Production is not stopping there. We feel like we made some marks in outdoor production, but in order to keep viewership growing the production quality must also advance. The theme entering 2009 was "cinematic." It had to start with the field cameramen and Directory of Photography Nate Robertson setup some training classes for everyone. We had some classroom training on photography basics and then we were set out in the city of Cody with still cameras to gather photos. At the end of the day we came back to class where they were critiqued.
Brandon Wasserburger took the next step in the creative design. He put together some production ideas that producer Jack Peterson and the rest of the gang began fine-tuning. It started "BIG" and, as with any production, began downsizing based on budget constraints. The opening sequence of the 2009 season took 2 months to produce. We took green screens up on the mountain for shoots, we created 3D animations, we rotoscoped video and photos and built some very complex composites. From there Brandon designed a graphics package that became the theme for 2009.
Gary Baughman took his skills in video, 3D animation and composting and starting working on the "shooting tip" segments of the show. He also began design work on many of the commercial spots for Berger Bullets, LongRangeStore.com, Huskemaw Optics and Gunwerks. The website also fell on his shoulders; making sure the website and all social networks are current, relevant and fresh.
Producer Jack Peterson kept everyone on task and on schedule. He made sure the show satisfied all contractual requirements while maintaining good, entertaining content. Jack always allowed the crew some creative freedom to explore and in doing so we are always watching other programs, other networks and many, many, many online videos that have provided much inspiration.
The Best of the West has certainly made a mark in outdoor programming and while these achievements are nice we are back in the trenches working on the next level of production quality. We consider 2009 to be a milestone for The Best of the West but there is much more to come from us. From The Best of the West family, we wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. May you have good health and good prosperity in 2010.
