FLWOutdoors.com catches up with the FLW Tour’s newest television production team
With 27 new programs and nine live tournament telecasts, FLW Outdoors is primed to take the FLW Tour to historic levels in 2002. With PAX TV airing regular FLW Tour broadcasts into 84 million households throughout the United States, coverage – which includes live tournament feeds, magazine-style feature stories, guest appearances by fishing legends, angler profiles and news from around the fishing world – will be as comprehensive as it has ever been.
However, while much has been written about the newest members of the television program, such as on-air personalities Carlton Wing and FLW Outdoors spokesman and former Minnesota Vikings coach Dennis Green, less is known about the Dempsey Film Group – the organization entrusted with pulling the whole television operation together. In an effort to get a pulse on the latest from the FLW Tour’s newest production company, FLWOutdoors.com contacted Demp Dempsey, founder and president of the Demsey Film Group (DFG). The following are excerpts from that interview.
Q-and-A with the Dempsey Film Group
FLWOutdoors.com: How long has Dempsey Film Group been in existence? What city is your organization currently located in?
Dempsey: Personally, I have been producing, directing, and editing television programs and commercials for over 30 years. And it was that experience that allowed me to open the doors to my latest venture, the Dempsey Film Group, some 10 years ago. Nowadays, if you turn on a TV set in the mid-South, you’re likely to see something that we had a hand in.
FLWOutdoors.com: What are some of the major projects Dempsey Film Group has taken part of since its formation?
Dempsey: Gosh, it’s hard to pick. DFG has completed projects for many notable and nationally recognized clients such as Alltel, Acxiom, BF Goodrich, Entergy, KFC, Ranger Boats, Rawlings, SunCom, TCBY, Terminix and more. One of our more memorable experiences was a project we did for Entergy (an energy provider). The commercial called for a massive thunderstorm. To create the storm we used the same effects team that worked on the movie Titanic. It required a crew of 50 and special rain equipment brought in from Hollywood. … Oh, and lots of water!
FLWOutdoors.com: Can you provide a brief description of the members of Dempsey Film Group including job titles and functions?
Dempsey: We maintain a staff of nearly 30 people, all highly talented professionals and each is a very special person as well. I can’t name them all here, but among them you’ll find directors (the creative minds), producers (the glue), crews (the guys that make it happen), animators (artists on computers), audio mixers (they hear everything!), editors (the folks that put it all together) and on-air hosts (the pretty faces, ha!).
FLWOutdoors.com: Who will be the on-air personalities?
Dempsey: Carlton Wing and Taylor Carr are the new faces you’ll be seeing on PAX in 2002. We recruited both Carlton and Taylor from the television sportscasting world. Both are nuts about any and all sports. In fact, when they’re not out reporting on the FLW Tour they can usually be found playing full-contact football in our parking lot.
FLWOutdoors.com: What are some of the group’s qualifications / background?
Dempsey: DFG’s biggest single qualification is experience. In a typical year we produce 400 commercials, 4- long-form videos, 25 interactive projects, 80,000 dubs, 50 radio spots, and numerous miscellaneous projects. Our past record includes 126 30-minute programs for ESPN Outdoors, 24 30-minute programs for Stihl Timbersports, over 40 one-hour television network programs for the U.S. Hot Rod Association as well as serving in a production capacity for numerous golf tournaments, football, basketball, baseball, racquetball and concert events.
FLWOutdoors.com: What is the most challenging aspect of becoming involved in the FLW Tour?
Dempsey: Time. We are developing a whole new division at DFG just for this project. Our investment is huge, but our plan is to produce quality work that grabs attention and leads to more projects. The FLW Outdoors program is a major project with great potential.
FLWOutdoors.com: How different is producing live television from pre-taped programming?
Dempsey: The timing and pace of the program is critical. We want to build both suspense and drama. We do this by pacing the weigh-in so that the last fish is weighed in the final minutes of the program. This will be tricky. Also, “live” television means ANYTHING can happen. … There are no second takes! When you produce to tape, you can edit and re-edit. If it’s live, it’s a done deal. I like that. Pressure puts me at the top of my game.
FLWOutdoors.com: As you know, the FLW Tour is in the process of switching networks from ESPN to PAX. What is it like working with PAX and what kind of support have they lent to the promotion/production of the program?
Dempsey: PAX is a perfect fit for the FLW Tour philosophy. Their commitment to family values and enthusiasm matches that of Irwin Jacobs, Wal-Mart and the Dempsey Film Group. They’ve offered extensive promotion of the show, which they are excited to air.
FLWOutdoors.com: What are some of the new features that our viewers will be able to see as part of this year’s FLW Tour telecast?
Dempsey: We will offer more in-depth introductions to the top anglers on the tour so the fans at home can really get to know the personalities that make the FLW Tour so much fun. We also want all of our viewers to walk away from the program with a little more knowledge about this sport. From the budding tournament fisherman who wants tips on how to scout a lake, to a young parent who wants to know which rod and reel is best for their children, we want beginners to feel confident about embracing this wonderful sport of fishing.
FLWOutdoors.com: When is the first live telecast slated to air? How many live shows will be featured this year?
Dempsey: All of the shows are live and the 2002 season kicks off on Saturday, Jan. 19 at 3 p.m. Eastern Standard Time / 2 p.m. Central Standard Time on PAX. Tune in everybody! Shows will originate from both local Wal-Mart tour sites and our studios in Little Rock, Ark.
FLWOutdoors.com: What are your overall impressions of the professional world of bass fishing so far?
Dempsey: This is a sport poised for incredible growth. If you think about it, in how many sporting activities can grandparents, parents and children all actively participate? Not rugby, hockey or jai alai. Fishing is a lifetime pastime that offers not only the challenge of catching “the BIG one,” but quality moments for fathers, sons, mothers and daughters.
Related links:
Q-and-A with Dennis Green
Q-and-A with FLW host Carlton Wing, part 1 and part 2