An impromptu interview with Glen Piegari

TREW: When did you shoot the Alaska Experiment?

GP: “Out of the Wild: The Alaska Experiment” began shooting mid-September and wrapped mid October, 2008. It was the perfect time of year as we saw lush alpine tundra and forest turn into a stark, harsh landscape covered by heavy snow. This visual was a very strong “cast” member.

TREW: Was this your first “extreme” condition reality shoot?

GP: The crew was hand-picked not only for their production resume, but their outdoor experience. Most were veterans of shows such as “Amazing Race” and “Survivor”. Jon and I had been in Alaska the previous summer shooting Indus Films “Expedition Alaska” and had also worked together in remote parts of northern Uganda.

TREW: What was your biggest challenge?

GP: The biggest challenge for production was logistics. Crew rotations and resupply was entirely dependent on Helicopter transport. In a place where harsh weather can come in fast and hard, you had to have contingencies. This meant there was always a 24 hour crew with the cast.
This became the personal challenge: You always had to have extra gear with you. Not just batteries and some extra cable, but extra cloths and foul weather gear. It made for a heavy pack.

TREW: How did your gear hold up?

GP: The sound gear held up very well. We were using the MKH-70 for boom into Sound Devices mixers (Mix Pre, 302, and 442), and Lectrosonics for the camera hops and producer IFB. We recorded onto the 744t. This is all stuff that has always held up well in harsh conditions.
With a little care and a few tricks to protect from weather, I felt confident each of the
sound recordists would still be recording great sound long after the last camera had failed…The HDX-900 cameras held up very well. I think the biggest problem for camera was condensation going interior/exterior.

TREW: How did you hold up?

No wear and tear a few drinks down in Talkeetna couldn’t fix.

TREW: Does Jon Andrews ever stop smiling?

You NEVER want to get in between Jon and his morning tea…
Like most of us, if he likes the sound he is getting, Jon is usually pretty happy.