From classics similar to Survivor for long-running series similar to Alone, we watched many TV shows from the broadly understood survival genre. Whether they lean more toward hardcore realism or entertainment values, there’s almost at all times something of value we will glean from the comfort of our couch—even when it’s just “I’ll never make the identical silly mistake that person did.” . The latest addition to the genre, Netflix Surviveincorporates a competitive group dynamic that resembles Lord of the Flies. The show’s tagline “the enemy will not be Mother Nature, it’s human nature” confirms this fact. We spoke to series executive producer Grant Kahler in regards to the intricacies of planning Survivekeeping players and crew secure and surviving within the wilds of Alaska.
If you do not already know this system, you may watch now on Netflix. Otherwise, read our exclusive Q&A with Kahler. And for many who have not finished the series, don’t be concerned, it doesn’t contain any spoilers.
Interview with Grant Kahler from Outlast
Sign up today and save!
Recoil Offgrid: Tell us a bit about yourself and the way you got into TV/film production.
Grant Kahler: Being in a TV production is just something I’ve at all times desired to do. After college, I moved to New York and my first job was as a TV producer on the TV show “Ed” for NBC. I’ve worked in every aspect of production, from directing to accounting, on projects starting from Bruckheimer movies to independent music videos, and eventually ended up in unscripted documentary and TV production.
What exactly does an executive producer do?
Great Britain: There is a big range of responsibilities an Executive Producer could be accountable for, from simply helping to create the show to being physically in the sphere and creating the show. My role on Survive there was a little bit of each. I created the format and supervised the production from creation to logistics.
How did you get into survival reality shows and what do you think that attracts viewers to this sort of show?
Great Britain: I used to be originally interested in most of these shows because I just loved the environment wherein we shot them. I loved being deep within the jungles of Southeast Asia or within the mountains of Alaska. I’ve lived in big cities most of my life, so having the ability to visit these distant places has at all times been a selected asset of this job for me. And I believe that is also a part of the reply to the opposite a part of the query – I believe that is partly why people like to observe these shows. It is in these beautiful places that we observe people bringing them back to the fundamentals of human survival. Our society and technology have evolved so incredibly fast that I believe it’s fun to see what life is like once we eliminate this stuff – each physically and socially.
And there’s at all times a matter that the viewer asks himself: “could I try this?”
From a logistical perspective, what obstacles do you face when submitting such a program?
Great Britain: I make these programs extremely difficult for me and my crew because location is at all times very necessary to me. These extremely distant locations often present huge logistical challenges. But ultimately I believe it’s value it. It makes the experience feel more real to the solid, which regularly translates right into a higher performance.
I might say that the largest logistical challenge is transport. I can not count how persistently we have needed to dig trucks out of ditches, race the tide to get to our destinations, wander along blurred roads, dig vehicles out of the snow, or haul stranded boats back into the water. We are inclined to shoot these shows in pretty extreme environments with little or no infrastructure, so you’ve to reinvent transportation each time to maneuver the crew and enable emergency access and evacuation.
Security Advisors and Experts
What off-plan or behind-the-scenes precautions can be found to participants?
Great Britain: For Survive we at all times had medics and bear guards on standby in case of an emergency. We needed to be always aware that, amongst other things, hypothermia or bear mutilation were very real possibilities. So we hired people to have the ability to handle these situations.
What form of support do you utilize in relation to real survival experts to conceptualize or guide the show through production?
Great Britain: I at all times herald experts to assist determine the main points of this system. For example, on this case, we hired a former SBS (British Special Forces) agent who has special training in Jungle Warfare, SERE and Combat Medicine, amongst other things. He is an authority in all the pieces to do with survival, from military experience to private interests, so I relied heavily on him to assist with logistics and a few creative decisions.
ON Survive we were lucky that there was a Native American village called Hoonah about 30 miles from our location. We hired them to assist with safety consultations, plant and animal questions, logistical support, and absolutely anything else you may imagine. We couldn’t have done it without the people of Hoonah.
What it takes to be a winner
What are you searching for in Survive player and the best way to find him?
Great Britain: It’s hard to reply since it’s never one specific thing. Some people can have a singular skill set, while others could have an interesting story. For such programs, the one real requirement is to have some kind of in depth outdoor experience. These are tough environments we put people in, so for the sake of safety, they no less than must know what they’ll get themselves into.
We often find the solid on online forums, on social media, and even at outdoor meetings. Often it’s word of mouth that finally ends up getting the app to the best people.
Based in your experience/remark, what are the characteristics of a successful athlete?
Great Britain: At the top of the day, whatever the format, a successful competitor could have amazing skills in all things outdoors. All psychological, sociological and strategic benefits disappear if one doesn’t have basic skills. Also, they need to be patient. People often don’t understand how difficult these programs could be. Patience could be EVERYTHING, something most individuals just do not have anymore.
