ClutchPoints
A new documentary from HBO called The Shuffle will chronicle the magic 1985 Chicago Bears Super Bowl run, but it wasn’t always easy for director Jeff Cameron.
Speaking to ClutchPoints about his new documentary, Cameron detailed some of the limitations of making a retrospective documentary. Cameron — who has worked with the NFL for documentaries like Hard Knocks, which follows teams in close to real-time — conceded that they were “very limited” in terms of getting archival footage.
What is available is all that’s there. Luckily, Cameron had archives to sift through.
“As you saw in The Shuffle, we just don’t have footage or photos or evidence of any of these stories,” he explained. “So when it comes to illustrating and showing how “[The Super Bowl] Shuffle” was created, the challenge, but also kind of the fun, is thinking of how we could bring that to life.”
Working on The Shuffle does mean that Cameron still has the iconic Bears anthem stuck in his head.
“It’s very much still stuck in my head,” Cameron admitted, specifically referencing the “I’m not here to feather his ruffle, I’m just here to do the Super Bowl Shuffle” line.
While “The Super Bowl Shuffle” was an “earworm,” the New England Patriots’ response song was even more so.
“That one doesn’t leave your head for weeks,” Cameron quipped.
Even if there isn’t a lot of behind-the-scenes footage to choose from, NFL Films gave Cameron access to the original 16-millimeter film of all of the Bears’ games in 1985. So, they were able to clean it up and make it crystal clear, a technical feat.
“It’s the highest quality, highest [resolution] possible,” he explained. “I think keeping it in that 4:3, we overscale. We went back and actually overscanned all of the ’85 Bears film to make sure it was the highest quality. So when you watch the Super Bowl footage, it’s crystal clear.”
Getting some of the players, such as Willie Gault, Mike Singletary, Jim McMahon, and Gary Fencik, was huge for Cameron, as only they could retell the story of the Bears’ “Super Bowl Shuffle” fiasco effectively.
For Cameron, working with NFL Films has other perks, such as securing the talent. Hindsight is 20/20, and the players seemed open to talking about “The Super Bowl Shuffle” with 40 years behind them.
“At the time, maybe some of them were a little hesitant, a little superstitious about doing this, [but] I think after 40 years, most of them, if not all of them, recognize what it’s become and how intertwined it has become with that team,” Cameron explained.
Cameron was able to conduct the interviews, traveling across the United States to connect with each player — Gault was in Los Angeles, and McMahon was in Arizona. Luckily, they were able to catch Fencik while he was in town in Chicago during the Bears’ alumni game.
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