The Vision – (A deeper look at we’re trying to do and why)
Here’s some info on what type of show we are trying to create. I guess you could call it reality based sport or adventure. It’s a little bit of Deadliest Catch, with a touch of Bass Masters and maybe a hint of Survivor. Hell, you could ramble off a bunch of shows that you could liken it to. We want it to be fast paced and character based. We want it to be enjoyable to watch not just for Big Lake Salmon Anglers but for all types of anglers and perhaps even fans of any type of outdoor activity.
This brings me to the team selection. As I write this I’m two months away from the start of the season and I’ve already been asked a number of times, “How’d you come up with your list of teams?” It’s a good question. Most folks were just curious but I think some may have been offended that they were not approached. So, if I did offend you in any way I apologize. However, my selection process was no secret and I stand by it proudly to this day. Season One of 333 TV was pretty cool. Some parts were even very cool. Regardless, the truth is that we have to make Season Two even better. Pretty cool isn’t going to cut it. We need to shoot for awesome. In the pursuit of “awesome” a strong cast is vital. In fact it may well be the single most important aspect of the show. I met with the production crew and the camera guys and we all agreed that the single most important aspect of potential Season II Cast Members was….(drum roll please) …..attitude.
That’s right. Attitude. Not skill level. Not Pro/Am Status. Not size of boat or won/loss record. Attitude. That’s it. Remember, we’re shooting for “awesome” because “pretty cool” is not going to cut it. That means we need a cast that thinks its “awesome” to be involved in this show. “Pretty cool” to be involved just doesn’t cut it. The vast majority of the teams that are involved in season 2 approached me. Some approached me last season before we were even done with season 1. It was that excitement and that positive attitude that I used to make my selections. I believe we have a great cast, and because of that I believe we will have a great show. Nay…an AWESOME show.
At the end of the day (or the season…) it will take an awesome show to have a lasting effect on our Tournament Trail. Long term goals include increased trail-wide sponsorships, better payouts, bigger audiences for bigger events, nationwide top level network coverage of our events and yours truly, Scotty Mac, eventually replacing Jeff Probst on Survivor. See….Awesome! While I can’t promise any of that at this time, I will promise that my main priority for 2011 will be to make the best show I possibly can.
The most important lesson I learned from Season One was that the lack of a collective vision for the final product makes it virtually impossible to achieve “awesomeness”…. That is our goal for 2011. Season II will be constructed using my vision. It’s kind of like a recipe. You can watch any number of similar shows to figure out the recipe. I just had to select the proper ingredients (aka cast). All season long we’ll be mixing them together and preparing them to be added to the final dish. When the season is over we’ll cook them using a video editor instead of an oven and then shortly thereafter, we’ll serve them up for you to enjoy. I’m hoping they’ll be juicy and delicious and not dry and overcooked…. I’m open to suggestions and constructive criticism, but remember, these are my ingredients and this is my kitchen. If the food turns out good you’ll probably want to come back for more. If its not so hot, you’ll probably want to go eat somewhere else….
Just try to keep in mind that we are still pretty early on in what will hopefully be a very long journey. Your vision for the perfect way to showcase our Tournament Trail on TV may differ from mine, and that’s ok. The reality is that in 10 years from now, my vision for 2011 will likely be a distant memory. It will surely change, grow and adapt every year. Hopefully we’ll eventually stumble on that perfect recipe and find ourselves with an awesome show that we all love. It all has to start with a single vision. In my opinion, just having that vision and following it through to its completion is far more important than the details of the vision itself.
