Scylla Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 Well said, I too come from a hunting family and have hunted in the past and fished, but it has always been to feed my family. The hunting was done on family or friend land and NO ONE ever took more than they could use or need. I still enjoy fishing when I can get someone to go and help me and what ever is caught is either let go or cleaned for our yearly family fish fry. I was raised that if you don't need it then leave it for the next person. Fossils too... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paleoworld-101 Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 I couldn't help laughing at this, but yes, it is quite horrible... "In Africa, one can't help becoming caught up in the spine-chilling excitement of the hunt. Perhaps, it has something to do with a memory of a time gone by, when we were the prey, and our nights were filled with darkness..." -Eternal Enemies: Lions And Hyenas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herb Posted August 7, 2012 Share Posted August 7, 2012 I hate REALITY tv. There is very little reality involved in the shows, except the warped view from a Hollywood viewpoint. If it would sell commercials we'd have a show about beating baby harp seals to death with ball bats for money. (but the sad reality is there would be people who would watch it) "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence"_ Carl Sagen No trees were killed in this posting......however, many innocent electrons were diverted from where they originally intended to go. " I think, therefore I collect fossils." _ Me "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."__S. Holmes "can't we all just get along?" Jack Nicholson from Mars Attacks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KansasFossilHunter Posted April 27, 2013 Share Posted April 27, 2013 I saw this guy today! At our local show today, I heard him talking to another guy and he's still going for this show idea. His video makes me sick... Such greed, no regard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grampa dino Posted April 27, 2013 Share Posted April 27, 2013 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ash Posted April 27, 2013 Share Posted April 27, 2013 Did he have the meg necklace? Was he selling, what did he have etc? Going by what you heard he's certainly only about money and not anything else they said here? "Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe" - Saint Augustine"Those who can not see past their own nose deserve our pity more than anything else." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KansasFossilHunter Posted April 28, 2013 Share Posted April 28, 2013 He had some of his "team members" there, but not the one with the meg around his neck. He said to someone else- yeah, you might see me on TV someday! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichW9090 Posted April 28, 2013 Share Posted April 28, 2013 I suspect this is just some low-life loser trying to make it big on TV. While some of the reality shows are a bit stretched, most of them are not that bad. Two in particular I enjoy are Pawn Stars, and American Pickers. While in both case the commercial nature of the operation is the focal point of the show, Americn Pickers, for example, shows two guys who have a real love for the objects they find. They also are not plundering archeological sites to rip the objects out of context and then sell them. In Pawn Stars, they pull in actual experts to give opinions - and they have at least two who will not put a value on anything they identify, and the show accomodates that. The plural of "anecdote" is not "evidence". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creto Posted April 28, 2013 Share Posted April 28, 2013 Absolutely infuriating!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donbrunning Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 Yeah... this... was NOT us! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 Yeah... this... was NOT us! As you can see, TFF members can be pretty vocal about anything that casts our avocation in a bad light! Your show is A-OK "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJ Plai Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 (edited) My sentiments towards the concept of the pilot of the show is no different than most people here, so I won't get into why it's a disastrous idea from a collector or a paleontological (commercial & academic) perspectives, but I will look at it from an entertainment and TV perspective - an industry which I am actively participating in my daily work, so I guess I can offer some perspective that hopefully could be useful for whoever may try to do a show based on this concept. Contrary to what many may believe, I actually think that to use the monetary value aspect for such a show isn't actually going to help make the show more interesting from a network's perspective, nor will it give the show a strong and sustainable hook in which to draw audience. For a start, the gimmick of monetary values on collectibles and rare objects in reality shows have been done to death, and a new fossil show that jump on this band wagon will hardly be unique; and I believe you will run out of angles to play in the show pretty quickly because fossils aren’t like antiques, memorabilia or other collectibles in other shows that the show producer have so much variety of objects and stories of provenance behind the objects to play new angle on in every new episode to make it offer viewer something wow-worthy in every new episode. Therefore, a show focussing on fossils will be greatly handicapped if you are trying to focus on similar aspect as in the other shows. From my perspective, the key success factors of reality show aren't in the content topic nor the gimmick, but the key success lies in a show having "Extraordinary Characters" doing "Extraordinary Activities" or interacting with "Extraordinary Objects" with interesting story-telling that is easy to follow. With most successful objects-focussed reality show I have been watching over the years, I have noticed that when you really analyze their shows, the monetary value isn’t really the real focus or the real hook, but merely a story-telling tool that help to reinforce and making the objects featured in the show seem extraordinary in a tangible way, i.e. put a dollar sign on it and most audience who are unfamiliar with the object can grasp its extraordinariness instantly and easily; like in the case with shows like The Pickers and Pawn Stars. Alternatively, the monetary value aspect would normally be used as a competitive or comparison mechanic in which to resolve conflicts within each episode - like in the case with Storage Wars where each auctioneers compete who will get the most money, but if you really watch and “feel” the show, the “getting rich” vibe is once again, really not the primary focus; the fun is really in the dramatic conflicts between the colorful and memorable auctioneers - you wait to see if Jared will upset his wife by getting carried away in the bidding war (again..) or whether if Barry’s collector>businessman mindset will pay off for him this time (or screw him over again…), or how the 5 auctioneers will psychologically manipulate, strategize their bidding tactics or bluff and take a jab at one another that will make for interesting and fun dialogues and stories that will unfold in each episode. The monetary values of objects in the show is simply just a “resolution mechanic” in which each episode needs to have some form of conclusion to see who wins according to the “format” of the competition, but in the end, the viewers pick the true winner of each episode not by how much they make, but who actually has the most memorable experience on-screen or in some episodes, it came down to who has the last laugh or rather, give the audience the last laugh - and I think it's no surprise that characters like Chum Lee and The Old Man from Pawn Stars or Barry from Storage Wars seem to be the most memorable characters, because they fill this role quite well. What I am trying to get at is that, when you watch these shows, you watch the people, their stories, their dramas, their conflicts and how it resolves. In Pawn Stars people watch the show because they want to know what the Pawnshop guys will do, what kind of surprises Chum Lee would do or say that will make you laugh, what dead-serious-but-ultimately-funny things the Old Man would say in the show or how Rick and Corey would argue with one another and who will come out on top, just to name a few “dramatic hooks”. Granted, the objects in each episode are also key “highlights” but they are never the “heart” of the show because objects in each episode doesn’t have a continuing story-line whereas the story and chemistry of the Pawn Shop dysfunctional family is really the true draw of the show. The objects and “getting rich” aspects really are just story-telling tools and gimmicks to differentiate each episode’s themes and flavors. Overall, I feel that naturally-found fossils just don’t seem to have enough variety in terms of prices to make it work as a key focus for a tv show that hopes to be successful in the long run. They just aren’t like antiques and collectibles which prices and stories can vary so much that you will hardly run-out of variations to play in episodes. Once you find a Xiphactinus head in one episode and determine it’s monetary value, you are unlikely to be able to play many more angles to try to “wow” audience on the same type of fossil. The next Xiphactinus you find in the show will not be as “interesting” as the first one because although each specimens are unique, they are still pretty much “the same” from an entertainment perspective because they won’t look much different than the last one and there’s no story to it other than how it’s found. I don’t believe you are going to be able to wow the viewers too many times with the $$ as an extraordinary gimmick concept that you use in every episode before they quickly get bored and are no longer surprised by the new finds’ monetary values. Aspects I feel have potential for a fossil-themed reality show, however are: Adventure: fossil hunting can be dangerous and very adventurous so I think that could potentially sell well, plus you could add in (or engineer) the occasional larger-than-life encounters, obstacles or wacky situations to make for a good reality TV material for the network if they want something more spicy. Passion & Fascination by collectors, hunters and curators - visits to private collections, man-caves, cool shops, museums or paleontological labs has the potential to be the "extraordinary hook" whereby the viewers are transported to the world of these enthusiasts. Perhaps, each episode could be based on a "mission concept" that would require the host(s) to do something with these destinations or the people behind the places - rescuing fossil for a local museum, convincing a private collector to let go of a specimen for good cause, or help manage the collection of an institution, etc. Plus, as an added bonus - some sense of humor in the story or characters will help greatly. Every successful reality/documentary I have seen always have elements of sense of humor within the main characters or recurring supporting characters that make their chemistry worth following from one episode to the next. In the end, it will come down to the main characters, their stories, their gimmicks and their conflicts. In my line of work, I have had several opportunities to meet with the people from documentaries and reality TV companies like Discovery, A&E and TLC just to name a few among others; and from what I have gathered they are looking for good characters doing extraordinary things with story told in an interesting and engaging way. You can have the most boring niche subject or topic in the world, but these networks will probably show interest if you can show them you have great characters and story-telling taking on these subjects. That's my 2 cents, and hope to see a decent fossil show in the near future. Edited March 16, 2015 by AJ Plai 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 Great post, AJ. The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true. - JJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 I always find it fascinating when Forum members out their avocational expertise and give of their experience at the right spot, which you have just done here, AJ. Thanks for the insight from your reality perspective. Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John K Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 I hate Tee Vee. I haven't watched since digital conversion: it wasn't worth the time, money or effort. you can put marketing spin on a dead cat and make it appealing. What little snippets I've seen of "Reality" TV looks to be dreadful pap, no matter the topic du jour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 Personally, I am put off by all expressions of greed and avarice. When they are presented, for the sake of manufactured drama as laudable, I have no more interest in the "story". "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donbrunning Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 Wow... I had researched the idea of a fossil hunting show (again) a year or 2 back as I was considering producing "FOSSIL HUNTERS" (c. 2014). For those of you who are unfamiliar with it, it is the newly televised science-based reality series from Central Florida.I had never heard of TFF until I met Admin. Cris and member Kyle on location as I was producing a creek segment with our cast and a local fossil club. I immediately gave them screen time after seeing and hearing about their extensive collecting and knowledge-base. Had I the chance to read this topic entirely back then, it would have been a blessing (I've only just finished reading it completely now).I too had seen the promo. for "The Fossil Hunter" 2 years ago and was disheartened for all the same reasons all of you have been. I was afraid that "it" was the direction reality TV was taking... and what a shame if fossil hunters were represented as their promo. implied. I don't know if TFF is aware of it but the same crew has started another show featuring the same players and a "bone-drone". The show is called "Natural Born Diggers"... and I'm afraid not much has changed in their pitch. I'm wondering if the drone is being used responsibly with land owner permission or if it's being used to circumvent said land owners and spy on others digs from above...I'm not here to throw stones, and I don't know... I just want to make it clear to forum members that FOSSIL HUNTERS (http://fossilhunterstvshow.com and http://facebook.com/fossilhunterstvshow) is in no way affiliated with the defunked "The Fossil Hunter" or the newer "Natural Born Diggers". We are science-based and currently already televised on WDSC (Central Florida) and under consideration by other PBS affiliates around the state including WUSF in Tampa, FL and WLRN in Miami, FL. We'll keep you posted on our progress as our show contains many of the helpful suggestions (unbeknownst to me) that TFF members had made quite awhile back concerning this topic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 ...I guess drones are "trending"...what an exploitative mindset. We're not looking for the newest hottest ripped-from-the-headlines fad; we like our stuff old! "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donbrunning Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 ...I guess drones are "trending"...what an exploitative mindset. We're not looking for the newest hottest ripped-from-the-headlines fad; we like our stuff old! Amen brother. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptychodus04 Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 I just found this thread and promptly threw up in my mouth... I do like the line from the creepy guy "I collect fossils with the hope of striking it rich... and making money." How are the two not the same thing? I'm all for free enterprise but this is a joke! Are we so pathetic as a society that our time is best spent watching a show about an idiot and his Flavor Flav wanna be sidekick? I think I'm going to start a charity fund to support all the abused fossils I saw in the video. Regards, Kris Global Paleo Services, LLC https://globalpaleoservices.com http://instagram.com/globalpaleoservices http://instagram.com/kris.howe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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