Thomas Hellum, project manager at NRK Norway, will address the broadcaster’s recent Guinness World Record-setting TV documentary, Hurtigruten, during Fast Turnaround TV on 13 March. Lasting 134:42:45 hours, the show was the world’s longest-ever TV documentary.
The Norwegian Coastal Express brings people and goods from Bergen to Kirkenes all year round, and last summer over 65% of Norway’s population took the journey simultaneously, thanks to NRK’s live TV and web coverage. NRK2 normally has a market share of 4-5%; within days of the set-off, average market share was 36%.
How did NRK produce a five-day event, from a moving vessel at sea, that was live on TV and received 12 million page views on Facebook and 22,000,000 impressions on Twitter – and was streamed in 179 countries?
Among other aspects of this remarkable achievement, Hellum will discuss how the NRK staff of 22 worked around the clock, and how big equipment rentals can pay when you get 150 doc-lengths for the price of four. This much-anticipated Fast Turnaround TV session will also provide an opportunity to find out about the complex camera configuration, audio, post, server and streaming systems – and why this project drew thousands of people out to wave or call their friends.
Lesson learned by the Norwegian broadcasters: don’t write off crazy TV ideas right away – they might be unconventional and that’s why they work!
