I'll admit, I'm not a big fan of hunting shows, DVDs, etc. It seems many of the people are so tied to industry sponsors, hunting mostly outfitter setups, with too much acting, and less "real" personalities. Now, I'm not knocking ALL of the shows/hosts out there, that's just an observation. I've know about Heartland Bowhunter for quite some time now, but I've just now started watching a lot of season 2 clips on their site, and they certainly caught my eye. Editing is top notch (but not overdone), music is appropriate (sorry everyone, but metal is NOT good background music for hunting), footage is great, and the guys seem to be acting themselves in front of the camera. Granted, there are sponsors, and plugs, etc, but it's not overdone like many other shows. So being the weirdo I am, I started reading up on the company, and saw that Jeff Simpson (the founder) actually quit a fulltime job to pursue the expansion of this company. I found that pretty impressive, and my first thought was I wish there was a way for me to do something similar and have it take off. Then I started to think about it, and I'm not quite sure. Of course there are positives and negatives to all life decisions and career pursuits, but I'm curious to hear from you guys about this. If you knew you had the resources (land, a solid and reputable team, the equipment, and the technology capabilites), would you enter into a field like this? I know many of you say you hunt for you and only you, so I'm assuming no, but think this one through before necessarily jumping to an immediate answer. Think about it from both a positive and negative. For example, you would be getting more woods time than you could imagine, and it would be part of your job. The negative? You would most likely have to have sponsors, so it starts to become commercialized, you might feel pressure from industry, not to mention the sport you once loved might start to become more work once income is involved, etc. So, if you could (assuming you had the resources), would you quit your job to enter the hunting video/entertainment industry? Let me also state this is in no way meant to be a post judging people like Jeff, HBTV, or really any hunting shows/personalities in general. Just a question meant for discussion. So let's hear it. What would you do?
I'm not much of a hunting show aficionado... Heck, I still haven't seen that Cambell's Challenge I was in. So, no. I hunt as a personal challenge and as a form of recreation. Even then, it's often frustrating and difficult. Making it into work, where I 'had' to produce results would suck. Also, sadly... until I started going to the ATA and other shows... and not really being affiliated with any company.. I didn't realize how cliquey and down right backbiting the hunting industry is. Not my cup of tea at all.
I like a guaranteed paycheck. So no I wouldn't like to do it as my full time job. But I would love to retire with a good income and supplement it with something like that. I don't want my hunting to be like a job.
No. I am fortunate in that I very much enjoy my field of work and have enjoyed it since '83. The only thing that will get me to leave it is a subsistance (for the most part) farm with plenty of huntable land. I am still working on that. I have zero interest in being part of any entertainment industry.
Heck no. I LOVED the game of golf at one time. Then, I became a PGA Professional.....and grew to LOATHE the game. First time I had to let down....because my cameraman didn't have sufficient light to get footage, I'd LOATHE hunting. First time I had to go into the woods with someone I didn't absolutely like to be with.....I'd start to loathe hunting. THE thing I love about my hunting (in totality).....is I know everything I take from the woods was done on MY TERMS. I set up where I did for a reason. I took what I did.....when I did...from where I did.....for a reason. I wouldn't get nearly the satisfaction, if I didn't do it this way. That's what it's all about, for me. This PERSONAL opinion in NO WAY infers that others can't get equal (or greater) satisfaction doing it any other way. My views don't mean a damned thing to them. And, that's the way it should be.
If I were to do something like this I wouldn't quit my job (self employed), I'd hire another employee to do my part when I'm not around. I wouldn't care to be on a weekly program on a hunting show but I wouldn't mind being part of making hunting DVD's of some kind. So no not to something full time but possibly yes to something part time If the pay Is right and the people I'm working with are on the same page as I am.
I wouldn't mind doing an informative DVD. Something that shows the why's and how's of hunting. Making a weekly hunting show seems too much like work and thats what I'm looking to get away from when hunting.
I don't think i would ever do it full time. Part time yes, on the side yes, for fun, yes. But not full time. Im pretty set in my career goals.
wow, good question... my buddy and i started filming our hunts, and i'll tell you that IT IS AN AMAZING thing to run one through and have it captured on video to relive, and show your friends... it's just awesome. there were some days that i couldnt have been any happier in a tree without a bow and just a camera...capturing the sunset, squirrels, gorgeous foxes, deer and turkey interactions (got a button buck sparring with a tom once)... it is soooo much fun that being said, i dont let filming run my hunt when im in front of the camera... i wont let down on a deer that cant be caught on camera... my buddy WOULD NOT run a monster through if it's not on camera... at that point, to me, it's not fun on a sidenote... the boys at HB make watching hunts enjoyable, they are way too much fun to watch because i think they capture what most shows dont, like the scenery and such... On one of their last episodes where theyre turkey hunting and it snows.. perfect.. and skyler wirsig (sp) when he's givin his intro interview and they get run over by turkeys... you can tell that that ACTUALLY happened... not like the rattle rattle, heres a monster crap that mr. jordan does...
That is a real tough one, but I think I would have to say no just because of the uncertainty. I couldn't guarantee that I would be able to provide for my family when I started and that is just unacceptable to me. I hate my job now, but I go every day b/c I want to give my family what this job allows me. Sure, I would love to chase my dreams and I really think I could make a great hunting show, but if sponsors didn't like it I would be screwed and that means my son would be screwed and that I just cannot risk.
I cuss to much to be on TV thay could probably only get five minutes of footage a day without censoring me. Its to @ %^ cold. I dropped my%$#^& release. %$#7 I missed. $#@% house cats ruining my hunting.
I have been on the producing side of a TV show, and NO it is BY FAR too much work for me to enjoy it as a full time gig. It sounds like a great time to be had, going out to film a hunt, but to do it right, with the right equipment, for it to be production worthy....is nothing short of HARD work. A cameraman's job is never ending and 10x the difficulty of that of the hunter.
Good point. I have done production work, just not in the hunting field (no pun intended), and you're right, it's a ton of work to do correctly. Maybe that's why there's so many shows that are, well, subpar.
Just to capture quality footage, not to mention uniquely capturing interviews and B-roll....it's a hard road for cameramen to do it correctly. Having ran cameras myself, I respect what HBTV lays down even more now....Getting a Kill on film is the easiest part of the entire process (and that is far from easy), its the other footage that makes a show, and they lay it down in perfect clarity with unique subjects/angles and perfectly capture the story lines.
I hunt and film for dvd and NO I would not do it full time as a job. I love to get away from it at times and yes you have to let up when your cameraman says so but that is ok. If I had to be honest with everyone the hardest thing for me is I really really love being in a tree with my buddy hunting and filming,But I really really miss just going hunting and not lugging 80 lbs of camera crap in an out of the woods and I really really miss hunting with my buddies I started out hunting with. In a good year I get to spend 1 maybe two weekends hunting with them the rest of the time I am on the road traveling and hunting with Steve. I don't get family vacations with my wife because all my vaction time is spent hunting.. But for now I wouldn't trade any of it.. That is the truth!!Walt
I have been part of a group that was working toward that goal, and in fact we have done some work with HBTV. It is no easy task and takes a long time to get established. HB has been around for longer than most people realize, but has really taken off in the last year or so. There are a lot of things required to make it work. You need a solid plan, the resources to execute that plan, a team capable of following through on the plan's objectives, the perseverence to get through the roadblocks you will inevitably face, and a good bit of luck. There are also things you have to accept going into it such as sacrificing some aspects of the hunt to get everything on film, not being able to hunt if you can't get a cameraman, etc. If you accept that going in you are in good shape. If not, you are setting yourself up for disappointment. That's all part of having the right team to make it work. HB has made it, the group I am with is in a holding pattern. That's the way it goes. Also, on a production side you can do it yourself and some shows do, but I'm pretty sure HB outsources their production (Jeff or Mike please correct me if I'm wrong), which is the best in the biz IMHO. Of course, the best production in the world won't make a bit of difference if you don't have quality footage laid down. There is a reason for HB's success and it is a formula that is fairly easy to understand, but difficult to reproduce. Would I do it full-time if I could, you bet. Do I think it will happen that I can do that and only that full-time? I doubt it.
i wanna say youre right with the outsourcing of their production... unless fencepost media is their baby too...
I was curious as to whether Fencepost Media is theirs or not. The production is work is amazing, as is the footage itself.
