Reality show in Haines NOT real! (living, costs, legal)

[Gypsyrhydyr]

Has anybody else seen this from the Chilkat Valley News?

CVN Story #3

And...they're gonna go ahead and show it on Discovery channel in April. For Alaska week. What a hoot! I can't belive that the Powers That Be would air a fake reality show.

[Barkingowl]

[SIZE=2] “We just sort of faked it,” said Sean Brownell, owner of Alaska Heliskiing, the company contracted to guide the Discovery Channel contestants and film crew through a challenge course in the Tsirku Valley. “It turned into fake reality TV, which I think they all are, really.”[/SIZE]

They should've let people compete anyways.

[rotorhead]

When it comes to Alaskan "wilderness", their producers define it in a way somewhat differently than most Alaskans would.

Sorry to shatter your illusions, but it turns out that not everything that the Discovery Channel airs is absolutely correct. In fact, they use a considerable amount of "artistic licence" in the editing room for pretty much everything they produce. I've been in several of their productions and not only do they play fast and loose with continuity issues, they're not above fluffing up the content as well. I'm sure that some of it is a result of trying to patch together a workable story from the footage they've taken in the field long after the fact. I'm also sure that they're under considerable pressure to keep costs down and logistics issues to a minimum. Last but not least, they've got to turn often-boring-old-reality into a captivating drama, not always an easy task.

It's pretty amazing what you can do with a judicious camera angle and the right choice of backgrounds. Here in Haines you could probably shoot most of a "wilderness" movie without actually leaving the township, let alone the borough. Between the cover of tall trees and the mountainous backdrop, it's pretty easy to make it look like the middle of nowhere as long as you're careful about where you point the lens. Considering the legal repercussions of dealing with potential fatalities amongst their "competitors" it's not surprising that they chose to shoot several scenes right off the roads here instead of in the middle of nowhere.

[Gypsyrhydyr]

Originally Posted by rotorhead

When it comes to Alaskan "wilderness", their producers define it in a way somewhat differently than most Alaskans would.

Sorry to shatter your illusions, but it turns out that not everything that the Discovery Channel airs is absolutely correct. In fact, they use a considerable amount of "artistic licence" in the editing room for pretty much everything they produce. I've been in several of their productions and not only do they play fast and loose with continuity issues, they're not above fluffing up the content as well. I'm sure that some of it is a result of trying to patch together a workable story from the footage they've taken in the field long after the fact. I'm also sure that they're under considerable pressure to keep costs down and logistics issues to a minimum. Last but not least, they've got to turn often-boring-old-reality into a captivating drama, not always an easy task.

It's pretty amazing what you can do with a judicious camera angle and the right choice of backgrounds. Here in Haines you could probably shoot most of a "wilderness" movie without actually leaving the township, let alone the borough. Between the cover of tall trees and the mountainous backdrop, it's pretty easy to make it look like the middle of nowhere as long as you're careful about where you point the lens. Considering the legal repercussions of dealing with potential fatalities amongst their "competitors" it's not surprising that they chose to shoot several scenes right off the roads here instead of in the middle of nowhere.

Duh? Have long been aware that there ain't no such critter as a "reality show." I quit believing in "truth in television" many years before investigative reporting arrived on the scene. It just tickled me to read the CVN article. Especially after living and working in Haines for many years.

You would (or maybe not) be surprised how few people here in south Texas read or even think any more. People just sit back and regurgitate as fact what the see on the idiot box. And the misconceptions about Alaska grow and get worse...which is probably a good thing. Helps keep the weak out.