US Army Office of the Chief of Public Affairs (OCPA)

"Any film that portrays the military as negative is not realistic to us."

- Philip Strub, Film Liaison Unit, the Pentagon

 

Are you making a Hollywood film that requires lots of hi-tech military-style effects, high-end glitzy military hardware, and true-to-life military sets? Are you happy to trade off and change aspects of your script to meet Pentagon approval, in exchange for millions in savings on production costs and access to all that the US military has to offer in the way of cinematic atmosphere and realism? Then the man to contact is Phil Strub, who will put you on the road to becoming a Pentagon-approved film production, in exchange for a bit of interference. If you are approved, you get to have your own Pentagon "project officer" on location when your film goes into production, monitoring every salute and bugle call for realism. No matter which arm of the military you require, each has its own Los Angeles office. Film-makers do it all the time, from that most faithful of Pentagon patriots Jerry Bruckheimer, to Ridley Scott, and Michael Bay. Just be ready to bend to the demands of the Pentagon, and portray the military in the best possible light, because not every production is accepted for military assistance (in fact, two-thirds are turned down). But don't worry, Hollywood film-makers change plot lines and amend scripts all the time at the request of the Pentagon. That's how they get to showcase all those Pentagon-owned goodies, regardless of whether Boeing, Lockheed Martin or Northrop Grumman manufactured them. "If you want to use the military's toys, you've got to play by their rules," says John Lovett, a military technical adviser to filmmakers. "That's how it's done."

 

More on Philip Strub, Special Assistant for Entertainment Media /Film Liaison Unit at the Pentagon

Check out the OCPA's guide to making movies with the Army and learn how to apply !!!

 

Mission of the OCPA:
Tell the story of America’s Army to the public to maintain their trust, respect and understanding of our role in the community and to the nation so that the Army can fight and win our nation’s wars.

Vision:
Improve the trust and support of the American people in their Army and its missions.