Film Casper recruited to help National Geographic

CASPER, Wyo. (Wyoming News Now) - Over the past year, two episodes of a popular TV show have been filmed here in Wyoming. And the television network recruited the help of a local production company to make it all happen.

In the fall of last year, and the spring of this year, National Geographic came to the cowboy state to film two episodes of Running Wild with Bear Grylls. But before they came, they enlisted the help of Film Casper.

“We got a request from the production company, asking for really interesting locations,” Kelly Eastes says. “That are mountainous, cliffs, things like that. Water features, etcetera. So we sent them some stuff we had on file. And we found a couple locations for them that really worked well. Fremont canyon was one of them. And then there’s the wagon hound ranch that’s south of Douglas.”

Film Casper, a division of Visit Casper, is led by Location Liaison Kelly Eastes. Eastes began leading Film Casper around a couple of years ago.

“They wanted to see about getting... What we can do with the film industry. A lot of the times, we get them to come in on their shoulder seasons. And fill in the hotels when they’re normal empty. So we’re looking at an industry that can do things like that.”

Eastes says this isn’t the first time that Casper and surrounding areas have been used in major productions.

“What we’ve done is we respond to requests. So we get a request from a production company. They want a specific kind of location or something like that. And then we respond as quickly as possible, to send them everything that we have that comes close to matching. Casper’s had a history of productions that have come in and done different things. From feature films like Starship Troopers in the 90′s, to commercials. We’ve had Ridley Scott shoot up on the Red Walls, up around Kaycee. We’ve had the Wells Fargo people do a Christmas commercial right here in downtown Casper.”

So what was it like working with Bear Grylls and his celebrity guest Bradley Cooper?

“They all were some of the best people. I mean, I’ve been working with folks for years and I’ve... Always had really good experience with it. But I can tell you these guys were... Some of the nicest and most professional people I’ve worked with in a long time. In any industry. They were really awesome people.”

Eastes says Film Casper is hoping to expand and attract more projects in the near future.

The “Running Wild” episode featuring Bradley Cooper has already aired. But the next Wyoming episode featuring Tatiana Maslany... Premiers on August 27th on National Geographic.

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