The Best of the West: An Interview with Nathan Robertson

By Briege McGarrity

Born and raised in Wyoming, Nathan Robertson has always been obsessed with films. Fittingly, his first foray into filmmaking was shooting and editing an independently produced fishing show for the Sportsman channel. From there he became a full-time cameraman and is currently a DP for the hugely popular outdoor show (currently on The Outdoor Channel) “The Best of the West,” set in his hometown of Cody, Wyoming.

In between work commitments, Robertson, a self-assured and likable filmmaker has been busy overseeing personal projects such as “Beyond the Legend,” which won Best Comedic Short at the LA edition of the NYIFF. IFQ’s Briege McGarrity caught up with him to learn more about life behind the camera, recent adventures on the festival circuit, and upcoming projects.

Independent Film Quarterly (IFQ): Do you have formal training in film-making that helped pave the way for a career in film?

Nathan Robertson (NR): Yes, when I originally began college I wanted to be a Film Score Composer and so I studied music and earned a degree. But I couldn’t ignore my love of films and returned to school and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Digital Film-making. While I was at school, I did a lot of interning and just helping out on other projects as well. That is where I really learned the work flow of production, I’d say.

IFQ: With the implosion of independent and digital film-making, which camera do you recommend for quality, budget film-making?

NR: That’s a great question and ultimately it depends on the project and its end use. If you are planning on going to theaters with your project, your footage needs to be able to stand up to that kind of scrutiny. I would consider using the RED. I’ve also been really impressed with Danny Boyle’s footage shot on the Silicon Image SI-2K. It depends on what you’re trying to do. Every project is different and the technology is changing so fast. There are several good options out there. You just have to do your homework.

IFQ: I read that you shoot for a popular reality show “Best of the West.” How did you get that gig and were you surprised by its success?

NR: I had been filming for another reality show that had just wrapped from a shoot in Hawaii so I returned home to Cody, WY to stay with my parents for a bit. While there, a friend of the family told me that a local outdoor show was looking for some help so I grabbed my reel and resume and swung by their studio to see what they had going. They basically looked at my reel and hired me to do a small shoot for them on the spot. After that shoot, they hired me full time to run the entire production side of the operation. They really don’t have a director so I perform that role along with the producer. After we moved to the Outdoor Channel, I was very surprised by how well it was received. To anyone who watches Outdoor Television, “The Best of the West” is now a household name. I sometimes forget how popular and scrutinized our show is. For example if we make the slightest error, we never hear the end of it from our fans! Recently, the Outdoor Channel invited us to their awards ceremony in Las Vegas where we received 5 nominations!

IFQ: Wow! That’s great that the show attracted great audiences. How was your experience of shooting your debut short film “Beyond the Legend”?

NR: It was an absolute blast! Since the “Best of the West” is a non-fiction type program, being able to play with fiction was so refreshing and entertaining. That, and having complete control over the story was a great feeling. It was so fun. We’ve decided to take “Beyond the Legend” one step further and create a TV series out of it. I have a scriptwriter working on it as we speak. So far the series is looking to be way funnier than the short film and the short film was very funny so I am excited to get that into production.

IFQ: What is your advice for any filmmaker trying to make a film? NR: Surround yourself with people who love film-making as much as you do. When the going gets rough, and it always does, you need people who are willing to stick it out with you. I think objectivity is important too. Filmmakers really need to be present while screening their projects just so they can witness real audience reaction. That is one real advantage to hitting the festival circuit. Not so much for the awards, but so you can get real feedback from real audiences. That to me was priceless.

IFQ: So you enjoyed your film festival experience?

NR: Yes, going to all these film festivals was a blast. I love to travel and gain new experiences so hitting the road was right up my alley. I took “Beyond the Legend” (BTL) to a few regional festivals first and got a really good response. I even managed to win some audience awards and even a grand prize at one. So then I decided to go to some larger festivals like the NYIFF. They were really good at helping the filmmakers feel welcome and getting them and their projects good exposure. We won “Best Comedy” in the short film category. I took BTL to the Durango Independent Film Festival and the audience seemed to love it. One of the guest judges was the director of the New Mexico Film Festival and was so taken with it that she requested that we bring it there too.

I sent my script for current feature film project “Shade in Exile” in to some festivals and enjoyed success. At the Phoenix Film Festival, it was honored as one of 5 Outstanding Scripts set in Arizona.

IFQ: Congratulations! Writing a screenplay is very challenging.

NR: Yes! Writing a feature length screenplay was a very unique challenge for me. I have become so adept at writing short form pieces that it was awkward trying to figure out the pacing of the feature length story. Luckily, ‘A Shade in Exile’ was adapted from a short novel so I had something to guide me when I started to wander. Oliver was also invaluable in getting it completed. He had lots of great ideas that contributed to its success.

IFQ: Do you feel in control of this new film? Tell me more about its concept, and why you feel it is a story that deserves to be told.

NR: ‘A Shade in Exile’ has been a slow starter and is showing no signs of changing pace any time soon. I definitely feel in control and taking it slow has enabled me to stay in the driver’s seat with the project. It is so easy to lose touch with reality on large-scale projects of this nature and I don’t what to do that. The concept is focused on the idea of redemption in this life and in the next. The story focuses on a young boy from the east who spends the summer on his uncle’s ranch out west after the relationship with his father boils over. While there he meets a shade named “Wind Rider” who is a wanderer in the afterlife, he too is a young boy. Through an adventurous summer of searching for lost gold mines, fending off cattle rustler and making new friends, both are able to return to their families no longer boys but promising young men in this coming-of-age story about redemption. It is a unique story and gives hope to people of all ages about being able to change and find their way home. Frankly, I feel that too often filmmakers try to tell stories that while they are interesting and even entertaining, they don’t really make a difference in a world that needs a little more light in it. I hope to change that with ‘A Shade in Exile.’

IFQ: Sounds great! You must be wearing many hats. Do you have financing and cast and crew?

NR: As an independent, I am definitely forced to wear many hats. We are currently seeking financing for the project and are struggling to find the right fit for what we want to do. State filming incentives will definitely play a significant role in how we proceed. I have people in mind for several key crew positions and they are very excited about being a part of the project. Oddly enough, I’m not too concerned about the casting. We have reserved a healthy budget for the cast and will put it to good use. I’m most concerned with getting the right combination put together so I can maintain a good vibe during production. If everybody is happy, the end product will reflect that.