10 Truths About Outdoor TV*
- Everyone in this industry is passionate about what they do. And they’ll never apologize for it.
- Having a TV show idea is easy. Having the courage to defend, pursue, develop, change, and then change again, that idea is where it gets real.
- Being an “armchair critic” is also very easy. But pointing out something and having an educating and engaging conversation with the creator takes character.
- You can find inspiration and motivation just by watching a kid take his first deer. (remember your first time?)
Happy New Year!
- The best TV shows aren’t the smartest or the wealthiest; they are the ones who know how to tell a story the best.
- Stretch yourself and watch shows on subjects you aren’t familiar with. If you are a deer hunter, watch a fly fishing show. You may just enjoy the soothing waters.
- The people creating the TV shows, editing them, and reviewing them are all human. Mistakes happen.
- Outdoor TV personalities are just regular people with regular day jobs, but they worked their butts off to package and sell a TV show. If they seem like an overnight success, they are not. It took a lot of blood, sweat and tears (see #’s 1, 2, 5 and 7)
- Outdoor TV programming is our best defense to educate the public on our lifestyle and our best cheerleader to encourage us to get outdoors
- Some people create TV shows to make money; others just want an excuse to get “paid” to hunt (it’s easier to tell the spouse that anyway). The successful shows have found a balance.
*I will repeat that my thoughts are not necessarily those of Sportsman Channel & their management and I once told my boss I had a blog, but I don’t think he believed me.
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Good stuff, Michele! I think a lot of folks tend to underestimate what it takes to put together and maintain a quality hunting TV show. Like you said, it’s easy to be a critic, especially when you don’t know the reality of what you’re criticising.
I also agree, 100%, that hunting programs are an excellent conduit for educating the public and other hunters about the sport. It provides a view into an activity that is rife with misperception, stereotypes, and controversy, and offers the opportunity to set many of those issues to rights. There’s a potential for outdoor programming to provide huge value to the future of the hunting and shooting sports.
I think that’s the challenge for the outdoor television industry… to maintain a high standard of ethics and present the very best view of our sport and its participants to non-hunters and the general public. At the same time, they’ve got to keep it real enough to satisfy the experienced hunters in the audience. That’s a tough line to walk.
Interesting post and definitely seems to be the truth. Although I don’t film my own show, I know many that do and I think your truths fit them well. I think the guys over at Heartland Bowhunter truly balance the need to make money, the desire to get paid to hunt, and the passion for the hunt and the production of a great story.
You are so right, Mark. Balance is key and Heartland does a GREAT job of telling the “Story” of the hunt. Their use of cinematic videography adds to that feeling as well. Thanks for the comment.
You said it Phillip. Viewers are demanding – and yet fickle. What we want today may be different from tomorrow. And we are catering to such a large audience segment: from families watching hunting programming together to the hard-core 40-year-old bowhunting learning how to sharpen his skills.