Film Synopsis and Film Credits

Amazing: The Rebuilding of the MacArthur Maze is a half-hour television special which tells the remarkable story of the fiery collapse and rebuilding (in only 26 days) of a key connector in the Bay Area’s MacArthur Maze, where three major freeways meet just east of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.

Amazing was produced and directed by David L. Brown, winner of two Emmy Awards for "The Bridge So Far," his recent documentary on the Bay Bridge. Amazing tells the story of the Maze reconstruction from the perspectives of all the main players in the drama: the now legendary contractor C.C. Myers; Caltrans Director Will Kempton and his Caltrans engineers; the Arizona steel fabricator whose company built the steel girders; the firefighter who responded to the accident; and the reporters who covered the story.

In addition to interviews, Amazing includes a wide variety of news and archival footage of the entire 26-day process beginning with the fire that melted and collapsed the structure and an animated depiction of the gasoline tanker truck which overturned and created the fireball. The film captures the vivid impressions of the first responders, the overnight creation of new design plans, and C.C. Myers capturing the winning bid, planning on a large bonus for early completion. Viewers will see how Caltrans and the Myers team tracked down enough steel and worked day and night to rebuild the structure in record time.

The Emmy Award-winning animation team from "The Bridge So Far" enhances the educational and entertainment aspects of the special: 3-D animation by Rick Pepper depicts the accident and rebuilding, and humorous cartoon animation by Charlie Canfield portrays key moments in the story.

Amazing is the first broadcast entertainment/documentary on this extraordinary story.

Film Credits

Produced, Directed and Photographed
by David L. Brown

Videography by
Steven Baigel
Ken Day
Hal Sloane

Edited by
Steven Baigel
David L. Brown

Assistant Editor/Associate Producer
Michael Bolner

Animation by
Charlie Canfield
Rick Pepper, Aha!Visual

Script Consultant
Stephen Most

Sound Design and Re-recording Mix
Paul Zahnley, Disher Music and Sound

Online Editor
Jon Vargas

Color Correction
Ed Rudolph

Original Music
Tom Disher

Sponsored by Professional Engineers in California Government