I've been filming my hunts for over a decade and like most of you know it's addicting. Each year I try to do better than the last and I'm always trying to challenge myself. As I improved my filming and editing I've also tried to improve the media outlet I can afford to air my productions on. A lot of hunting shows get a bad rap for over commercialising the sport we all love. I consider myself a filmmaker that loves to hunt so I combined them into a hobby that is my passion. A few years ago a buddy and I started a hunting show that airs on a local TV network. We now have an opportunity to bring it to national TV. If you film and edit your hunts and and are in it for the right reasons shoot me a PM and I will get you some more info.
Sounds like a great opportunity for someone. Soggy, you'll get some responses, I predict. Seems like a lot of regular joes video their hunts. My videos would be comical if not inspiring. "Aw, ********. I just dropped my thermocell and scattered every bedded animal within 100 yards. The rest I bumped out of bedding walking in."
Yup, getting plenty of PM's. From the first two replies you would have thought I posted in the general hunting forum.
I took it up for the storytelling aspect of it, not the commercial appeal of it personally. Wish you luck on your venture, many most likely will desire to do just what you're looking at.
Good luck with your venture. Finding enough funding for a national show can be very challenging. Lots of costs involved and companies are less and less willing to fork out their marketing dollars to television shows as there are so many other areas where they can reach a large audience at a much lesser price. Not to mention, shows that are willing to promote products for nothing more than discounts. The supply and demand of people willing to promote products is in the favor of the sponsors. Not to mention, the way people watch hunting shows have changed in the last few years. TV ratings only count people who watch the show live, or in the first 7 days if it has been DVR'd which presents problems when trying to present data to potential sponsors. Online streaming provides better data but is flooded with shows on different platforms, some are really good while others are flat out terrible. It's become pretty obvious that consumers are not interested in watching infomercials that include hunting which is what many of the hunting shows out there have become. There's a fine line and you have to strike a balance that pleases your sponsors while not putting off your viewers. Don't take what I'm saying as a negative, chase your dreams and see what you can make of it. Just know it's a tough industry to crack and only a very small percentage of shows are making any money doing it.
I don't film my hunts, but as someone that watches hunting shows from time to time I like the idea you have. Many shows I see are horribly over commercialized. Personally I prefer watching videos on YouTube or that others post on here because it feels more real. Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
If you do decide to go on television, keep one thing in mind. Please don't become another Chris Brackett or one of the Busbices. Hooting and hollering like Fred Eichler is also a huge turn off. Donnie Vincent is a class act when it comes to making hunting documentaries. With him, everything in regard to the land , hardships and personal feelings are put into his films. It's not just about the kill and there is no chest pounding in the end. Keeping these points in mind just may take you a long way.
I enjoy filming/editing and putting it on YouTube. I only make a few hundred dollars a year from it. I agree, making a hobby a job takes the fun out of it. I would imagine the whole TV thing would be stressful. The demands and deadlines would really take the fun out of it. I see the future of TV going down hill. With the computer age, everything is changing. Everything is online. Look how the internet has changed the postal service, shopping, telephones. I see TV being replaced with You Tube type sites. With the YouTube, you choose what you want to watch. Elk hunting, moose hunting, deer hunting or whatever. TV just locks you into what ever the show has that day. I would rather create videos how I like, without someone telling me what I can or can't put in the video. In a nutshell, TV would take away from the reasons I do this in the first place. Sent from my SM-S902L using Tapatalk
I love the complete control aspect of it as well. I don’t use any sponsors for my web series because i feel that’s all people see once you start doing that. I LOVED Drury Outdoors as a kid but i can’t watch their stuff anymore. And my favorite, Midwest Whitetail has started pushing a lot of sponsors as well. Now I totally understand in order for these guys to make a living they have to, but that’s just not for me. It’s not my job...it’s a hobby I enjoy. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
