Looking Back at Season Zero (VIII) – The Storyboard Part 4

Every time I dig through my stash of MacGyver-Reboot-related folders, I stumble over material about the Unaired MacGyver Reboot Pilot, filmed in Spring 2016. I’m trying to put all the necessary information together for interested readers – especially since many of you accidentally landed on my blog after looking for information about it by using search engines.

If you missed previous posts about the Unaired Pilot, here’s a quick overview:

• Part 1 (about the Unaired Pilot’s Origins)
• Part 2 (about the Promo Material)
• Part 3 (with the BtS photos, Part 1)
• Part 4 (with the BtS photos, Part 2)
• Part 5 (about the Storyboard, Part 1)
• Part 6 (about the Storyboard, Part 2)
• Part 7 (about the Storyboard, Part 3)

 

 

(Note: If there’s no link to the material I’m writing about, that means either the social media account has been set to private or been disabled or that the material has been deleted.)

 

Recap of the latest Unaired Pilot Storyboard Post
A storyboard is a graphic representation of how film material will unfold, shot by shot. It’s made up of a number of squares with illustrations representing each shot. Think of it as sort of a comic book version of a script.

The storyboard for the Unaired Pilot was created by Storyboard Artist Aaron Sowd. The latest storyboard post ended with MacGyver drawing his improvised bow, aiming high in direction of Keith fleeing the scene.

Unaired Pilot Storyboard (via Aaron Sowd)

If you think this scene feels familiar, then that’s probably because you might have seen it in the Teaser Trailer for the Unaired Pilot. In the Teaser, we see a slightly bloody-faced Lucas Till for maybe half a second doing the heroic shot. Then the camera switches to show him in profile when he lets go of the arrow.

In the storyboard, we switch to Keith fleeing in his car before Mac lets go of the arrow.

Unaired Pilot Storyboard (via Aaron Sowd)

Aaron Sowd notes unter the drawing that Keith fumbles with his keys so Mac has time to build his contraption. I’m still not sure how this would have looked in the finished scene. I think Keith is either the slowest villain ever or he parked his car 2 miles away.

Finally, Keith manages to speed off in his car. We see the getaway from different angles, and Aaron added close ups of the tires or of Keith’s foot stomping on the gas pedal.

Unaired Pilot Storyboard (via Aaron Sowd)

Mac finally draws his bow; shooting the arrow high and up over the 2nd floor bridge. Aaron suggests that the camera tracks and tilts to follow the trajectory of the arrow.

Unaired Pilot Storyboard (via Aaron Sowd)

The close-up shows the arrow landing right in front of the SUV and exploding. We also got to see that in the Teaser Trailer.

Unaired Pilot Storyboard (via Aaron Sowd)

The explosion lifts the car, flipping it over so it lands on the roof.

Unaired Pilot Storyboard (via Aaron Sowd)

The scene was filmed in an abandoned shopping mall (Hawthorne Plaza). On April 4, Clint Buckner had uploaded a BtS photo that shows the flipped over vehicle.

BtS photo of the Unaired MacGyver Pilot (via Clint Buckner)

The storyboard shows the car being damaged by fire and/or smoke. In a BtS photo by Costume Designer Eileen Cox Baker, we actually see MacGyver standing in front of the car; flames licking at the SUV.

The camera pans in and we see the car door with a cracked window opening.

Unaired Pilot Storyboard (via Aaron Sowd)

Many fans of the Original Show hadn’t been pleased by the Teaser Trailer; stating that MacGyver shouldn’t kill people – even if they are bad guys. What we didn’t see in the Teaser was that Keith is not dead, just a bit inconvenienced.

Unaired Pilot Storyboard (via Aaron Sowd)

We see Keith crawling out of the car while Mac approaches the scene. Keith draws his gun but of course, Mac is already there to stop him.

BtS photo of Lucas Till in the Unaired MacGyver Pilot (via Eileen Cox Baker)

All Mac has to do is to stomp on Keith’s hand so he gives it up, then kicking it away in true OG MacGyver fashion.

In Baker’s photo, there’s no gun visible anymore, but Mac is holding the cannister. So maybe in the filmed version, Keith had been holding onto the cannister while trying to crawl away, not onto a gun.

Unaired Pilot Storyboard (via Aaron Sowd)

After Mac kicks the gun away, Keith mutters something about Mac’s father being proud of him. I’m assuming it was meant ironically. It’s not sure if Mac already was aware that Keith and his father know each other or if this was some kind of a plot twist reveal that would have come handy in later episodes.

Unaired Pilot Storyboard (via Aaron Sowd)

The camera pans in on MacGyver for another “hero shot”. I don’t know if this would have been the last scene of the pilot or if there was an after-scene with Lincoln (played by George Eads) and Mac’s friends (e.g. best friend and roommate Gunner).

It’s possible that the episode would have ended similar to the reshot pilot; like the team deciding to join the clandestined organization set up by Lincoln’s sister (played by Michelle Krusiec).

 

(This was the last storyboard post for now since I don’t have more material. If you’ve already read my posts, you can also check the MacGyverOnline forum for more BtS photos, promo material and info about the Unaired Pilot.)