View Full Version : The ultimate AT video is yet to be made!
Although, the music in "Walking with Freedom" was wonderful.
The videos sometimes focus a little too much on town stuff even though that is for many folks a big part of their "social" hikes.
The ultimate AT video would be 2+ hours long. 90 minutes just wets the appetite.
Anybody have any thoughts on what has been overlooked in the crop of AT videos out there.
What was the weight of Lion King's video/audio equipment he carried?
sliderule
12-18-2005, 14:26
The ultimate AT video would be 2+ hours long. 90 minutes just wets the appetite.
Yes, the last thing anyone needs is a "wet" appetite!!! That's almost as bad as wet socks.
Tha Wookie
12-18-2005, 15:03
Although, the music in "Walking with Freedom" was wonderful.
The videos sometimes focus a little too much on town stuff even though that is for many folks a big part of their "social" hikes.
The ultimate AT video would be 2+ hours long. 90 minutes just wets the appetite.
Anybody have any thoughts on what has been overlooked in the crop of AT videos out there.
What was the weight of Lion King's video/audio equipment he carried?
I agree that there is a lot of town stuff in the videos out there... but it really is a major part of the experience.
Have you thru'd the AT? 'i ask because I would be surprised to see all the town stuff, when I expected to see all trail, if I hadn't done it.
Also, i think it is a lot easier to shoot video in town. But Lion King definately spent a lot of time shooting wildlife -in AND out of town!
Did you see the part where the frog gets the fly? amazing!
Yes, I did note that frog tongue flicking that fly!!
It seems like the videos either show panoramas from the peaks of the well-known mountains or the town stops, but don't quite capture the struggles in between.
Having had both walked the AT from Georga to Main and seen Lion Kings vidio I do agree that it did contain too much of the off the trail culture. To me it should have contained a little more of the beauty of the trail.
I thought the vidio was well made and know that Lion King put his heart and soul into making it. If you viewed it as someone who was not familiar with thru-hiking you would have gotten the impression that a thru-hike was just one big party. I think a lot of tough hard hiking, that makes up a thru, was left out.
Big Dawg
12-18-2005, 16:02
I'm getting TREK for Christmas,,, how does it campare? I've been told it's one of the best AT videos.
Videos are somewhat like books. We all have different experiences while hiking the trail. And each book and each video is different because it reflects our impressions of what we encountered. Many videos are good. Many books are good. Ask a handful of people which is best, and you will get several answers.
PartnerShip
12-18-2005, 20:06
We loved Trek. Watch it a lot to get used to the idea of doing the AT
Also I believe some of the guys are from our area here in WNC
ALso love North to Katahdin such a beautiful and well made video
I think overall:
Walking with Freedom > Trek > 5 Million Steps
but each movie has its very good points.
The ultimate AT video isn't a video at all. It's the moments while you're living them, plus the memories that come flooding back after the hike is completed. One drawback of a video is that it only engages two of your senses. The actual hike is sensory in the extreme, five senses and more.
I haven't seen all the AT videos, but the ones I have seen (including the one I produced) all have strengths and weaknesses. But a film, even an inspirational film, is inevitably much less than the actual experience.
Tha Wookie
12-19-2005, 09:21
The ultimate AT video isn't a video at all. It's the moments while you're living them, plus the memories that come flooding back after the hike is completed. One drawback of a video is that it only engages two of your senses. The actual hike is sensory in the extreme, five senses and more.
I haven't seen all the AT videos, but the ones I have seen (including the one I produced) all have strengths and weaknesses. But a film, even an inspirational film, is inevitably much less than the actual experience.
Yes, but you can bring some leaves in your house, tie some dirty socks around your neck, and jam some Laurel up your nose when you watch the movie. Do it all on a Stairmaster.
Hey, you gotta keep busy in the winter, you know?
RockyTrail
12-19-2005, 11:35
Yes, the last thing anyone needs is a "wet" appetite!!! That's almost as bad as wet socks.
Well, what do you expect, he IS a lobster, ya know!:) :D
Almost There
12-19-2005, 12:27
I still recommend Appalchian Impressions. It's about two hours long and it divides the trail into states on the DVD. It has been shown on PBS a couple of times down here in Georgia. After that I recommend Trek, and then for me Walking with Freedom, it just seemed like it was missing "something". Anyways, to each his own.
Although, the music in "Walking with Freedom" was wonderful. The videos sometimes focus a little too much on town stuff even though that is for many folks a big part of their "social" hikes.
The ultimate AT video would be 2+ hours long. 90 minutes just wets the appetite.
Anybody have any thoughts on what has been overlooked in the crop of AT videos out there.
What was the weight of Lion King's video/audio equipment he carried?
Lobster: the people, the "trail life" (in towns or in the shelters or tents) is the hiker's social life for 6 months.
WHY shouldnt it be in the video????
...otherwise you have a DISCOVERY CHANNEL SPECIAL (or NAT'L GEOGRAPHIC).
i think LION KING carried one of those ultra-light palm, mini-DV cams.
springerfever
12-19-2005, 12:55
I saw the two part Appalachian Impressions this last weekend on PBS.I thought it was very well done and I enjoyed it, along with my 12 year old daughter. She knows that I am totally obsessed with the AT ( I have maybe fifty books related to the AT and hiking in general, as well as two posters of the AT and a framed aerial shot of Katahdin in my office).
Funny thing was, I didn't even know it was coming on; just ran across it channel surfing Saturday evening. She was asking questions throughout the movie and I take that as a positive. I thought it was well-balanced and gave a realistic portrayal of the trail.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's "whet" the appetite!
I watched both "Trek" and "Walking with Freedom" again last night. WWF is far better in my opinion.
And it does show a lot of the tough stuff between the towns and the tops of the mountains. It showed the dreariness of hiking in lots of rainy weather. Lion King's emotion was also refreshing.
It did spend lots of time in Maine which was great, but quickly covered the Katahdin climb. A little bit of anticipation of the climb on the night before might have been nice.
It went quickly from Hawk Mountain Shelter to Neels Gap to Fontana Dam. I thought that was too fast. A little contrast between hikers starting out and finishing might have been better.
There were some really funny parts in the video. The woman with those fake teeth saying that fire was the only difference between animal and man was funny. Also, the part on Greylock about Moby Dick and literary history was funny.
And the music was just great.
The hikers at Trail Days must have been amazed when they first saw this video.
has the line:
"tell me a story so I can take my mind off my mind". It's near the beginning.
Who sings it?
A good line from WWF was:
"A good day was being uncomfortable and a bad day was pain".
So true. Hiking everyday in all types of weather can be physically demanding and is definitely mentally demanding.
Lion King
12-19-2005, 13:52
has the line:
"tell me a story so I can take my mind off my mind". It's near the beginning.
Who sings it?
ANOTHER RAINEY DAY---I dont have the CD with me, but I will look at the credits, or if since you have it now, you can check the credits...I want to say John Smith...seriously.
As far as the camera and weight...my pack weighed between 50-62 pounds the whole way. My camera is a Canon GL2 semi pro digital, with charger, two batteires, recharging wires, extra tapes, about 1-15 pounds extra in my pack. Its large enough I promise.
And thanks for the positive feedback here, I appreciate it.
Yeah, every persons journey out there will not have town stuff as much, but the majority of peoples do, and I wanted to capture the small moments that make each person individual journey Universal.
Lion King
12-19-2005, 13:53
10-15 that is...1 pound..HA!
Pennsylvania Rose
12-19-2005, 14:07
Is there a comprehensive list anywhere of all the films about the AT? Also, has anyone discovered where to rent/borrow any of them? My library doesn't have any, and can't get them through interlibrary loan. I'd like to see them all, but sure can't afford to buy them.
RockyTrail
12-19-2005, 14:24
I love that part where LK got the little kids to say "Hikers Rock!" -that was great!:)
And that song "Appalachian Childhood Dreams" played during the NY section by Zoe Speaks is absolutely beautiful. The music's connection to the bears in this scene was not lost on this viewer.
Spirit Walker
12-19-2005, 16:27
One of my favorite AT videos was part of the old PBS series "Trailside" that Backpacker put out about 8 years ago. There was a two parter in which several hikers were given cameras that they could use as they chose to chronicle their journeys. It was pretty good - and since we knew one of the hikers, it had special interest.
Ouch! Nothing lighter out there?
Pennsylvania Rose
12-20-2005, 12:10
And that song "Appalachian Childhood Dreams" played during the NY section by Zoe Speaks is absolutely beautiful. The music's connection to the bears in this scene was not lost on this viewer.
Now I have to see this video. Zoe Speaks is from my neck of the woods.
Tha Wookie
12-20-2005, 12:47
Zoe Speaks is from my neck of the woods.
They are great. I met them at Merlefest. Got their "Birds fly South" album, signed. It's a great one!
I like how it's a couple. Very inspiring to Island Mama and I.