John Dietsch
John Dietsch is the author of the book Shadowcasting: An Introduction to the Art of Flyfishing.
Biography
John Dietsch, working in the field of traditional and digital reality-based media, is known for his efforts in the area of lifestyle, outdoor, adventure and travel-based television. He has produced over 300 media projects, including over 175 TV episodes and segments on adventure travel, outdoor sports and lifestyles.
Dietsch founded Castle Creek Productions in 1988, and founded the video community called Hook.tv. On the film A River Runs Through It Dietsch supervised the fly fishing production, was instrumental in teaching the cast how to fly fish, and doubled for actor Brad Pitt. Dietsch is also known globally as an acclaimed fly fisherman and instructor.
He currently hosts a TV series called Adventure Guides on Outdoor Channel.
Production and creative oversight
As the founder and CEO of Castle Creek Productions and Hook.tv, Dietsch is known as a pioneer in digital media with a history of production, direction, and creative media successes including more than twenty awards for television production.
Dietsch has established himself as a leader in non-fiction production, branded entertainment, and new media. Dietsch has created and produced more than 300 programs, including over 200 original episodes for television, and nearly twenty-five award-winning pilots, series, or one-offs in more than 35 countries across the globe, and throughout the United States.
He has been a showrunner on hundreds of episodes, including series for Scripps Networks, Discovery and Versus. Dietsch currently hosts and produces Hook.tv Adventure Guides: Fishing Edition, a TV series about fly fishing that airs on Outdoor Channel (http://outdoorchannel.com/show.aspx?show-id=691 ).
Dietsch’s background includes integrating brands into programming. Clients have included Chrysler, Honda, Apple, Bank of America, Toyota, Suzuki, Amtrak, the State of California, ORVIS, and the National Park Service.
Dietsch has produced and directed corporate videos and films for clients like Merrill Lynch, Kaiser Permanente, Edison International, and Hewlett Packard. Dietsch produced and directed Rancho Alamitos: An Island in Time—a 16-minute Ken Burns–style exhibit documentary about California history. He has produced or directed nearly 100 episodes about the Golden State.
Dietsch was the VP in charge of production at K2 Communications before reforming Castle Creek Productions Inc. in 1999.
Previous to that, Dietsch produced and wrote brand-based TV series and films featuring sports like skiing, surfing and outdoor sports for other production companies that aired on ESPN.
As a department head on Robert Redford’s Oscar-winning feature film A River Runs Through It, Dietsch was in charge of all the fly fishing scenes in the film. He has produced, directed, consulted on and been featured in fly fishing-based media across the world, and has produced award-winning TV episodes on the subject.
Dietsch currently consults for K2 advising them on their transmedia strategy and is available for other consulting and production projects.
Digital media
Dietsch is the founder and CEO of Hook.tv (www.Hook.tv). He raised more than $1.2 million to develop a web-based portal to help create video communities for adventure travelers and associated brands. Launched in April 2007 as a beta site, Hook.tv Fly Fishing is the first niche network on the Hook.tv platform, with partnerships that have included Outdoor Channel, VERSUS, ORVIS®, and Suzuki.
The Hook.tv Fly Fishing Network launched its beta video community in spring 2007 but is no longer available online. The original critique of the website is still available at http://www.killerstartups.com/web20/hook-tv-com-fishing-is-religion/. Hook.tv Adventure Guides: Fishing Edition is a sister TV series that was designed to cross-promote the Hook.tv brand with a four-season run on VERSUS and Outdoor Channel. Hook.tv Adventure Guides: Fishing Edition TV shows are airing on Outdoor Channel in 2012 http://outdoorchannel.com/show.aspx?show-id=691
Currently, Dietsch consults with clients on how best to utilize video-based strategies across multiple platforms and is involved with an IMAX theatrical film called Cool Planet to create a digital video channel for the project.
Dietsch is currently consulting for K2 Communications, a leading production company for IMAX films and is in various stages of development on several transmedia projects.
Fly fishing talent and consulting work
Dietsch is perhaps best known for doubling as Brad Pitt’s stunt double in the dangerous final scene of Robert Redford’s Oscar-winning feature film A River Runs Through It. Dietsch is a fly fishing expert and has consulted on and starred in a half-dozen TV commercials for the sport in places like Japan and New Zealand, and is the co-author of the book Shadowcasting. Dietsch hosts Adventure Guides, a prime-time TV series on Outdoor Channel. http://outdoorchannel.com/show.aspx?show-id=691
When not working on media projects, speaking on panels, fly-fishing or skiing, Dietsch spends time in the Pacific Palisades with his family.
Notable work
- Dietsch, John; Garyy Hubbell (1999). Shadowcasting: An Introduction to the Art of Flyfishing. Clinetop Press.
- Founder Castle Creek Productions
- Fly Fishing Coordinator for Theatrical Release A River Runs Through It (film) (1992)
- Adventure Guides (2007-2011) TV Series (executive producer/showrunner/co-writer)
- Creative Juice (2006) TV series (executive producer) (Episodes 1-26)
- Creative Juice for the Holidays (2005) (TV Special) (executive producer)
- The Great Adventure (2005) TV series (executive producer/showrunner)
- The Best of California (2002) TV series (executive producer/showrunner)
- Rancho Los Alamitos: An Island in Time (2001) Exhibition Film (executive producer/director)
- Wild California (2000) (TV) (executive producer) (producer) (co-writer)
- California Tomorrow Today (1997) TV series (executive producer)
- Self-Made in California (1995) TV series (supervising producer)
- Explore the Undiscovered (1996) TV series (executive producer/director)
- Extreme Surfing (1994) One-Hour TV Special (co-writer)
- Full Moon Show (1994) TV Series (writer)
- Ski the Undiscovered (1996) TV series (executive producer)
- ESPN Interactive Fly Fishing School (1995) (CD-ROM Video segments) (writer, director, co-producer)
- Ski with Andy Mill (1986) TV special (Writer/Associate Producer)
- Hook.tv Fly Fishing Social Video Site (2007-2011) (Founder/CEO)
