The first is through the personal account of a security contractor named James Ashcroft, the second is to pose questions and directly answer them, and the third method is to utilize small case studies.

Director Nick Bicanic was invited to a Senate Committee Hearing to testify on the subject of mercenaries/private military contractors on September 21, 2007.

At certain intervals in the documentary, the audience is read different letter excerpts from a security contractor named James Ashcroft (voiced by Gerard Butler).

The letter scenes explain the details of James's work and life in Iraq and a small amount of his personal history.

James Ashcroft's autobiography, Making A Killing, written with the ghostwriter Clifford Thurlow was published by Virgin in the UK in 2006 and the US in 2007.