Case study
“The environment was very exciting for me; I was just a kid from New York and had never been to Alaska,” Aldrich stresses. “After two years, Panasonic stopped working with the race due to mounting calls from Peta. But I could see what they were trying to achieve with this idea of video on demand from a very remote place.” By this point, Aldrich was already embedded within the production team. It came as little surprise when they asked whether he would be hired outside of Panasonic. “I said sure. From that point, I was there to help them develop what has come to be a very robust streaming undertaking.” NUTS AND BOLTS There are two different production contingents for Iditarod’s broadcast: one which produces the live stream (Aldrich’s crew) and a documentary team, too. “The feature documentary crew go out on aeroplanes and snow machines – carrying kit to shoot clips that go up on demand. We then piggyback on that team’s logistics with our livestreaming cameras,” states Aldrich.
Dick Wilmarth, who took almost three weeks to cross the finish line. To put this into perspective, winners in the present-day event usually finish in under ten days. Operations surrounding the race have become increasingly sophisticated over recent years. It now possesses an international fan base, with a 24-hour dedicated streaming platform available to paying subscribers. Where do you even start when broadcasting such an event? A TOUCH OF EXPERTISE Art Aldrich is a partner of the consultancy Otek TV, and has ventured into the Alaskan tundra to cover the race for some time. “I’ve been in the business for almost 40 years,” he begins. “I’m only in my fifties, but knew very early on that I wanted to be in TV. I remember my high school got a TV studio in a box from Panasonic in my freshman year, and I always gravitated towards it.” Starting out as an editor, moving to camera work – followed by a
DOP role – Aldrich now produces and runs Otek TV. His background comprises the components needed to pull off a live stream of this calibre. He got involved at the right time, too. Although the sled dog race commenced in the sixties, technology didn’t catch up until its first availability on demand in 2006. “Panasonic had just released the P2 camera, but they were shooting Iditarod on videotape at the time. The cold weather conditions would sometimes make the tape stick to the heads of the decks – it just didn’t work,” Aldrich continues. “When the P2s were released, they reached out to us and asked whether Panasonic would be interested in a collaborative project, to test the durability and workflow of the cameras.” He explains how the company agreed, sending ten consultants to Alaska for four weeks to show producers how to use the camera.
LONG SHOT Livestreaming the Iditarod requires hardy tech (above) – helped by the implementation of the Multidyne Silverbullet (right)
SWITCHED ON Iditarod may be viewed 24/7 thanks to the impressive efforts of Aldrich and his crew
Making history Self-proclaimed history buff Dorothy Page was informally known as the ‘Mother of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race’. She allegedly contributed to the founding of it, in a combined effort with the
Phillip-Knik Centennial Committee, to ‘wake Alaskans up’ to what mushers and their dogs had done for the area.
TRUE NORTH After growing up in the Midwest, Dorothy Page (above) moved to Alaska in 1960. She became involved in public service for Wasilla, ultimately serving as mayor
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2022 FEED:XTREME 41
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