Film, Follow the Action
HDTV Producers
By Chris Brunson
To get the story on film it was necessary to follow the race through the desert. Jim Astrausky and Dan Carey, producers of HDTV programming, had at their disposal two jets and a helicopter.
Essex Television partners Jim Astrausky and Dan Carey have found their niche as national producers of HDTV (high-definition television) programming. In addition to their work for the Discovery Channel, they were chosen as program producers for HDNet, the nation’s first television network specializing in all high-definition programming.
HDNet was founded by multibillionaire and Internet guru Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks among other things, who started HDNet after purchasing his own state-of-the-art home entertainment system and realizing he couldn’t find enough hi-def programming. His solution was a simple one; he started his own network.
Essex Television Group Inc. is a producer of award-winning documentary programming for broadcast, corporate television, home video and museum display. The company, based in Old Lyme, Connecticut, is owned and managed by filmmakers Jim Astrausky and Dan Carey. As a leader in high-definition production, Essex Television has numerous high-definition documentary series and specials in production around the country.
Essex Television followed an entire race course to document The Terrible Herbst Racing Team’s pursuit of victory in the Tecata Score Baja 1000 Desert Race, one the most dangerous races in the world. Owners of a Las Vegas gambling empire, the Herbst family spared no expense; they spent countless dollars on their race trucks and team; a Citation jet circled the race for 24 hours to coordinate radio contact between driver and crew; a helicopter flew overhead in case of an emergency; and a team of medical personnel were on standby in case the worst happened. It was necessary to drop 55-gallon fuel drums for the helicopter.
“We had to land and literally hand pump the fuel; logistically it was a nightmare. One time we landed and some local had stolen the fuel. ”
Was it worth it?
“No one came to me and said ‘let’s do the Baja film.’ I am sort of a car freak,” said Astrausky. “So I pitched the idea to Discovery Channel, a one-line idea and they said ‘how much?’”
The resulting program, When the Dust Settles.
“Baja is a remote and hostile environment. There are no services available; the only access to the outside world was a handheld satellite phone,” said Astrausky, who has 20-plus years’ experience in telling visual stories. While he admits to studying jazz piano in college, his passion is journalism, and he has worked for Frontline, World Report, and other major news platforms.
“Television is my passion,” he said. “We get everyone in the company to constantly think of ideas to pitch to outlets, including Discovery, H-D Theater and HD Net. We do have programming for National Geographic. Some projects we make, then sell on the market. Basically, we turn ideas into cash. The bottom line is who’s going to pay for it? Then the three basics are: Access, personality, and what I call ‘rabbits out of a hat.’ The latter is what we find while working; they are the surprises, the something that adds interest for the audience.”
Rabbits and Hats
How does he find the “rabbit”? “Keep asking questions,” he says.
Regarding access for a story, which can be crucial - for the Baja saga the company had complete access to the race, with two corporate jets and a corporate helicopter. The personality factor speaks for itself a story has to have that vital spark.
Born and raised in Guilford, Astrausky moved on to work for national networks. “One day while working for Frontline, and I was in Boston at the time, and said to my wife let’s move to Essex,” he said. “So we did.”
His airport of choice is Bradley International, although he admits to flying out of New York sometimes, “But I hate it.” So why settle in Essex, Connecticut? “
I’ve traveled literally all over the world,” he said. “Essex is just a beautiful town.”
Resources:
Essex Television Group Inc. offers a number of services including corporate television, high-definition production facilities, and exhibit design. The company also produces original programming for The Discovery Channel, Discovery HD Theatre, HDNET, and PBS. Xplore Productions is a sister affiliate creative services company specializing in strategic planning, project management, exhibit design/production/installation services and on-site managed technical and exhibit support. For more, see www.essextelevision.com
For details about high-definition programming and the first all-high definition national television network, see www.hd.net for a complete listing of programs available along with corporate-level contacts. HDNet Dallas is located at 2909 Taylor St., Dallas, TX 75226; call (214) 651-1446; (888) 919-HDTV. Denver office, (303) 542-5600
For more about the Discovery company’s full array of products and services (seen in more than 160 countries and 35 languages), contact the company at One Discovery Place Silver Spring, MD 20910; (240) 662-2000. New York office is at 850 Third Ave., New York, NY 10022-7225; ( 212) 548-5555; For a listing of all regional and international office locations, visit www.discovery.com.
