Man v. Wild

I agree that he is hardcore but I am more in awe of the guy on Survivorman. He is his own film crew, too. He is completely alone on his "adventure."
 
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I haven't watched Survivorman, but Bear Grylls is INSANE. Dude squeezed the moisture from buffalo dung. And DRANK IT. Take that Tropicana.
 
I just started watching this and laughed as I pictured the cameraman drinking water, eating granola as Bear drinks his own urine and bites the head off of a snake to eat it raw.

I also thought how hardcore the cameramen (camerapeople for the p.c.) must be. How do they get over the same terrain with the added encumbrance? I've read they sometimes take a somewhat easier route, but even still, it must be really difficult with all that gear. Still, I'd do it, sounds like it would be awesome. At least for one episode. I'd also try one season as a cameraman on 'Deadliest Catch'.

NOTE TO SELF: Check out 'Survivorman'.
 
I suspect Bear's crewmembers have some of the same training he does. They've got to be in pretty good shape, at least.
 
hes badass

hes badass

He talked about it one night on a late night talk show ... I want to say leno.

But the camera crew flys off in a helicopter during the night and they leave him with a handycam. But his camera crew is super badass.
 
I watch Man v Wild all the time. Some of it is interesting but I believe it is enhanced by the way the stories are edited. In the one where he parachutes into the Rockies-you can distinctively see a floatation vest under his grey sweatshirt when he is floating down the river to get out. After seeing that you just realize that some of what he does isn't really what is portrayed.
Do you really belive his crew is in danger. Just doesn't make sense to put that many people in jeopordy. I did videos in both Alaska and Africa in the late 80's and while it was dangerous, I didn't feel unsafe. Also, with the size of today's equipment it would be fairly easy to shoot much of what he does. Humping lightweight gear makes it possible.
 
Life vest or not, I completely believe he wouldn't have any problem doing any of this stuff out in the wild if he had to. Of course, we must all remember that it's a show and for insurance reasons there must be some sort of safety net for what he does.

So bad ass, though.
 
Matt D. said:
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But the camera crew flys off in a helicopter during the night and they leave him with a handycam. But his camera crew is super badass.
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The parts where it looks like he's hand holding the camera-- they look identical to the rest of the show. It makes me wonder whether what they're using.

This is the only show on tv that I watch.

-a
 
I think the point of the show is more on the educational side rather than trying to actually put himself in harms way. Some of the times it looks like he's really getting intense, but I think that's done on purpose.

He's only showing US how to survive if we were stuck in similar situations
 
Blaine said:
I agree that he is hardcore but I am more in awe of the guy on Surviorman. He is his own film crew, too. He is completely alone on his "adventure."
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I'm totally annoyed by Man Vs. Wild... because of this very point. Survivorman is on a whole different level... at least in the execution. They set up the exact same premise on MVW... but you're constantly reminded that a cameraman is right there with him... which for me, blows it.

R.E. the comments about Deadliest Catch... you really need to see the BTS episode of that... yeah, the fisherman have it EASY... the cameramen are the real heros of that show. Check it out... it will blow your mind.

In my opinion there was one episode of Deadliest Catch where they nearly jumped the shark (pun intended)... they had this super-fake, guy fell overboard scenario, and they played if off as if the entire event was real. I felt totally LIED to as a loyal fan of the show... it isn't just one cameraman on the boat you know... and meanwhile, as the action is covered from THREE angles... they somehow NEVER SHOW the guy get pulled from the water! EVER... and all the crew is way over-acting... really burned my butt that night. One of the cameramen actually tilts DOWN at the very moment where you would see the man pulled up on the boat... and then they cut to a different camera of the guy being helped inside. Uh... c'mon guys... like if that was real ALL those cameramen wouldn't be FIRED???

So anyway... my point is that these shows have no legal contract with the viewer to be 100% truthful... so you're left to your own logic within the production and the quality of whatever illusion they want to pull off. At least in Survivorman the premise is pure and the techniques of the production support the notion of true survival.

Does anybody remember the steadicam adidas ad? I loved that... it shows an athlete running through the desert... and right about the time you think this guy is really bad ass he stops to catch his breath... then you see the steadicam op reflecting in the star's oakly sunglasses... the cam op is light on his feet and circling the runner... and at the same time the VO narrator says, "the olympic athlete wears nike... the camera operator wearing 40 lbs of gear wears adidas".
 
MattinSTL said:
Does anybody remember the steadicam adidas ad? I loved that... it shows an athlete running through the desert... and right about the time you think this guy is really bad ass he stops to catch his breath... then you see the steadicam op reflecting in the star's oakly sunglasses... the cam op is light on his feet and circling the runner... and at the same time the VO narrator says, "the olympic athlete wears nike... the camera operator wearing 40 lbs of gear wears adidas".
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I've got to see that.
 
Thanks bballplaya!

I guess I didn't get it exactly right... but this is my point for the whole thread... as videographers you can watch these shows with great pride... because it's a guy like YOU... who is BEHIND the camera, carrying it steady and true, doing many other things... all at the same time in the same circumstances as the "daring hero".

"Oh man... did you see that guy almost fall down that cliff?"

"Yeah... and all he's carrying is a flask of water."

Think about the cam op... in my world THAT GUY is the hero.
 
MattinSTL said:
Thanks bballplaya!

I guess I didn't get it exactly right... but this is my point for the whole thread... as videographers you can watch these shows with great pride... because it's a guy like YOU... who is BEHIND the camera, carrying it steady and true, doing many other things... all at the same time in the same circumstances as the "daring hero".

"Oh man... did you see that guy almost fall down that cliff?"

"Yeah... and all he's carrying is a flask of water."

Think about the cam op... in my world THAT GUY is the hero.
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In my best Hulk Hogan impersonation "Amen brother!"
 
I used to love Man v Wild. The key word is used. After watching Survivorman, I don't think Man v Wild compares. The difference is mostly like Matt said, in the excecution. Survivorman goes out by himself with 40pounds of camera equipment and lives off the wild while doing all the filming. In terms of the show, Man v Wild looks better but thats because of all the camera crew and all.

Not to say that if Bear Grylls was lost in the wild, he would have NO trouble surviving but I give the guy in Survivorman much more props.

PS, Survivorman is on Thursdays on the Discovery Channel. I forgot what time though. I used to watch it religiously.

EDIT:
Watching the BTS from Deadliest Catch also made me realize how hardcore these filmmakers are, not only in the Deadliest Catch but also in Man v Wild, Planet Earth, etc
 
Oh my God dude... did you see the BTS from Planet Earth!? They had this scene where a bunch of Pirana were completely devouring some other fish... I mean it was full blown FRENZY... down to a couple bones dropping to the sandy bottom... and I commented to a friend of mine, "I guess they must have those cams on cables or on a sub... or something."

NOPE! At the end of the show they showed TWO GUYS in the water with ALL that action! A couple pirana were nibbling the guy's hands for a second while they were shooting and they sort of poked them away.

I'm telling you... if it doesn't sound amazing... well... it was. There's another BTS like this of guys in with sharks... and one with crocs or alligators (can't remember which)... but in both cases I was in AWE of the cam ops.
 
MattinSTL said:
Oh my God dude... did you see the BTS from Planet Earth!? They had this scene where a bunch of Pirana were completely devouring some other fish... I mean it was full blown FRENZY... down to a couple bones dropping to the sandy bottom... and I commented to a friend of mine, "I guess they must have those cams on cables or on a sub... or something."

NOPE! At the end of the show they showed TWO GUYS in the water with ALL that action! A couple pirana were nibbling the guy's hands for a second while they were shooting and they sort of poked them away.

I'm telling you... if it doesn't sound amazing... well... it was. There's another BTS like this of guys in with sharks... and one with crocs or alligators (can't remember which)... but in both cases I was in AWE of the cam ops.
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Man, I missed a couple episodes. I didn't see that one. Gotta go find it on Discovery or Animal Planet.

Just saw my first episode of Survirorman. It was indeed awesome. I truly respect him for the one man army approach. He is seriously hardcore. And he has a pretty good eye for shots, mainly in the cutaways.. I still like MvW, but now will watch both. I like them both from an informational standpoint as well as the isn't that cool aspect.
 
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