YOU’RE GONNA LIVE RIGHT - F5
BRADLEY PRATT Director, Videographer, Editor
ALEJANDRO PAREDES Producer
A nearly 15-minute documentary centered on Heather Bulk and the story of an F-5 Freedom Fighter now flying in the civilian world. Originally created as a class project, the film uses interview-driven storytelling and aviation visuals to explore Heather’s connection to the aircraft, the team around it, and the jet’s life beyond military service.
PROJECT PROPOSAL
CLIent:
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TIMELINE:
SPRING 2026
PURPOSE
You’re Gonna Live Right began as a class assignment, but I wanted to create something far more ambitious than a standard school project. After reaching out to my friend Alejandro Paredes to see if he had any bold ideas, I landed on a documentary centered on an F-5 Freedom Fighter and the people behind it. Early on, my teacher told me I was “not shooting Top Gun” and to lower my expectations. I used that as motivation to push the project further and show that a class film could still feel cinematic, high-stakes, and visually ambitious. The goal became to build a character-driven documentary that used the aircraft as both a visual centerpiece and a way into the stories of Heather Bulk, Chad Robbins, and Jay Consalvi.
PRODUCT
The final film is the longest produced piece I have made to date, running nearly 15 minutes. You’re Gonna Live Right combines interviews and live aviation footage to tell the story of Heather Bulk’s ownership of the F-5, how the aircraft came into civilian hands, and what it is used for today. Before the full documentary was completed, I also created a proof of concept piece following the first flight shoot day. That early edit helped demonstrate the tone, visual potential, and cinematic direction of the larger film, while building trust with the people involved before moving into the full interview and story phase.
PROCESS
The project came from a desire to make something more ambitious than what was expected of a typical class assignment. After pitching the concept, I completed production across two shoot days, one focused on capturing flight footage and one dedicated to interviews. Following the first shoot day, I cut a proof of concept from the flight material to show the visual potential of the project and help earn confidence from the team before continuing production. I then edited the full documentary over three days, shaping the story around the backgrounds of Heather, Jay, and Chad while using the jet itself as a visual thread throughout the piece. The process required balancing interview structure, technical aviation footage, and a broader narrative about how this aircraft came to be owned and operated in its current form. More than anything, the project became a chance to challenge expectations and create a film that felt bigger, more cinematic, and more fully realized than what was initially imagined for the assignment.
INTERVIEW LOOKS
PROOF OF CONCEPT
After the first flight shoot day, I created a proof of concept edit to show Heather and the team what the project could become. It served as an early visual sample of the film’s tone, pacing, and cinematic style, while also helping build trust before moving further into interviews and full production. That piece became an important step in turning the project from an ambitious idea into a finished documentary.
