Let me give an example..... Lets say that Realtree Outdoors or Jim Shockey, or Tom Miranda want to do a hunt for tv. They contact an outfitter and discuss the plan. I had always believed that the outfitter (usually) would provide free hunts, in exchange for exposure, promotion etc.. A hunt that would cost me 5 or 10k(++) is zero to them knowing their dealing with "bigshots" in the industry, not just anyone. In my eyes, I watch these guys go on trips of a lifetime (for me), every other month and wonder how its done (financially) if no one is paid. I realize that most of these big timers have other businesses (which may help finance) the hunting portion of their life,but I gotta believe that someone at Realtree Outdoors (for example) gets paid beyond just a free hunt. No.....I'm not talking about the "employee" cameraman which makes a salary, but rather the main business entity in itself. Please set me straight if I have it all wrong. I submitted the question because I figured you would have more of a clue than myself.... as you are WAY more of an industry insider than I. It was asked as a generalization question only, and I certainly hope you didnt take it in a negative way. Much respect goes out to you and all you do for for showing us what real life possibilities are to us "regular" everyday hunters! Thank you.
Yes, those guys get paid beyond just a free hunt and free gear. The commercials you see within a show are split among three groups - The show producer, the network, and the carrier (cable or satellite). Who gets what slots, and how many, is negotiated as part of the network contract. There is a total of 16 commercials (8 minutes) in a :30 minute episode.
Those commercial slots get sold to sponsors. From selling those slots, the producer realizes revenues to hopefully pay production costs and to pay "talent" (loose use of the term in this industry). So, when you see some of those people you mention, they are getting paid over and above the "free hunt."
Many of the shows with big budgets for trips and talent are shows owned by large manufacturers/businesses within the hunting world. Example - Primos, Realtree, Mathews, etc.
These companies need to do marketing and promo within the hunting world. They have two choices; either produce their own show and fill it full of their marketing message, or go and buy commercial slots, billboards, and product integration in other shows.
For most of them, it makes much more sense to have their own shows. They go and sell sponsorship to smaller companies or to their industry partners, to recoup their investment in the TV show. The hope is to break even. If they can break even and get that huge amount of marketing presence, that is a big plus. If they lose some money, they can still justify it as being a marketing investment that probably provides a higher return than if they spent the same dollars in other shows. If they make money at it, the guy in charge of their marketing department gets some big accolades for making the TV marketing a cash flow positive outcome.
In the process of doing that, those companies have to pay their talent. Many of them started out as camera guys, or some other employee, eventually finding themselves on camera. A few of them get to hunt full time and get paid for it. I think those are the guys you are referring to in your questions.
There are thousands of guys wanting to land one of those few positions. When I go to industry trade shows (not consumer trade shows), I see the booths of companies inundated with hunters who are providing their resumes, their sizzle reels, their pitch as to why they would be the best host the company could ever find. I shake my head and cringe, feeling sorry for the guy in charge of handling all of those suitors.
Reality is, most the guys doing it paid their dues. They ran cameras, set stands, carried gear, worked booths as unpaid promo-staff for years, whatever else the company wanted them to do. In exchange, they get a job where they travel away from their families for 6+ months per year. They have to go when/where they are told, hunt what/how they are told, hunt with whoever they are told to be with, and a host of other requirements that surely make it a job at that point. I know a few of them who have made it that way. They are good guys who know what a 100 hour week is like. They know what it means to work/film, no matter how good/miserable the weather, no matter how good/bad you feel that day, no matter how bad you want to be at your kids birthday/wife's anniversary, etc.
The job looks like hunting, but in reality, the job is about filming and telling a story. That is first and primary. If you cannot get something on film and do it in a way the audience finds worthwhile to watch, you are not doing your job and you will not have that job for very long. Those who understand that are around a long time. Those who think this is just a glorified hunting trip usually last less than a season.
Hope that helps.
1 not so mad 10 really mad
