#HTE
Competing to Become one of the Next MythBusters
Dear to Core77’s heart is MythBusters—an epic, iconic television show that premiered on the Discovery Channel in 2003 and would go on to earn eight consecutive Emmy nominations for Outstanding Reality Program, from 2009 to 2016. The series ended in March of 2016 “after 2,950 experiments, 910 explosions and 83 miles of duct tape,” and is surely to live on in reruns for, well, forever.
A few weeks ago, a new reality show, MYTHBUSTERS: THE SEARCH debuted—aimed at finding the next mythbusting hosts. Core77’s Allan Chochinov sat down with one of the contestants, Jon Lung, to talk about the show, what it was like to compete for the title, and to learn about some of the backstage craft!
Core77: Tell us a little bit about who you are and how you got on television! How did this whole thing start?
John Lung: I’m a native New Yorker, recent graduate of the Products of Design Masters program at SVA, a maker of things, and a HUGE fan of MythBusters (that last bit seems like an obvious statement, of course). How I got on the show is a weird story. At the end of the MythBusters run, I had been following Jamie and Adam [Hyneman and Savage, the previous hosts] on their 14-year-long scientific escapade and could not believe that journey had come to an end. So every week or so, I would just Google “MythBusters” to see if there was a chance of them coming back. Or perhaps that they had a new project together.
So one week, during my aimless internet wandering, I found the video calling for the application of the next generation of MythBusters. At that point I was right in the middle of finishing my masters thesis work, was barely sleeping, and didn’t think it would be a very good idea to put my work on hold for what seemed like an insane long-shot—even with all my colleagues at the program cheering me on. So I bookmarked the site, and finished out my last semester of grad school.
After graduation, as I was clearing stuff out of the studio and decided to give that application another look. It was still open, and it was literally the last day for submissions! I filmed my “casting video,” cut it, and submitted the application over the course of a few hours (thanks to a classmate who helped me with camera work)! About a week or so later, they got back to me. I was corresponding with the executive producer who was working out of England at the time (a very important 3am call!), and the interview process began soon after. I progressed further, until they ultimately flew me out to California to start filming.
MYTHBUSTERS: THE SEARCH “is an all-new series featuring the next generation of fearless contenders with killer build skills, science smarts and nerves of steel, ready to be judged each week as they bust myths and vie for the win in becoming the next myth-busting superstars.”
AC: And the whole season was filmed over the course of the summer, right? What was it like to be out there doing the show—knowing that people wouldn’t see what was happening until several months later, when the show debuted in January?
JL: Honestly, I was so immersed in what I was working on that I didn’t even think about when people would see it. At the time, I was probably much more concerned with getting the competition challenges done within our time limits, and making sure we had something that actually worked! What’s interesting though, is that when the episodes first started airing—months after filming—it was actually the first time any of the contestants had seen any of the actual episode footage. So that’s pretty fun for us, tuning in each week.
AC: You’re still in touch with some of the other contestants?
JL: Oh ya.
AC: And you can’t tell us who’s going to win, I’d imagine.
JL: Oh no. Sworn to secrecy about any show results.
AC: Okay then, next question: The original myth busters—Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman—are kinda “maker royalty.” The show lasted 14 seasons, and in that time they really coalesced into distinct personalities with a unique relationship. It’s probably absurd to actually try to “replace” those two people literally—I think any new hosts would be relentlessly (and mercilessly!) compared—but what do you think the producers are looking for in a new kind of host?
JL: Adam and Jamie are, and always will be, mythbusting legends. And I believe that the goal is not to replace them necessarily, but to find hosts suitable to “carry the torch” of making science education fun and approachable. The producers are trying to find the next generation of MythBusters to keep inspiring future generations of mythBusters. I’d say they are looking for people who can get other people excited, who themselves are curious to find answers, and who are willing to put their bodies and their pride on the line for science! (It’s pretty demanding in there.)
AC: And Did you ever actually meet Adam or Jamie? Where they at all part of the show?
JL: Adam and Jamie were not part of the show, but on the first day of arriving on set, Adam surprised us and gave us a pep talk about the journey we were about to embark on. We were already so blown away being on set—and seeing that massive “MythBusters sign”—that when Adam suddenly came out, it was a double-whammy that made me smile so hard I thought my cheeks were going to explode. Everything was happening so fast. It felt a bit like a dream, but I do remember two pieces of advice he gave us: just be yourself, and have fun. It sounds obvious, of course, but when you’re not used to having a bunch of cameras pointed at your face, you’d be surprised how crucial that advice can actually be.
The most surprising thing is how well all 10 of us got along—especially considering all of us being pulled from all sorts of professions and geographical backgrounds.
AC: Since MythBusters: The Search is modeled on a kind of “Survivor” reality show, did you think that people started to take on a role—you know, “the quiet one; the argumentative one; the adorkable one”—or did the participants’ true personalities emerge (as they often do in real life when playing competitive games)? What were the most fascinating aspects of this for you?
JL: Well, right at the beginning we were all nervous, and you could tell that people were vying for that “leadership” position. But that faded fast; I think we all took Adam Savage’s advice to heart and just settled into being ourselves. The most surprising thing is how well all 10 of us got along—especially considering that each of us was being pulled from a different profession and geographical background. Five days in, we did the shoots for the promos, and it already felt like we had been working together for months.
AC: People are always thanking “the crew” in show business—and of course they should! What was it like to be working with the original MythBusters crew—a crew that had worked previously on almost the full 14-year run of the show?
JL: Working with the MythBusters crew was fantastic! They are so familiar with what shots they need, from what angle, and from what vantage point—what gets the best time lapse footage, the best high-speed footage, where to mount all the smaller cameras when we’re about to blow something up…everything that goes into getting the perfect “MythBusters feel.” It was amazing to watch. On top of that, they are hilarious to be around, and really made us contestants feel like we were part of the MythBusters family.
AC: Can you tell us what it was like to perform in front of cameras, directors, lighting, sound, etc.? Is it true that all of that tends to disappear after awhile?
JL: Day one was intense. It’s not a big deal with you’re just working on the fabrication, but the intensity comes when you are trying to explain what your team’s concept is, or communicating science in a clear and easy to understand manner—while everyone is waiting for you to nail it. Granted, the entire MythBusters crew was incredibly patient, but it’s more a form of internal stress when you know that people are relying on you to get it right. After a while, you get into the rhythm and begin to hear what works and what doesn’t, but I’m sure it’ll take more camera work for me to be able to have all that stuff disappear completely!
AC: And what about “time”: When they say in the show that you have “x amount of time,” how does that translate to what shows up in the show?
JL: When they say “x amount of time”, they mean x amount of time. The shooting schedule was tight, so there was no room for “oh, can we have an extra day to finish this?” The sweat, the panic—it was all real. In terms of what shows up on TV, we have less that 45 minutes to show a day’s worth work. So I really want to give a shout out to the editing department, because they really managed to capture the essence of what it was like working under those deadlines.
AC: Where was the series filmed exactly?
JL: We filmed at a studio called 32Ten that works on the effects for all sorts of big-budget movies. They are where Industrial Light and Magic’s shop used to be. In fact, we actually filmed MythBusters: The Search on the soundstage where Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia ride the speeder in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi! So that was quite an honor. The owner was incredibly generous and gave us a tour of the place. And at one point, he pointed up at a bunch of holes in the sound insulation on the walls and told us that a bunch of Tie Fighter pieces were still embedded in the walls from exploding the miniatures while filming. Everything there had history; it was like we were filming in a museum.
AC: And what about filming on the Alameda bomb range and the Alameda runway—both huge parts of MythBusters?
JL: It was amazing, and you’re right—both of those are MythBusters Holy Lands. Getting to stand on theAlameda runway, point, and go “Oh, that’s where they crashed the semi-trailers,” “Here’s where Tory Belleci flipped over his bike,” “There’s one of the places where they lost remote control of the car”—it was overwhelming in the best way possible. At the Alameda bomb range, MythBusters veteran Sgt. J.D. Nelson handed me a pounds-worth of C4. I just kept kinda checking off bucketlist items that I didn’t even know I had.
AC: What about supplies: What kinds of tools and materials were you given to work with for each challenge? Is there a magic chest of tools and equipment, or are the supplies specific to each of the challenges?
JL: The entire shop was magic. We basically had all the tools we needed, and for each challenge—just like you see on TV—they would roll open those huge doors, or pull back a tarp, revealing the next set of materials we would be working with.
AC: So let’s talk about skills. In life there are talkers and there are doers. And in the first few broadcasts, it seemed that that was true on the set as well. Also, it occurs to me that “welders” might have an advantage over everyone else. (Just an observation.) What kinds of skills were most important to you, and how did you prep for the show?
JL: Well, there isn’t much room for talkers when there’s a deadline to be be met. Being able to weld did feel like an advantage to me actually, because when you’re tearing apart cars and putting them back together, or trying to contain an explosion, tape and glue don’t often cut it. But lots of skills come into play of course.
I’ve worked in model and machine shops for a few years, and right before I went on The Search, I worked in SVA’s Visible Futures Lab during my graduate career. My job was to teach other students different tools and techniques to turn their ideas into physical objects. That dovetailed perfectly with working on the show. It was also an advantage for me to be incredibly familiar with the back catalogue of MythBusters history; I was already watching MythBuster reruns as a way to prepare, (which is the best, most enjoyable homework I have ever done in my life)!
AC: Okay, I can’t help myself: The cardboard boat challenge. What happened!? I mean, the design of the cardboard oars??? DUDE!!!
JL: Well, first I’d like to commend my teammate Brian, because in two days we managed to crank out a hardy boat that stayed afloat for hours on the water, never sinking. Okay, onto propulsion. What oars? We didn’t have oars, we had the equivalent to pizza boxes barely held together by leftover cheese. I think our team suffered from it’s own grand ambitions. In a different situation, with more time, I think we could have built a working paddle wheel, but with the impending deadline, yes—we could have used some solid oars. The other team actually built a spectacular set of oars that lasted as long as our boat!
AC: And what about the “painting a room with explosives"—what a brilliant challenge. But It seemed that most of the teams came up a bit short. If you had the chance to do it over, what might you have done?
JL: Shout-out to Tamara and Brian from the “Dandelion of Doom” team for coming together to create our magnificent destructive masterpiece. It looks great on TV, but I think it’s actually even more impressive when you’re standing next to it! If I had a do-over, I would definitely start by halving the amount of C4 (for obvious reasons). Then I would have liked to add mesh in front of each mortar and give the whole Dandelion a 45-degree turn. Post explosion results seemed to suggest that the turn would have helped spread the paint a bit better—firing into the corner of the room, rather than straight onto a flat wall.
I think people like the idea of painting a room with explosives because it always seems so possible. Granted, I think the walls of the room will always result in a Jackson Pollock vibe, but if we had a second chance, I’m confident that all teams could attain a much better coverage.
AC: So now that filming is over, you get to watch the results on TV. But do you see your designer-self differently as a result of this experience?
JL: Definitely. Being a designer who can solve problems on the fly, and remain composed under pressure—those are valuable life skills. And participating in these timed, all-or-nothing challenges really conditioned me to work fast and to always push harder.
I loved being continually reminded of the close relationship between design, engineering, and science—all the ingredients that are involved when you’re trying to solve a problem. It takes know-how, but it also requires a lot of imagination, healthy teamwork, and some quick improvisation. My experience on the show was fascinating and enriching in so many ways…day after day.
AC: And of course I need to ask about your mother! I’m assuming she’s very, very proud?
JL: She is loving the show so far! I make sure to watch it with her every weekend, and it’s always hilarious how invested she gets. I also want to take the opportunity to thank her for all her support, not just for MythBusters, but for my entire life’s journey.
Also I want to thank all the friends and classmates who supported my decision to apply to the show—who, honestly, I don’t think would have let me not apply!
Finally, I’m hoping my work on the show will inspire others to get involved in science, in design, in engineering, and in creative pursuits of all kinds. There’s no question that applied learning is a form of learning that “sticks,” and if the next MythBusters can continue bringing new people into these kinds of fields, I will be proud to have been a small part of it.
http://www.core77.com/posts/60879/Competing-to-Become-one-of-the-Next-MythBusters