Alaska is an unknown quantity for many international travelers. However, the fact is that plenty of Americans are unaware of the sheer vastness and beauty of the US’s largest state.
While plenty of pop quizzers might guess answers like Texas or California when asked about the biggest state in the US, the answer is Alaska, which is bigger than Texas and California combined.
Obviously, with such a vast land mass to explore, there’s a colossal amount of undiscovered beauty among some of the most remarkable natural scenery on the planet. Natural beauty is lightning in a bottle in the modern age.
Corporations waste no time and care little about extracting the natural resources and food sources that are abundant in most states and the impact they will have. However, Alaska has been less impacted by this than other states because of its size and population sparsity.
Gaming inspiration of the Last Frontier
The state of Alaska is also known as the Last Frontier. With a name that evokes such an action-packed feel and grabs attention, it’s not surprising that many movies and TV shows have explored its vastness to find the perfect backdrop for the latest movies or TV shows.
It’s also significantly influenced the gaming world, especially those games that focus on wilderness, sheer cold, and sprawling unexplored forests. Alaska has been the setting for games as far-ranging as Gran Turismo, Fallout, Call of Duty, and Metal Gear Solid.
Casino games focusing on ice and winter have also used Alaskan-inspired audiovisuals and background settings. By casino games, we’re mainly referring to slot games, which have the scope and development to try and adequately capture the incredibly vast Alaskan backdrop.
Casino gaming platforms use a range of methods to attract players. In addition to the settings, there’s a focus on marketing, promotions, free spins, and bonuses that do not require a deposit. Games without a deposit requirement are not the most common type of marketing promotion, but they have struck a chord with casino gamers.
Ultimately, casinos put together a huge package, borrowing influence from all areas and fusing it with marketing strategies to try and develop an idea that will capture an international market. Generally speaking, films and TV shows try to capture the same concept.
Alaskan-inspired films and TV
Although plenty of films and TV shows have attempted to penetrate Alaska’s setting and encapsulate the biting cold, the loneliness of the vast, glacial atmosphere, and the eeriness and blackness of Alaskan winters and nights, not all have succeeded.
There have been some dreadful attempts at capturing the aura and atmosphere of The Last Frontier. However, there have been some notable efforts over the years; here are some of the top TV and film titles that have been successful:
True Detective: Night Country
While it might not have the acclaim or legacy of the seminal first season, True Detective: Night Country has HBO’s might behind it and Jodie Foster’s acting prowess leading the way. The show was set in a fictional Alaskan town and was filmed in Iceland.
The show’s original creator was scathing in his review of the show, which he distanced himself from after creating the first season. However, the setting provides a strong concept, and while it might not have been executed perfectly, it’s the tip of the iceberg for contemporary entertainment set in Alaska.
Big Miracle
The 2012 film starring Drew Barrymore and John Krasinski focuses on environmental concerns that fishermen and women have highlighted in Alaska for decades. There’s no dispute that Alaska contains some of the most beautiful lakes and rivers for fishing trips, but The Big Miracle captures some of the more prominent talking points and how broader environmental impacts still affect Alaska, even though it can feel like a completely different world.
Into the Wild
Into the Wild is arguably the most famous film set in the Alaskan wilderness. It is a 2007 film co-written and produced by Sean Penn, but it is based on a novel of the same title. The story involves a middle-class man who gives up all his earthly possessions and heads to Alaska to disengage from the rat race and find some purpose in life.
Alaska offers breathtaking scenery and is also a setting for those who want to find the complete opposite of city life and break away from the capitalist ideals that dominate so much of our lives.
Alaska in literature and other media
The Snow Child, The Quality of Silence and To the Bright Edge of the World are some of the most notable books that use the incredible backdrop of the Last Frontier to paint a picture of their story.
In modern media, the sprawling landscape of Alaska has been high on the list for travel vloggers and bloggers, who are all looking to capture a part of the world that few people have explored.
Although much of Alaska is barren, minus a few small native towns, the emptiness’ scope and the unexplained terrain have made it an intriguing tourist attraction for travel vloggers who stop at nothing to create content that will get the most views and likes.
Summary
As you can see, many different forms of entertainment rely on elements of Alaskan scenery to add a new dimension to their product. More video games are exploring the setting, but it’s something that location scouts, film directors and authors have been exploring for the best part of a century.
With more TV shows and films seeking out global locations as opposed to domestic ones and streaming services having the reach and financial firepower to shoot their projects all over the globe, don’t be shocked to see more of Alaska over the next few years.
Logistically, some issues exist with Alaska, and most of this boils down to the scope of the state. That’s why some TV and film studios will state that their show is set in Alaska but opt for different places to film, such as Reykjavik in Iceland. However, authenticity is one of the key driving forces in modern entertainment, so don’t be surprised to see it appearing more often in the wide entertainment world.
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