In November of 2018 in Butte County, California, a combination of strong winds and poorly maintained electrical equipment sparked what would become the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in the state’s history. Loosely based on Lizzie Johnson’s book Paradise, The Lost Bus chronicles the fire from the perspective of Kevin McKay, a school bus driver who is called to help evacuate a group of young students only to wind up caught in the very heart of the inferno rapidly spreading around him.
Being such a technically complex shoot involving stunt driving and simulated fire, all captured in Paul Greengrass’s signature documentary style, The Lost Bus required quite a bit of collaboration between the first and second unit camera teams, with both units frequently working together to cover the same sequences. For this video feature, Camera Operator was able to assemble a panel of talent from both camera teams including first unit A camera operator George Billinger, SOC; first unit C camera operator Kevin Emmons, SOC; second unit B camera operator Kent Harvey, SOC; second unit C camera operators Juergen Heinemann, SOC, and Corey Weintraub; and director of photography Pål Ulvik Rokseth.
Divorced, down on his luck, and taking care of a son who is ashamed of him, Kevin McKay is already having a rough go of things. On the morning of November 8 while his son is sick with the flu, all Kevin wants to do is drop his school bus off at the depot so he can pick up some medicine and get home to his son, but as a wildfire in the mountains begins to spread, he’s instead tasked with evacuating a class of elementary students to safety. As the fire continues to engulf Butte County, this simple evacuation becomes a fight for survival as Kevin desperately tries to drive his bus to safety. The Lost Bus is directed by Paul Greengrass from a screenplay by Brad Ingelsby and Greengrass. It stars Matthew McConaughey and America Ferrera.
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David Daut 