How Do You Get on the Discovery Channel?

Anonym1ty asks: "My group of Amateur Radio Operators is planning a DX-Pedition in 2005 to an Island in Alaska. We are planning on operating a station for a few days to become the rare ham radio contact from the island. We already have sponsors, but we want to showcase this event and Ham Radio in some way to the public and were hoping to find some way to get PBS, The Discovery Channel or some other network to tag along with us and showcase what Amateur Radio is. In researching how to contact these I find a sea of red tape. The Discovery Channel Networks only take suggestions from scientists or production crews. PBS seems interested but the few stations I have actually received a response from seem to just mention how they have no budget. How do I find a production company and convince them this would be a good idea? It is important to note that we Ham Radio operators cannot make any money on this and any pecuniary gain would go to the production company."

Comments

Easy, DIY

[HuggybearVT]

Just film it yourself. Buy a digital video camera, get lots of footage, and edit a demo tape. If it's really that interesting, National Geographic, PBS, Discovery, or someone might buy it. They would likely reedit your footage with voiceovers, etc., but expecting them to foot the bill of sending a crew, etc. is a longshot.

You mentioned that Discovery is only interested in talking to Producers... there you go. Become a producer.

Re:Easy, DIY

[91degrees]

I'd agree more or less, but would suggest finding someone with a little training to produce a good quality documentry. There have to be plenty of budding producers who would love to get some decent experience, and will have the training to know what makes a good documentry.

Re:Easy, DIY

[pherris]

As someone that use to make a living shooting video (all news) I'm both in agreement and little bugged by the parent posting. While HuggybearVT brings up a very good overall point but there are a few details missing.

Just film it yourself. Buy a digital video camera, get lots of footage, and edit a demo tape.

While high quality, easy use, low cost gear has allowed many more people to shoot video (a very good thing) the quality has really sufferred. If you really want to shoot someone for resale then I'd suggest:

Practice with your gear. Shoot, shoot and shoot. Unless you have at least a few hundred hours shooting usable footage your stuff will look like typical amateur crap.

Hang out with other shooters. Talk to them and look at their stuff. There are just some tricks that only experience will teach you.

Watch well shot ENG/EFP video. Check out CBS Sunday Morning. While the quality has dropped over the years it's still one of the best shot weekly news shows. There's a lot of good stuff on PBS but editing can hide a lot of mistakes. ENG work allows you see what can be done when time is everything.

Find an experienced producer you can trust. Interest in radio and the project first, experience second. Only work with those that have actually sold a completed project to a broadcast outlet (if that's your final goal).

Shoot a dry run. Try to locally simulate the trip and head out for a few days. This will help you work out many issues like charging batteries, lighting, what you really need and what you really don't need.

Get a Mac. Hey, I'm writing this from my gentoo box but macs IMO are the way to fly for cheap video production. A bottom of the line eMac works great. iMoive will allow to you to easily put together a demo to be shopped around.

Seek alternative distribution channels. Most likely you're stuff will never see any large scale public broadcast. If you want others to see what you've done then get creative. Think about licensing the project under the GNU FDL and let others move it around. Honestly, your chances of getting this on Discovery of very, very, very slim. Forget PBS, 'cause that will never happen.

Did I forget anything? Yup, about 99% of what it takes to pull this production off.

It's very possible that you might shoot it and take years to getting around to editting so don't try to stay on a strict production schedule. Don't get pushy about getting people to do anything on cue. The goal in this case is to be invisible. Luckly the cost is pretty minimal, maybe under $10k USD for an usable prosumer camera, eMac, batteries, et al.

Should you shoot it? Sure, why not. Will it ever make broadcast? Most likely not but you will learn a lot. A few productions under the belt will make all difference. Do it because you want to tell a story and you want to shoot it. The chances of it making dollar one are extremely slim.

If the goal is to save a few dollars by shooting and editting the project yourself for the main purpose of broadcast resale then you're SOL. You'll end up with something that looks like a local ad insert on some cable channel or "local access". Shoot it because it's a story you really want to tell.

How about Discovery Canada?

[Curtman]

Have you tried contacting the Canadian version of Discovery? This kind of Technology in the Arctic story is right up their alley.

you want publicity? You got it...

[bscott]

I daresay you'll reach more hams via Slashdot than through any TV show. Are you just trying to draw attention to your endeavor, or are you hoping to attract more interest to amateur radio in general and perhaps recruit new fans? (call the show "Elmer Live"...) I'd hope any nascent genuine geeks won't be wasting time watching the mostly-drek on the Discovery Channel (Mythbusters notwithstanding) - figure out what the kids watch, and show 'em what's cool about ham radio if you can.

(KB0UQY - got the licence 8 years ago now, and have never so much as touched a radio since...)

Maybe try NPR too?

[_aa_]

National Public Radiois not a visual medium, but neither is HAM Radio. This sounds like the kind of report that might be of interest to Talk of the Nation's Science Friday. Email show suggestions to scifri[AT]sciencefriday.com.

Find a producer

[Rick the Red]

The Discovery Channel only talks to producers? Then find one. A producer brings you access to the talent and equipment needed, but they need money, too. You say you have sponsors, so pretend they'll sponsor the video and go talk to producers.

Meanwhile, pretend you have a producer and go talk to sponsors. Whose sleeping bags are you using? Whose trucks are you using? There must be some equipment you're using that isn't sponsored -- ask those folks to pay for the video crew. Whose radios are you using? Your own? Great -- find a radio manufacturer and ask them to sponsor the video, leave your radios at home and use theirs. I'd say the radio makers have the most to gain from popularizing ham radio.

Have you talked to the ARRL about this?

put together a good crew

[cybercyph]

Heres a thought. I'm a film student, and, as such, I know plenty of other talented, reliable guys and gals with a love for film and documentary. Many of us have our own equipment. All of us our broke.

Heres what i suggest: get some funding together. Get enough to pay airfare and lodging, and pizza for a crew of two. Post an ad on craigslist.org in the Los Angeles area, seeking an editor, sound guy, and DV cinematographer.

How long will you be up there? i imagine a fairly interesting 60-90 minute documentary could be shot in a week, and edited in a couple months. Bring the sound-guy and cinematographer (with their own equipment) along (make sure you ask to see a reel, and at the very least interview the kids over the phone. make sure you like their personalities, as well their work.

Enter the final product in some film festivals (credit yourself as Producer and Director). with any luck, you'll get some screening, and perhaps a straight to dvd deal or some theatrical release.

if you're interested and want to discuss this further, i'd be happy to give you some ideas over email:
taylorfinley@hotmail.com

I want to be on TV too...

[fm6]

Alas, I never do anything interesting, so I guess that's not on the menu.

I find it strange that you're blaming the lack of interest on "red tape" and "funding". What you haven't told us is, What's your pitch? Why should anybody spend a lot of time and money to put you on TV? What's visually compelling about your event?

Yeah, there's a lot of boring stuff on TV, and you think your event would be an improvement. But not everybody shares your interests. If you want to be on TV, you have to sell yourself. And do it fast, 'cause there are a million or so people in line behind you.

I work in the Film Biz

[microcars]

but that does not mean I can produce your project :~/

heed the suggestions to either find a Production Company or Make this Yourself under the banner of a Production Company you create just for this.

The Discovery Channel only buys programming. They may enter into an agreement to co-sponsor something with a Production Company that has a track record with them, but you have nothing right now.

One of the best suggestions so far is to do the NPR thing, its really cheap (sound only) and you can possibly use this as leverage to get a Video Production Company onboard to do the filming.

However- the bad thing about being your own Production Company is that you have to find all the funding yourself and if you decide you can just make the Video yourself and you have no experience, you may end up with just an expensive home movie.
Your project will have to fit into a pre-determined format and time frame (under 60 minutes, probably under 30 and in reality, it may just end up being a 5 minute bit as part of a newsmagazine show.....).

I don't have any recommendations for Production Companies to go to though, watch the credits carefully on some shows and look for name of the Production Company who actually produced the piece. You will find the same ones listed again and again.

Paying for airtime on PBS

[Phronesis]

I don't know about commercial networks, but the biggest hurdle in getting something on PBS is not getting editorial interest, but raising the money to pay for the air time. It is very expensive to get a documentary aired on PBS and the money comes from the film production company, not from PBS's operating budget.

My uncle and aunt have a film production company that has made several documentaries that have aired on PBS and they tell me that the cost of airtime is a lot more than the cost of producing the movies.

The best way to get something on air on PBS is to find a way to raise money for the production and the air time. Ken Burns's approach to this, from what I hear, is that he's a wizard at getting large corporations to sign on to sponsor the production and air time.

You might go after some RF engineering companies to see if their charitable giving or public relations divisions would be interested in sponsoring a short broadcast documentary.