Embrace the dance, and the juggling act
I awoke this morning feeling like I’d lost a friend. For the past five Sundays, “The Last Dance” has been there for me. 9 p.m. Eastern. Without fail. Chock-full of uncensored expletives, space jams, teammate bating, Jerry-meandering and fun flashbacks that filled the void left when COVID-19 stole my sports. It was appointment viewing, and while the series has wrapped, I find myself still in awe over how this 10-part monstrosity actually made it on the air.
I have a unique appreciation for the ESPN/Netflix collab, because not only did I cover those dynastic Bulls, but I’ve had the chance to produce a documentary as an entrepreneur. Understanding how the proverbial kielbasa is made? Mind. Blown.
One of the most critical aspects of any production is the notes process. A producer/director doesn’t just take one whack at a film or episode and deliver it to the distribution platform; there are several iterations, one more refined than the next, based on the feedback. But typically, said feedback is emanating from a single source: the folks bankrolling the film.
In the case of “The Last Dance,” director Jason
Hehir was navigating notes from FOUR different stakeholders: the NBA, which captured the 1997-98 season on film; Michael Jordan and his team (MJ famously granted “all-access” to that final season); and the distribution duo of ESPN and Netflix. “Each partner had at least a dozen issues every time we turned in a cut, so you’re talking 50 issues, and 19, 20 pages of notes.” said Hehir. “And we put such meticulous work into each pass, so, it was like making a cake and you take so much care baking it, and you put the icing on and nice little fancy flowers and they just smash it on the floor.”
The groups, understandably, had their individual priorities. Netflix, with its streaming scope, sought a film with global appeal. I don’t need to enlighten you on the focus of the NBA and Team Jordan. For the persisting debate around how heavy a hand Jordan, himself, had in the film, all parties interviewed for this piece insisted MJ, at no time, made any mandates around direction of the film or removing elements from it.
There were so many battling visions that Hehir requested a meeting with all the film partners in April 2019, with nearly 20 representatives convening at ESPN’s New York headquarters. “I wanted everyone sitting at the table to clarify what this documentary was supposed to be.
Was it a Jordan doc? Was it a Bulls doc? And who am I answering to? Some partners thought the meeting was a success because everyone was cordial to each other, but when I left the room, I still didn’t know who my boss was.”
While there was little pushback around “The Last Dance’s” more controversial topics (see: Jordan gambling, retiring, lambasting teammates), one of the biggest recurring dust-ups revolved around music choice. Respect to Coolio, but “Fantastic Voyage” this was not. Those ‘90s hip-hop tracks that garnered their own Spotify playlist didn’t jibe with all the partners, and the series’ composer, Thomas Caffey, dealt with a fair share of scrutiny.
There were battles over the order in which scenes were edited. Debates over how to construct a 10-episode framework toggling between the final season and relevant flashbacks.
“Having to create two different timelines was very challenging,” said longtime Jordan adviser Curtis Polk. “We debated, we arm wrestled. Some didn’t think the ‘97-98 season needed to be shown in chronological order, but we felt strongly it should. The compromise was that the final season would be portrayed chronologically, but we could flip to back stories at any time.”
There were seven iterations of the signature graphic timeline signaling a “Last Dance” rewind. More than a dozen different versions of the first episode. The first two shows alone took 15 months to deliver. This project could have easily gone off the rails, on more than one occasion.
But it didn’t. Because, ultimately, everyone recognized they were knee-deep in a once-in-a-career project and committed to pulling “The Last Dance” across the finish line.
“You’re dealing with some of the most important entities in the sports and entertainment worlds, and we all had to eat some humble pie, because this needed to get done,” said ESPN executive producer Libby Geist. “We worked on getting organized and giving Jason a clear direction. Four sets of notes wasn’t fair.”
ESPN executive producer John Dahl took the reins, streamlining notes and resolving creative conflicts before sending Hehir a unified document. This evolution became critical when the pandemic put live sports on hiatus, compelling ESPN to bump up the show’s premiere window six weeks.
“What Jason and his editors pulled off, editing the two final episodes during the pandemic from their homes in New York, that was remarkable,” said Dahl. “They provided an incredible spirit and dedication to getting this done right.”
So, feel free to debate whether this was a Bulls documentary or a Jordan documentary. But not up for deliberation: the minor miracle that is “The Last Dance” seeing the light of day.
Bonnie Bernstein is a veteran sports journalist with nearly 20 years of experience at ESPN and CBS Sports. She is founder of Walk Swiftly Productions.