Managed remote production operations for National Geographic’s docuseries set in an off-the-grid Alaskan fishing village.
Port Protection Alaska is a National Geographic docuseries following the residents of Port Protection, a remote, off-the-grid fishing village in the Alaskan wilderness. As Production Manager, I managed remote production operations including logistics, vendor negotiations, travel coordination, and equipment procurement, while supporting budgets and daily production reports.
Behind the Scenes
Where were you?
South East Alaska, Petersburg, Port Protection
What’s the moment things went sideways?
There were many things that took a different direction than what we wanted. Living in Alaska means you need to be up for anything weather included, it is a rainforest and all you need to do is wait a bit and the weather can change. However Mother Nature has plans of her own and when there is storm of any kind the last thing you do is challenge it. I had to learn to read weather patterns and listen to our safety team for best guidance. There was a lot of time when it was up to me and the safety team to finalize a plan for the day.
A crew or cast story that still gets told
We would have these campfires at the end of our time. It was such an amazing way to say goodbye to the locals and share stories of our time there. It was potluck style with the food that was left by the end, and seeing everyone laugh and tell stories of their time out in the field with their cast member and fellow crew member was an amazing time. I wasn’t always able to go out with them, but sharing their stories made me feel like I was a part of it. It was sad to leave but it was also a great bookmark for when we came back. It was important for us that the crew members were a part of the community.
What would a viewer never guess?
The process of getting gear and items for stories to Alaska was a journey. You could get there by air cargo plane or boat. But we always had to keep size and weight as part of the equation. Even if we were able to get it to Petersburg (which is where we flew into) we had to make sure that we could transport those items onto our boats and that it would make it to the Island of Port Protection. Anything we brought with us was a part of a three-part shipping journey. I was very close with the local stores and vendors that were in Alaska. There were times I worked backwards to see if it was in Alaska first before working on shipping an item from LA. Amazon Prime is not a thing in Alaska.
What were you actually running day to day?
Being on an island, it was really up to my producer, safety team, and me for communication. We had to make sure all radios and communication equipment was charged and ready. We would have a meeting with the plan for the day and if anything were to come up they would let us know. My producer and I were in communication with our team back in Los Angeles. We would be able to communicate throughout the day but it was important to talk at the beginning and the end of the day. To be on your own feels amazing, but it is also a lot of responsibility to make sure that we stayed the course of what our network expected of us.
What are you proudest of on this one?
I am proud of the entire show from everyone on the crew, to the cast. Being a part of this show was an amazing experience and I was able to learn so much about myself, and what I am capable of even in the middle of nowhere. I grew so much during my time in Alaska — there’s so much you learn about yourself when you are limited in what you have at hand — from learning how to build a house, to what you need to fish, hunt, or forage for your own food, and to coming up with an exit plan when there is a storm heading your way and you have limited time to get your crew of 20 off an island. I am so proud of myself for being able to learn and experience all of this.