How we film: our standards

• We disclose how it was paid for. Every video, post, and brief says "Paid our own way," "Gifted," "Comped," or "Paid partnership," up front, as FTC rules require.
• The grade isn't for sale. Gunny sets the marks from real use. Nobody buys a better one.
• We follow the property's rules. Posted filming rules, crew instructions, and port or venue policies come first.
• Consent before faces. No close-ups of strangers without a yes. Anyone featured in a paid or brand video signs a release. Children are off camera unless a parent gives written consent, and never in paid content without it.
• No drones unless the property and local law both allow it in writing.
• Licensed sound only. Original, licensed, or platform-library music. No copyrighted tracks.
• No implied endorsement. Nothing suggests the Marine Corps, the Department of Defense, or any branch backs us or a product.
• Archive footage is dated. Older trips show the place and date on screen in the first two seconds. We never restage anything to look current.
• We say when we earn on it. If we can book the place we are filming, that is said on the post and beside the link. The commission never touches the mark. How we book.
• No health, medical, or financial claims, and no IDs, boarding passes, room numbers, or card details on camera.

We paid. No brand involved.

• Disclosure: "Paid our own way," or we name the public program, like Heroes Sail Free.
• No brand review. The brand doesn't see it first and has no say in the grade.
• Staff: we ask before filming anyone up close, and keep them out of the shot if they say no.
• Public areas only. No back-of-house, crew areas, or closed spaces without permission.
• Facts get checked. Prices, rules, and program terms are confirmed and dated before posting.

Product, stay, or upgrade. No fee.

• Terms in writing, even by email: what's provided, what we'll make, and when.
• Disclosure: "Gifted," "Hosted," or "Comped by @brand," plus #ad and the platform's paid-partnership label.
• We keep creative control. The brand can correct facts. It can't edit the opinion.
• No usage rights included. The brand can share our post. Running it in ads is a paid add-on.
• If it fails, we tell them first, and they can choose to skip the video.

A brand pays us to make content.

• Signed agreement and deposit first. Deliverables, due dates, usage rights, and fees are set before we shoot.
• Brief, then script. The brand sends key messages; we send a script for approval before filming. Two rounds of revisions for anything that misses the brief. A new concept is a new video.
• Disclosure on camera and in writing: "Paid partnership with @brand," #ad, and the platform's branded-content tools.
• Brand facts are the brand's to stand behind. We say only what we've tested and believe.
• Usage is licensed, not assumed. Paid ads, whitelisting, exclusivity, and raw footage are priced separately and put in writing.
• Releases and paperwork: signed releases for anyone featured, W-9 and certificate of insurance on request.

Unpaid

"Paid our own way."

Public program

"Sailed on [program]. We paid for everything else."

Collab

"Gifted by @brand #ad" or "Hosted by @brand #ad."

Paid

"Paid partnership with @brand #ad."

Bookable

"We can book this. We earn a commission; your price is the same."