"INVASION HUNTERS"


My friend and I were contracted out to help shoot a pilot episode for a show called "Invasion Hunters." We had some mutuals involved in the project that asked us to join the production.

Long story short, the show's premise was to follow a motley crew of influencers, MMA fighters, and good ol' Florida boys as they hunted invasive species around the Sunshine State. Ya know, iguanas, feral hogs, and pythons.


We spent a week out in the scorching heat and drowning in the humidity of Florida's savannas, running around with heavy camera gear while a group of dudes shot up iguanas with blowguns and castrated male hogs. It was absurd and hilarious, but it was also AWESOME. I can't lie, this was one of the cooler projects I have been roped into working on. We spent the week with Python Cowboy on a (basically curated) hunt out in the wilderness of Okeechobee.

Black and white photo of a group of people posing in a field near a vehicle on a cloudy day.
Black and white photo of a young man looking back among people in tropical palm vegetation.
Three men sitting on top of a vintage vehicle outdoors in a black and white photo.

A FLOP


Ultimately, we had a falling out with the production crew behind this project and I guess it never got off the ground. This was in 2023 and it's 2026 now so...yeah. The production crew also decided not to ever send us any of the many hours of footage we recorded either. I assume it's all sitting on a hard drive somewhere in Los Angeles. I heard they were cycling through editors and pitching to Netflix and maybe even Animal Planet or Discovery Channel? I guess none of that matters now. I know Black Rambo was on a season of Swamp People on History Channel. I wonder if he signed any sort of non-compete contract?


I think back on this job with mixed emotions. On one hand, we got to experience some crazy adrenaline rushes and were forced to overcome some major challenges and technical errors. On the other hand, we had some really bad arguments and an eventual falling out with some people we thought were not only supporters, but friends too. It was a hard time to navigate in my early 20's. I certainly learned a lot about people and their behavior. My contracts reflect a lot of this knowledge.

Five friends pose together in a parking lot, making gestures in a black and white outdoor photo.
Man in tank top and cap kneeling on grass holding a crocodile, black and white photo outdoors.
Black and white landscape photo of a rural wetland with trees and a small pond under cloudy skies.
Black and white photo of a boy fishing by a pond in a rural landscape with trees and cloudy sky.
Black and white photo of a man holding a fishing rod in a forest clearing with another person visible in the background.
Black and white photo of people walking along a grassy path beside a river, surrounded by tall trees.
Black and white photo of two people posing with a large alligator in a wooded outdoor setting.
Black and white photo of a cameraman holding a professional film camera outdoors near a bridge.
Black and white photo of a group of people standing on a motorboat near a rocky shoreline under a cloudy sky.
Black and white photo of a group of people standing on a flat boat surrounded by lush green vegetation.
Black and white photo of film crew on a boat, one holding a boom mic overhead, outdoors near trees.
Black and white photo of people on a boat near a river, with a man in sunglasses smiling beside a stroller.

ON THE FLORIDA PLAINS

If you haven't spent much time in Florida, let me suggest that you stick to the beaches...We spent the majority of the week in and around Okeechobee, FL. Meaning: we were surrounded by dense, jungle vegetation, intense heat, alligators, snakes, wild boar, iguanas, all sorts of Satanic bugs, and plains of dead grass and palmettos. We shot this in March and the heat index was almost 100 degrees. My skin was scorched red because I stubbornly refuse to wear sunscreen, and I swear I lost fifteen pounds from the ordeal.


We watched as a group of T-boosted dudes blasted Iguanas with air guns and castrated wild hogs like their balls were made out of butter, dousing the wound with an antiseptic and letting the male pigs loose to grow fat and lazy out in the woods. This was not your average TV pilot I quickly realized. Phillip and myself started having a change of heart when one of the cast mates ripped an Iguana's head off and lobbed it at me. It hit my pants and stained them with dark blood before toppling to the ground, still twitching and opening and closing its reptilian mouth.


Still, we carried on as if we were being paid a lump sum of cash and this was going to open a hundred show-biz doors for us. We plowed through all of the tribulations brought on by the rugged terrain and climate of this hell hole and after a week we finally wrapped production, celebrating with some beers and returning home to Georgia in a packed out minivan.

Tattooed man in tactical vest aiming rifle with scope outdoors at shooting range.
Three men posing outdoors in jungle setting, holding weapons and traditional bow, wearing camouflage and casual attire.
Three men in camo gear pose outdoors near water, two holding weapons, surrounded by lush green trees.
Three men in tactical outdoor gear having a conversation near off-road vehicles in a wooded setting.
Men in tactical gear conversing on an outdoor film set with a large military vehicle in the background.
Men conversing on an outdoor film set with military vehicle and camera crew in background during golden hour.
Three tattooed men with dreadlocks and casual attire conversing outdoors near a truck at golden hour.
Bearded man with sunglasses smiling outdoors near a vehicle, talking to a tattooed person in natural light.
Three tattooed men posing together outdoors near a pickup truck in a rural setting during golden hour.
Two men standing on a flatbed truck outdoors, surrounded by large oak trees in natural daylight.
Two men standing on a flatbed trailer outdoors under trees at a daytime event.
Group of people riding on a large green military vehicle through a wooded area on a sunny day.
Three brindle and black Labrador hunting dogs peering over a metal gate outdoors.
Three men in military-style gray shirts sitting outdoors near trees in warm golden light.
Three hound dogs with red collars peering over a metal gate fence outdoors in warm golden light.
A yellow Labrador on a safari vehicle watches another game drive truck crossing open grasslands at golden hour.
Two bearded men lean on a rustic truck railing outdoors, surrounded by cattle in a sunny farm setting.
Golden savanna landscape with scattered trees and dry grassland under a clear sky at sunset.
Golden savanna grassland with palm trees under a clear sky at dusk.
Birds flying over a sunlit coastal scrubland with palm trees and golden grasses at sunset.
Scenic Florida landscape with grazing cattle in a green meadow surrounded by tall trees at golden hour.
Birds flying over a sunlit Florida wilderness trail lined with palm trees and golden grasses at sunset.
Group of tourists standing on a large monster truck safari vehicle in a Florida nature preserve at dusk.
A man in a cap and sunglasses raises one arm toward the sky while holding a camera against a clear blue sky.
Group of men in tactical gear conversing outdoors in a grassy field on a sunny day.
Two tattooed men flexing muscles outdoors near a vehicle, surrounded by trees on a sunny day.
Three men having an outdoor conversation in a grassy field with trees, one with tattoos and dreadlocks.
Filmmaker filming outdoors in a grassy field with dense trees using a professional video camera.
Two tattooed muscular men flexing on the back of a truck outdoors on a sunny day.
Film crew shooting a scene near a large tractor in a wild grassy landscape with palm trees.
Two people work near a large tractor in a grassy field surrounded by palm trees in a natural outdoor setting.
Four athletic men running on a sandy trail through grassy fields in black and camo workout gear.
Workers and heavy machinery clearing dense vegetation in a wild grassland with palm trees in background.
Four fit men sprinting down a sandy path surrounded by tall grass in athletic and camouflage clothing.
Four men running together on a sandy dirt path through an open field on a cloudy day.
Group of five people posing outdoors with a camera rig in a sunny field, smiling and flexing.
Five diverse men posing together on a sandy trail in a sunny, grassy outdoor setting, one holding camera equipment.
A large tan dog wearing a black vest rests on a weathered green platform secured by a chain outdoors.
A tan Labrador dog wearing a black vest and chain leash rests on a green surface outdoors among trees.
Man climbing onto a large green military truck on a safari tour with passengers in the elevated viewing platform.

FALSE HOPE



This show never made it off the ground. Now, I won't go into all of the details out of respect for the people involved and since one of the cast members we had a falling out with died shortly after production, I dare not speak ill of the dead.

The short of it is this: we never saw a FRAME of the week's worth of footage we recorded and we were completely cut out of the production process and given zero credit for our work.


Yes, I am still salty about this situation even three years later...but all in all, the experience was good and it taught Phillip and myself the amount of steps and vetting necessary before signing on with a production team. Hey, I got some pretty cool photos out of it.