Interview with Jeff Conroy

Jeff Conroy, co-executive producer of Deadliest Catch, offers an inside perspective on the making of the series, and what to look out for in Series 3.

Q: You've been producing Deadliest Catch since the series began. What makes it so compelling? What keeps bringing viewers back?

A: It's a combination of things. There's the compelling nature of watching men risk their lives. Then there's the financial stake. Each pot that comes up is like pulling the handle of a slot machine. Finally, there are the characters. They're fathers, sons and husbands who have good days and bad. Unfortunately, their bad days can have serious consequences.

Q: What characteristics do you look for in the fishermen you profile?

A: I look for straight-shooters - men who are willing to put it all out there, warts and all. It's boring watching someone who's always happy and easy to get along with. I'd much rather have someone who's willing to tell you they did well one day, messed things up the next. I also look for people who don't care about the cameras.

Q: What characteristics do you look for in the camera operators?

A: Durability and a good story sense. Unlike any other show I've worked on, toughness outranks camera work. If you can't hack it, you aren't going to get the story, no matter how good a cameraperson you are on land.

This job isn't for everyone. You're exhausted the entire time. Your camera equipment will fail. Your characters can be hostile, and the conditions are ruthless. The producers and camera people who are successful have the intuition to follow compelling stories while operating in the worst conditions imaginable.

Q: What are some of the most dangerous or frightening encounters you've experienced while filming Deadliest Catch?

A: The longest I've been out for is a week, so I'm a novice compared with most of my crew. But I had a couple of moments where I had to re-evaluate what on earth I was doing. One time, when I was filming from the bow of the Cornelia Marie, I looked down to fix the plastic bag around my camera and the crane hook slipped out of Dan's hands up on the stack. I didn't even see it coming as it skimmed my head. I was lucky it didn't knock me out, but it did knock some sense into me.

Another time I was leaning over the rail to get a shot of the oncoming waves when Captain Phil Harris yelled: "Jeff, get the hell out of there!" I moved and a big wave crashed onto the deck. I'm sure each one of my crew has a list of stories better than these.