Business of Captivity: Elmira and Its Civil War Prison.\u201d And in March 2014, he was awarded a federal grant to continue his research on Civil War prisons, which he plans to develop into two more books. In April, he was interviewed by a writer for CNN.com for a story that marked the 150th anniversary of the most deadly year for Civil War prisons. <\/p>\n
With all of his research and knowledge of military history, Gray was a perfect fit for this production according to Lou Reda of Lou Reda Productions of Easton, Pa. Dr. Gray was approached by representatives from Lou Reda Productions\u2014a company with 30 years\u2019 experience and recent Emmy nominee for \u201cBrothers at War,\u201d narrated by Charlie Sheen. \u201cGray was an excellent choice for this initiative. He specializes in military history, and he is charismatic,\u201d Scott Reda, executive producer, said. <\/p>\n
His first time on set, Gray noticed interns working diligently at the expansive Easton archives. He began thinking about viable ESU students who might be fitting candidates to intern with the production of Battlefield 101. Soon after, Ryan Clauser, a history major from Bethlehem, Pa., became the first of Gray\u2019s students to land an internship with the production company.<\/p>\n
\u201cRyan has a passion for 20th Century military, particularly aviation, and he is a great asset who makes the episodes stronger,\u201d Dr. Gray said. Clauser made the most of preparing for that career at Reda Productions, spending his time researching, writing, and even dabbling in some production initiatives. He was thrilled to pick up some valuable editing skills along the way as well.<\/p>\n
Clauser, who recently had an article published on WWI aviation and is in the process of applying to graduate schools invested long hours in the archives and studio. \u201cThis has been a great opportunity,\u201d he said, \u201cIt is changing the way I think about history, interpret it, and approach it now and through the rest of my career.\u201d <\/p>\n
As Clauser\u2019s internship and interest in the production progressed, he was unexpectedly asked by Reda\u2019s Producer and Director Liz Reph if he would like to begin writing episodes.<\/p>\n
Ryan began scripting the series, including the second highest performing episode of \u201cBattlefield 101\u201d titled \u201cUrban Combat,\u201d which has reached more than 15,000 viewers to date and should eclipse more than 20,000 by month\u2019s end. \u201cArial Dogfights,\u201d Ryan\u2019s specialty, was another episode he wrote, hitting 4,000 views in less than 24 hours. <\/p>\n
\u201cThese episodes are not just about war. It goes so much deeper than that\u2014 this is stuff that is happening in the world now,\u201d Clauser said. \u201cWe want to make our history program at ESU better, and I think projects like this can help make that happen.\u201d <\/p>\n
Gray couldn\u2019t agree more. Living near the Lehigh Valley Heritage Center in Allentown, Pa., the professor hopes to create more connections for students, especially those interested in documentary and docu-drama work. \u201cYou can\u2019t like history without documentaries,\u201d Dr. Gray said. \u201cKen Burns revolutionized the field of Civil War, reaching a mass audience, and academics should be aware of that.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cThis internship is great for Ryan\u2019s career and I would love to see other ESU students working with Lou Reda Productions in the future,\u201d Gray said. \u201cIt is a firm that produces feature documentaries, national television programs and original web series, and has been nominated for and won prestigious awards. It\u2019s a company that values the work of students like Ryan, and the staff is eager to help them take their knowledge and interests to an entirely new level.\u201d <\/p>\n
Besides creating opportunities for other students, Gray ultimately hopes to turn \u201cBattlefield 101\u201d episodes into an online thematic military history course at ESU. <\/p>\n
The hard part, according to Gray, was trying to perform on camera with very little experience. Despite any missteps, Gray is pleased with the outcomes \u2013 the productions make learning fun, creates internship opportunities for history majors and, hopefully, will teach many different audiences about the critical value of our rich military history.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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