Kriti Mehrotra
As a production that offers a complete insight into the dangerous yet fulfilling labor-based logging and sawmill industries, Netflix’s ‘Big Timber’ is as light-hearted as it is gritty and exciting. After all, it revolves around the family-run Wenstob Timber Resources as they go to extraordinary extremes with the help of their trusted crew to keep their well-loved business operational. So now, if the blend of natural as well as bureaucratic obstacles they face has left you wondering precisely how much of this network turned streamer series is genuine, we’ve got the details for you.
Is Big Timber Real or Fake?
From the moment ‘Big Timber’ first premiered on the Canadian History Channel in the fall of 2020, it has been billed as an entirely unscripted show stemming from the heart of Vancouver Island. This facet essentially means not a single emotion, conversation, or sequence that comes across our screens is directed or pre-penned by qualified entertainment professionals for the cast. In fact, even though we often insist every reality production should be taken with a grain of salt owing to producer manipulation, this one actually seems authentic in every sense of the term.
You might think it’s rather strange the cast appeared comfortable in front of cameras from the get-go, but the truth is the Wenstob Timber owners had been self-documenting their journey for quite some time. Kevin and his wife Sarah had reportedly begun filming as a hobby to showcase the actualities of their profession, which they admittedly live for, unaware that it would soon propel them into international fame. Furthermore, as repeatedly remarked throughout the series, their business is genuinely amongst the last independent ones in the local island area, and they are determined to keep it this way.
“There’s never downtime in the industry,” Kevin once told Victoria News, referring to the fact their days are not only long but also never-ending since they want to be their own bosses. “We probably take two Fridays off in a year. We can never go away on two-week holidays cause there’s a lot of work to get done.” His childhood sweetheart then added, “We like to control our destiny… We’ve always been independent for the past 25 years. Occasionally, we have to deal with small issues, but it’s our world. We’re addicted.” Sarah even said having a life of their own had been in their plan from when they were teens.
The most significant element of ‘Big Timber,’ though, is probably the fact it shines a light upon sustainable logging in cohesion with the government’s regulations, especially as it gives way to reforestation. It thus leaves little to no room for producer interference during the filming process, which means any tweaks or manipulation done is mostly in post-production and largely to keep it fast-paced. In other words, by sticking primarily to unavoidable editing to ensure the plot plays out while maintaining the audience’s attention, History Channel turned Netflix’s ‘Big Timber’ is as unscripted and real as possible.
Read More: Where Is Big Timber Filmed?
