Area resident enjoys working on TV show
HARTINGTON — “They say life is so much sweeter through the telephoto lens of fame,’’ according to the song, “Famous in a Small Town,’’ co-written and recorded by Miranda Lambert.
This would be true according to details from Daria Clarkson’s claim to fame. The Concord native is working with the popular show National Geographic Wild, “Heartland Docs, DVM (Doctors of Veterinary Medicine).” Episodes of the show are available on You Tube.
“It is great to be back where I grew up and in an area that’s very Ag,’’ she said.
“The community is different here. Being a part of it, sometimes it’s really hard to believe it. It is like family. The crew is from all over the United States. It is a lot quieter here,’’ she said. “You really feel like you are a part of something here. The community is amazing, how everyone knows everyone and everyone cares about their community.”
Although she now lives in San Diego, Clarkson grew up in Concord as the youngest of four children. She graduated from Laurel-Concord High School in 2005, then attended Arizona State University, graduating with a bachelor of science degree in photography.
She said she always was into creative art classes all throughout high school with her teacher, Aryllis Monson, including a lot of days after school working on art projects.
“While I was finishing my degree, I worked for a commercial photographer in Phoenix,’’ she said. “One thing led to another. I had always wanted to work in television or the film industry.’’
Clarkson works as an assistant camera person also called a digital information tech. The DIT is the camera department crew member who works with the cinematographer on workflow, camera settings, signal integrity and image manipulation to achieve the highest image quality and creative goals of cinematography in the digital format. She said she takes everything that is shot all day and puts it on a drive to send to Philadelphia.
She began work on the veterinarian show at the end of March 2019. The crew wrapped up season one in 2019 and shooting for the second season of shows was completed recently.
The first season featured six one-hour shows. The second season will feature eight one-hour shows.
“The idea for the show and the reality of filming came about after the doctors gained attention for building renovation efforts rather than veterinary service,” Clarkson said.
Feedback for the show has been really good.
“Dr. Ben and Dr. Erin are great. Their spirit and the spirit of the people of the community are well portrayed. People approach them about the show. They thought they would be great on TV,’’ she said. “The Omaha World Herald did an article on them and people noticed them.’’
The couple has restored several buildings in Hartington, The Globe Clothier building, which houses Chasin’ Charlie’s General Store is one of them, as well as the Hotel Hartington, where the premiere of the show was held at the end of January. The film clip was shown on a big screen with about 100 people as an audience.
According to their website, “The couple hopes to share the beauty and grit of Nebraska, its four-legged residents, and their hard-working companions, with a world-wide audience and invites them to experience a taste of Hartington heaven for themselves.”