Filming for a one-hour video based on this book was completed in just over two days.

  In  two and a fraction days Levi Hudson, a Okalahoma videographer, and I shot film and sound for an hour-long video based on my book, Backyard Deer Hunting: Converting deer to dinner for pennies per pound.  The video will be sold commercially and extracted for TV.

  Filming  consisted of 13 scenes shot at  5 locations, 2 cooking segments and required  over 100 props. We were fortunate in that the weather cooperated, a nearby logging operation stopped cutting for the weekend and we even found a  road-killed deer for a segment of the video.

  Factors that helped speed up the project was that the videographer slept in the author’s house, the cooking segments provided meals and all of the location shots were within 8-miles. The majority of the filming was done in the house, yard and nearby property.  The author’s dogs made guest appearances and accepted boiled deer bones for their  pay.  

  The writer contributed a well-organized book that allowed him to easily decide which elements would be featured in the video, what sequence, what still photos could be used, likely shooting locations, the general theme and the  “look” of the final product. Much of this information was documented  in the 31-page shooting script. 

  The videographer contributed state-of-the-art equipment, experiences from shooting films starting at about age 16, knowledge of film craft, sound recording, editing, mixing and a strong desire to make his largest-to-date  movie project represent his best efforts.

  Both had sufficient knowledge of the other’s fields to co-direct the production, quickly make decisions about costume, lighting and sound, agree on composition of the shots and what would be covered.

  The 40-year age differences between the two participants was a positive contribution to the project with both giving important insights to the other.

  Problems with traffic noise and stumbling over lines caused some reshootings, but many times the dialogue was well delivered and no second shots were needed.

   The video should be available by Summer, 2010. Check the author’s website www.hoveysmith.com for availability. The video will also be announced on the author’s Facebook and Twitter sites.