I’m often asked: what’s it like, being on travel TV shows? What goes on behind the scenes? I’m going to attempt to answer these questions by bringing you more photos from the NRK Norway documentary shoot, which took place last October-November in Tokyo. (Photos by Naomi Rubin, my First Mate fixer.)

Every show requires weeks of planning. Naomi and I bring our ideas to the producers, and when they’re approved, we make precise arrangements with the locations and people involved.

In this case, the producers had heard of a bar where a real-life Ariel swims in a giant tank. We found Mermaid Fusion, a hostess bar in Roppongi, and got permission to bring in our cameras at an exact date and time. (Schedules are tight and days are long, while working in the field.)

We didn’t have time to scout out the location beforehand. Thankfully, the lighting was adequate — and what a scene! Clad in a gilded bikini and mask, a Japanese swimmer gulps air from the top of the tank…

Then she submerges herself into the abyss, gracefully flipping her limbs through the water. Beautiful.

The Prince of Norway, host Ari Behn, wanted to be a “mer-man.” After much cajoling, we convinced the Mermaid Bar owner to let him enter the tank. The murky water and narrow but deep space is harder to swim in than you’d think.

Ari has a magnificent tattoo of a winding snake. The tattoo artist used a meticulous dotted effect, which I’ve never seen before.

We also cast the girl who Per is romancing (she’s a hostess at the bar). The lines aren’t scripted, but the scenes and storylines are prepared in advance.

Soon, I’ll upload clips from the Norway TV show, so you can see the action yourself!

PS: I did a guest post for The Diplomat, an Asia-Pacific current affairs magazine. It’s about how artists can work together and get their creative juices flowing, to help Japan’s recovery. The article is after the jump and here.

Got any questions about what goes on in a travel television program? Or TV shoots in general? Leave a comment, and I’ll do my best to fill you in.

Song of the Day: Every New Dead Ghost (An underrated Goth rock / post punk band.)