Kenton Gilchrist (right) works with his crew on a shoot in wine country. The pilot episode of Ventures in Wine Country has been completed and has already been shown to subscribers across the South Okanagan who subscribe to the Telus Optik cable package. Gilchrist is hoping the show will reach a larger audience. (Photo supplied)
A new television show produced entirely in the South Okanagan could potentially, if everything goes right, be shown to tens of millions of viewers across North America.
Osoyoos’ own Kenton Gilchrist, a talented film producer, musician and multimedia artist produced ventures in Wine Country.
The pilot episode of Ventures in Wine Country has been completed and has already been shown to subscribers across the South Okanagan who subscribe to the Telus Optik cable package.
Gilchrist and a four-person crew worked on filming and producing the pilot episode over the past several months.
The pilot episode of Ventures in Wine Country showcases the owners of three wineries in the South Okanagan, including Covert Farms in Oliver, Painted Rock in Penticton and Black Swift in West Kelowna.
The pilot not only introduces viewers to the owners of the three wineries, but “tells a story about why they got involved in this industry, all of the challenges they face and why they love what they do,” said Gilchrist.
The show also features footage that showcases the incredible beauty of the South Okanagan, said Gilchrist.
It takes an incredible amount of hard work to produce 42 minutes of quality programming to fill out an hour-long television program, but Gilchrist said he couldn’t be prouder of how things turned out with the pilot episode.
“It looks just fantastic,” said Gilchrist, who not only acted as producer, but also chief writer and narrator for the pilot episode. “We’re in the process of making a few subtle editing changes to the original, but I couldn’t be happier with what we’ve put together.
“Looking back at where we were a year ago and where we are now with a finished pilot that we think has a real shot at success, it’s sometimes hard to believe.”
Gilchrist is the co-owner of Asymetriq, a Vancouver-based film production company he formed several years ago with his business partner Jon Hunwick.
Asymetriq signed a contract with TELUS Optik after pitching the idea of producing a cable television series focusing on the people and places that have turned the Okanagan Valley into one of the world’s most acclaimed and revered wine-growing regions in the world, said Gilchrist.
TELUS Optik provided a substantial amount of the funding for the pilot and, in exchange, retained the rights to broadcast the pilot episode, said Gilchrist.
However, Gilchrist and Asymetriq retain the production rights, which means they can try and sell the series to other cable television companies, which is exactly what they plan to do.
If they can produce six to eight quality episodes in the next two to three years, Gilchrist said the long-term plan is to try and sell Ventures in Wine Country to a major American or Canadian cable channel such as Outdoor Life Network or The Food Network.
Being able to broadcast the show on a major network like The Food Network would provide a viewing audience of millions of people, he said.
Ventures in Wine Country is not simply about the wine industry, but more about the people who get involved in the industry, said Gilchrist.
“To make it entertaining, we try and focus on the people and the characters who make this such an interesting industry,” he said. “Many people think the wine industry is so lucrative and there’s not much to do, but the series clearly show it usually takes about 10 years from the time you buy a winery until the time you turn it into a success. It’s extremely hard work and there’s no guarantee of success because of all the competition.
“But all of the people we’ve talked to share a passion for wine and passion for the industry and this comes across very clear in the show.”
Gilchrist and his film crew will spend the next several weeks attending events across the South Okanagan to gather footage for the second episode.
Gilchrist is working with “numerous partners” to try and secure funding for the second episode and future episodes of Ventures in Wine Country.
He would love to produce at least eight episodes in the next two or three years as this would provide a wide body of work that should impress executives as major television networks, he said.
“This is my full-time job right now and we’re moving ahead thinking of new ideas for future episodes,” he said.
Gilchrist is also planning a gala event in Osoyoos sometime in the next few weeks to showcase the pilot episode of Ventures in Wine Country for local residents.
The second episode will hopefully be finished and be ready for broadcast before Christmas, he said.
When he’s not shooting with his production crew, writing scripts, producing music and searching for new locations for future episodes of Ventures in Wine Country, Gilchrist keeps busy meeting with business partners to try and secure funding.
“It costs a lot of money to produce a one-hour television show,” he said. “TELUS has been very supportive and hopefully they will be on board for future episodes, but we plan on moving ahead with this series no matter what, so I’m always looking for businesses interested in partnering with us and helping us financially.”
A lot of the footage for the TV show could be used by various companies across the South Okanagan for tourist promotion and possible television commercials and he’s more than willing to work out deals with anyone interested in using that material, said Gilchrist.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
