In March, the American Galvanizers Association (AGA) and Innovations with Ed Begley Jr. announced that the AGA and hot-dip galvanizing would be featured on an upcoming episode to air on the Discovery Channel in the third quarter. Shortly after the announcement, AGA Marketing Director Melissa Lindsley worked with AGA staff and the production crew to develop a script and list of people to be interviewed on the segment. Then, in July, production teams from the series and the AGA met in Columbus, Ohio and Denver, Colorado to shoot footage for the episode. Now, the production team is taking the live interviews, b-roll, and additional project and plant footage supplied by the AGA to create the final six-minute segment.

In Columbus, the production crew shot footage at V&S Columbus Galvanizing and MAPFRE Stadium, home of Columbus Crew SC. MAPFRE Stadium uses hot-dip galvanized steel throughout the structure which was installed in 1999, as well as a renovation in 2008 to add a stage for concerts and other events when the team is not using the venue. In addition to the b-roll footage at the plant and stadium, the AGA and crew interviewed Doug Davis, Muskingum County Ohio Engineer, about his experience with hot-dip galvanized bridges over the years.

A week later, the AGA met up with a crew in Denver to shoot footage at some additional galvanized project sites and conduct more interviews. The day started at the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), where RNL Designs built a parking structure that utilizes hot-dip galvanized steel on the façade panels and racking system for the roof and side mounted solar panels. Tony Thornton, Senior Project Manager with RNL, talked about why he chose hot-dip galvanizing for the project. After Tony, Executive Director Phil Rahrig provided some background on the AGA and the industry as well as what impact he sees the association and industry making in the future. Next, Technical Director Tom Langill was interviewed about innovations and evolution of the hot-dip galvanizing process. Finally, the video crew shot more b-roll footage of the galvanized steel before leaving the NREL campus.

The next stop was Denver Zoo. At the zoo, we were able to shoot b-roll of three different projects, installed at three different times. First, we went to Predator Ridge and shot in the backhouse utilized for lions, hyenas, and wild dogs, which was installed in 2004. Next, we headed over to the Toyota Elephant Passage, installed in 2011, to capture footage of the various hot-dip galvanized structures, including the back of the Elephant House. The third, and most recent project at the Zoo, is the Edge, which is currently being installed and will be the new home for the tigers. The project is very innovative as far as getting visitors and animals closer, including a “cat walk” bridge that will allow the tigers to walk above visitors’ heads. After capturing all of the b-roll around the zoo, the crew finished the day with two interviews. First, George Pond, Senior VP of Design & Campus Management, talked about his experience with hot-dip galvanized steel and how it benefits the Denver zoo. Then, Marketing Director Melissa Lindsley shared information about how hot-dip galvanizing impacts our daily lives and provides a sustainable future.

The Innovations TV production company is now working to put together the footage, interviews, and voice-over to produce the first cut of the segment. The editing work will take around 4-5 weeks, and then the AGA will be able to see the episode and make limited comment to finalize the piece. Once it is approved, the Innovations team will provide AGA with an air date and time, which will be shared with members and industry outlets. After the episode airs, the AGA will have access to the final cut, as well as all of the raw footage and interviews to use in any future marketing efforts.

In the meantime, watch for the upcoming announcement about when the AGA’s episode of Innovations TV will air on the Discovery Channel and Fox Business in the early fall. Be sure to set your DVR!