Miami Ink is a reality TV show, on the Learning Channel (LTC), filmed on location at South Beach, Miami. It takes you behind the scenes so you can see and experience the real emotion of getting a tattoo and what they mean to the people getting inked. The show exposes tats for what they really are - a means of self expression that have deep significant meanings for the people getting them. Based on the diverse range of people getting inked, it becomes very obvious that it is popular in all corners of society. While some of the clients are experienced and have already got a number of designs, we also get to watch people getting their first body art, and the process they go through as they try to develop an idea into a design.
The real beauty of the show is listening to the stories that the people provide behind why they are getting their tattoo and what the particular design means to them. Most of the stories are truly inspiring. The show allows us inside so we can watch from the moment the client enters the parlor through to the completed work of art. We get to live the experience as the client works with an idea to develop a completed design, then watch as they get the artwork and finally show off the end product, stunning body art. It is amazing to watch.
For anybody thinking of getting their first tat, the show is a great way to see how others start with an idea and work with that to slowly develop the end result. You get to see the evolution of the design, the thought process behind it and the final product. You also get to see how people select where on your body to locate the body art, a very important decision that you must get right. You get to see first hand how hard it is to get a really good design.
Miami Ink, through TLC, even allows people to apply to be auditioned to go on the show. They require you to have a good idea of what design you want before hand, and which artist you want to be tattooed by, but you could be inked on the show and become a star!
Behind each individual story are the artists that provide continuity from one show to the next - They are Ami James, Chris Garver, Darren Brass, Chris Nunez and apprentice Yojiro Harada. Their different characters are a good mix and you get to see the artists as they work and also play. They provide the entertainment to keep people tuning in the following week, to watch as new clients walk in the door with an idea and watch the idea turn into a stunning tattoo design to be proud of.
