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Minimalist camping does help prepare for an actual survival situation. I agree straight up with you.
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Article about Survivorman in DV Magazine
- Thread starter ChadHahn
- Start date
Minimalist camping does help prepare for an actual survival situation. I agree straight up with you.
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Great thread, full of creative ideas. I hope Les gets to read it somehow.
Watching the program, it seem Les, of necessity, films routine and repeated activities only once. A camera operator would be able to shoot them many times over, providing the film editor with a richer choice of angles and views.
Then there are crisis situations which he can't film since he has to devote all his attention to them:-- A camera operator would have been able to film Les' shelter half burning down in Alaska. We only saw the aftermath and not Les putting out the flames. Same thing with the Jaguar the viewing audience only heard about in the Amazon rainforest. Being able to see the cat would have really added to the show.
Watching the program, it seem Les, of necessity, films routine and repeated activities only once. A camera operator would be able to shoot them many times over, providing the film editor with a richer choice of angles and views.
Then there are crisis situations which he can't film since he has to devote all his attention to them:-- A camera operator would have been able to film Les' shelter half burning down in Alaska. We only saw the aftermath and not Les putting out the flames. Same thing with the Jaguar the viewing audience only heard about in the Amazon rainforest. Being able to see the cat would have really added to the show.
When the first season went on tv, a lot of people (inc. Ron Hood himself) questioned the fact that Les was really alone, and he really filmed himself. I think this was the reason they left more camera fiddling in the second season. The first season was maybe a little bit too professional to make it believeable it's being done alone. So in the second series, he got his cameras in the field of view of each other and stuff like that. Now we can be sure that yes, he was filming himself alone. So the third series can be less camera, and more survival again 
A couple of you said "just one technician with him to help running the gear". That's not enough for 4-5 cameras, so more needed, and for that person(s) there are more needs, like real food, real shelter, sleeping bag, etc.
A couple of you said "just one technician with him to help running the gear". That's not enough for 4-5 cameras, so more needed, and for that person(s) there are more needs, like real food, real shelter, sleeping bag, etc.
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Yeah - and the camera guys all have thier front pockets bulging with powerbars. Now that would really reinforce Sufferman.
Personally I think the alone part is pretty integral to the show. I give Les lots of credit for his ability to pull off a story while filming himself this way. Think about it, he has to plan out his narration to avoid redundancy. It would really suck if he ended up with two great shots but had to cut one out because he was saying the same thing in each take.
I say Les should stay the loner.
Whoever insisted that Man vs. Wild provides more information - well - it does provide dangerous misinformation. I could live with Bear staying in hotels and having a camera crew, but I hate the fact that he gives such stupid and careless advice. The guy is dangerous.
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Well put INMSHO of late:thumbup:
I agree with you on that completely. Les "alone" for the most part is one thing that draws me to the show, however I agree with both sides in part.
On one hand I would like to see more "survival" craft, techniques, or whatever you want to call them. Especially those scenes where Les could not film due to the situation; but then again, the fact that he has a working man approach to his show endears ME to it.
I'm sure he has direction from the network, but it seems as though he has a heavy hand in it's making.... and that includes most of the filming.
Another print interview here
http://entertainment1.sympatico.msn...der/Articles/071001_survivorman_JR.htm?isfa=1
http://entertainment1.sympatico.msn...der/Articles/071001_survivorman_JR.htm?isfa=1
Dunner and Tarmix, I agree with both of you. From the perspective of "I am lost what do i do" Les's first couple of days typically miss a few important things.
Signal Fire? In one episode, Les lights one on Day 7 when the chopper is supposed to find him. It would be more beneficial to cover this kind of signalling on Day 1, when he has supposedly found himself in a survival position. If Les is truly too busy setting up camera shots on day one, then it is seriously detracting from what should really be happening. AND, just how dire is his predicament if he has the luxury of fooling with cameras until nightfall?
On the other hand, Bear hits the ground running, literally, as if the only way to get out of your situation is to be in a marathon race. While I think Bear is physically fit, I couldn't do half the things he does without injuring myself.
I do have the feeling that sooner or later, a 3rd, 4th and more survival type shows will be produced, and a few of them will focus on "what to do" for the average Joe.
Just once I'd like to see someone reference the Boyscout manual, or the Army manaul or SAS survival theories, and work through their predicament in a methodical manner.
In some cases, you may have to hike out, in other cases 3 well built signal fires, in a triangular shape, lit on Day 2, would find you with a free helo ride back to town.
oh well, thats showbiz, I still watch them, and like the scenery very much.
I think most of us, here, would appreciate more of a learning documentary style of show, along the lines of Ray Mears style.
Signal Fire? In one episode, Les lights one on Day 7 when the chopper is supposed to find him. It would be more beneficial to cover this kind of signalling on Day 1, when he has supposedly found himself in a survival position. If Les is truly too busy setting up camera shots on day one, then it is seriously detracting from what should really be happening. AND, just how dire is his predicament if he has the luxury of fooling with cameras until nightfall?
On the other hand, Bear hits the ground running, literally, as if the only way to get out of your situation is to be in a marathon race. While I think Bear is physically fit, I couldn't do half the things he does without injuring myself.
I do have the feeling that sooner or later, a 3rd, 4th and more survival type shows will be produced, and a few of them will focus on "what to do" for the average Joe.
Just once I'd like to see someone reference the Boyscout manual, or the Army manaul or SAS survival theories, and work through their predicament in a methodical manner.
In some cases, you may have to hike out, in other cases 3 well built signal fires, in a triangular shape, lit on Day 2, would find you with a free helo ride back to town.
oh well, thats showbiz, I still watch them, and like the scenery very much.
I think most of us, here, would appreciate more of a learning documentary style of show, along the lines of Ray Mears style.
I'm reading these posts and just wanted to agree when it was mentioned that Bear is giving some bad information (I have spent considerable time fishing in the Sierra Nevada mountains and will say that there is no way I would ever consider "floating downstream", with or without a life jacket for one). I just hope that the general public realizes that both shows are just that, shows. They are not designed as a training source.
I wonder what will happen when some unlucky soul goes missing and dies and the family then sues Discovery channel on the grounds that the casualty watched all of the episodes but still died. I am sure the news media will give the story a lot of traction.
I wonder what will happen when some unlucky soul goes missing and dies and the family then sues Discovery channel on the grounds that the casualty watched all of the episodes but still died. I am sure the news media will give the story a lot of traction.