Having worked on more than a hundred of my TV own shows, I’ve gotten used to having a lean three-person crew: the producer, cameraman and me. But then the “60 Minutes” show came into my life with a seven-person crew, filming me for a segment they ran recently about my work. For anyone who’s curious about how life looks from the other side of the lens, here’s the inside scoop.
In general, I have difficulty mixing interviews while I’m researching guidebooks in Europe because it’s hard to get my work done. The producer kept saying, “We want you to do exactly what you normally do. Ignore us. You’ll hardly notice.”
But it just didn’t work out that way. Before we even left, I was in the viewfinder. They filmed me in my bathroom as I squeezed toothpaste from my big home tube into my little travel tube. They were there as my wife, Anne, drove me to the airport and kissed me goodbye.
After we landed in Amsterdam, they documented that I was out of the airport with my carry-on bag before anyone who checked their luggage even knew if theirs had made it through.
We were met in Amsterdam by the European film crew – a hardened group who normally worked together in war zones. As this gangly bunch lumbered along with all of their gear, I felt like I was pulling a trailer behind me.
The “60 Minutes” crew, which included their reporter Vicki Mabrey, had two vans full of gear. While Vicki and I boarded a train for one of the big interviews she would conduct with me, the crew unloaded their equipment to prepare for boarding, too. I couldn’t believe all the gear. They shuttled everything to the track. At some point, we realized we were on the wrong track. Vicky and I switched trains and settled in. With looks of disbelief on the faces of half of the crew, the doors closed, leaving them behind on the platform as our train glided out of the station. They were frantic, making angry cell phone calls while Vicki and I whooshed into Germany at 100 mph. Thankfully, they had just enough people and gear on the train to still do the interview.
In the interest of accuracy, “60 Minutes” would film only my exact train hurtling down the tracks and my exact plane taking off and landing. To do this, they hired various freelance cameramen to camp out at airports and train crossings to track my path.
The producers wanted to document the phenomenon of “Joe American in Europe” using my guidebooks. It was amazing how easily we met people who were fans of the information I provide. For me, the fact that they were on their own – no longer insecure, but confident as travelers – was great to see.
I’ve never dedicated so much time to an interview. But I truly enjoyed my week with the “60 Minutes” crew. Their commitment to the accuracy of their work drove me batty and, at the same time, won my respect. But I came away feeling glad that I’ll never have to travel that heavy again.
Rick Steves of Edmonds (425-771-8303, www.ricksteves.com) is the author of 30 European travel guidebooks including “Europe Through the Back Door” (published by Avalon) and is the host of the public television series “Rick Steves’ Europe,” airing Tuesday through Thursday this week at 7 p.m. on KCTS. This week’s schedule:
Tuesday: The French Riviera
Wednesday: Poland
Thursday: Budapest
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