The province’s film industry is buzzing about the new series Pipe Nation, and last week they were in the valley shooting the video for the theme song.
According to director and cinematographer Raoul Bhatt, Pipe Nation is an original TV series, one of the largest independent productions of its kind during a Covid-19 environment. It’s about a small oil and gas community coming together in a changing economy. It’s about the grit, perseverance, and determination of the front line energy sector workers.
Their work in Drumheller was to shoot a video for the original song for the show called Shiver, created by singer Shane Connery Volk. He is the lead singer for the band One Bad Son and is also an actor in Pipe Nation.
“Shiver is a song about loss and redemption. It focuses on the idea that any dream or goal we may have or have had can be rediscovered and strived toward no matter how long it has been dormant,” said Bhatt.
The producer for the music video is Daniel Svedberg and Bhatt acted as the director and cinematographer.
The crew spent the morning and afternoon shooting in Wayne and the Last Chance Saloon and then headed to Horsethief Canyon in the evening.
“With Pipe Nation, we wanted to show the diverse landscapes that our province has to offer… The Drumheller, Wayne area shows a beautiful landscape that captivates a different emotion with the Hoodoos and the barren lands,” he said.
He is grateful to the proprietors of the Last Chance Saloon for their support.
“The character and history of The Last Chance Saloon truly added to the grit of the TV show music video. And Carlos, as you know that manages the venue, made a cameo, he has a line within the music video that tells where he talks to the singer when approached,” he said.
Bhatt says currently they are in postproduction. The rough cut will be completed by late October, with the full show completed in December. The TV show will be submitted to Netflix for negotiations, once it’s picked up, they will be in full production for the next nine episodes of season one spring of next year.
They will be holding private screenings throughout Alberta for the pilot episode, with full production starting in the spring for the next nine episodes.