Post by CCADP on May 2, 2005 22:02:16 GMT -5
My name is Philip Reeder and I'm the senior producer for "Burrud
> >> Productions", a Southern California based television production
> > company,
> >> with a (nearly) 50-year history of producing popular,
successful and
> >> award winning TV Documentaries, Specials and Reality Series.
> >>
> >> We were recently commissioned by "WE: Women's Entertainment", a
> > National
> >> Cable Television Network (with more than 50-million current
> > subscribers),
> >> to produce a 90-minute, National Primetime Documentary Special
> > about,
> >> "The Women of Death Row."
> >>
> >> Because the "WE" Network demographic is primarily female, they're
> >> especially interested in a special that is serious, important,
> > socially
> >> relevant and, at the same time, appealing to their (female)
> > audience.
> >> The Network is also committed to making a powerful, necessary
> > statement
> >> about these women's lives.
> >>
> >> As the "lead" person on this documentary, I have a particularly
> > strong
> >> history in producing these kinds of fair, honest and (powerfully)
> >> emotional programs. Many of them have been successful,
> > well-received and
> >> even critically acclaimed, largely for the passion (and,
yeah, the
> >> quality) with which they were produced. On a personal level,
I've
> >> received more than 40 EMMY nominations, 5 EMMY wins and a
> > basketful of
> >> other national awards and honors.
> >>
> >> In other (less immodest?) words, I am a producer, and we are a
> > production
> >> company, who believe in the power, importance and responsibility
> > of the
> >> "serious" documentary---and this is, without question, a serious
> >> documentary.
> >>
> >> While (vis-a-vis the Network's demographic concerns) we
> > certainly want to
> >> produce a program that's interesting, and compelling, to
> > everyone, there
> >> is a specific storytelling method in making a documentary that's
> > especially
> >> compelling to women. We must, in an up-close-and-personal way,
> > introduce
> >> our audience to WHO these women really are. Our audience must
> > know them;
> >> and care about them. As storytellers, we must talk about these
> > women's
> >> lives---and not just about their crimes... and/or the crimes
they're
> >> alleged to have committed.
> >>
> >> This show is not an expose, nor is it a prison reform
> > investigation---and
> >> it is not, in any way, a salacious peek into
'women-behind-bars'. We
> >> don't need blood 'n guts to make this show special. We don't need
> >> inmates swearing and spitting at the guards to make this
show work.
> >>
> >> We do, however, need to look inside the secret-selves of these
> > women. We
> >> do need to climb inside their hearts. We need these women to
> > trust us enough
> >> to tell our audience their harrowing and dramatic tales, whether
> > they're
> >> heartrending or gut-wrenching. We need them to be honest,
> > truthful and
> >> real. We are not looking for misery. We are not looking to
> > produce pity.
> >> We are, though, looking to produce a show about women (people!)
> > who, no
> >> matter what, deserve the respect of having their stories told,
> > especially
> >> those story-parts which were (too often) never seen during, or
> > after,
> >> their trials---and, perhaps, those story elements that some
> > folks may not
> >> want told even today. As national media, we have the
privilege, the
> >> right---and the obligation to reveal all the facts, whether
legal or
> >> emotional.
> >>
> >> Please understand, our program is, in no way, an apologia for
these
> >> women's crimes (and/or alleged crimes). It is also not an
anti-death
> >> penalty rant; nor is it a pro death penalty sermon. Our
> > documentary is
> >> about these women as, well---as Human Beings, in the light and
> > in the
> >> dark.
> >>
> >> Although we're currently speaking with the attorneys for three
> > women now
> >> on the Row in Texas (Frances Newton, Darlie Routier and Cathy
> >> Henderson), we'd very much like to speak with ALL the women
> > currently on
> >> death row. However, we're having some trouble locating any
> > "principal"
> >> people (whether lawyers or support groups) for the other women.
> >>
> >> Please Rick, if there's anything you can do to help us get in
> > touch with
> >> these women (and/or their supporters/lawyers), we'd be delighted
> > if you
> >> would. Obviously, the women must want to be interviewed. We'll
> > do the
> >> rest. As you know, we cannot promise that our stories (of their
> > lives)
> >> will actually help them. But we can promise that as many as
> > 50-million
> >> people will see their stories---and, I believe, will be genuinely
> >> affected by it.
> >>
> >> Thanks!
> >>
> >> Best Regards,
> >>
> >>
> >> Philip Reeder---714/842-8422
> >>
> >> Senior Producer
> >> "The Women on Death Row"
> >> "Burrud Productions"
> >> "WE: Women's Entertainment Network"
> >>
> >> Productions", a Southern California based television production
> > company,
> >> with a (nearly) 50-year history of producing popular,
successful and
> >> award winning TV Documentaries, Specials and Reality Series.
> >>
> >> We were recently commissioned by "WE: Women's Entertainment", a
> > National
> >> Cable Television Network (with more than 50-million current
> > subscribers),
> >> to produce a 90-minute, National Primetime Documentary Special
> > about,
> >> "The Women of Death Row."
> >>
> >> Because the "WE" Network demographic is primarily female, they're
> >> especially interested in a special that is serious, important,
> > socially
> >> relevant and, at the same time, appealing to their (female)
> > audience.
> >> The Network is also committed to making a powerful, necessary
> > statement
> >> about these women's lives.
> >>
> >> As the "lead" person on this documentary, I have a particularly
> > strong
> >> history in producing these kinds of fair, honest and (powerfully)
> >> emotional programs. Many of them have been successful,
> > well-received and
> >> even critically acclaimed, largely for the passion (and,
yeah, the
> >> quality) with which they were produced. On a personal level,
I've
> >> received more than 40 EMMY nominations, 5 EMMY wins and a
> > basketful of
> >> other national awards and honors.
> >>
> >> In other (less immodest?) words, I am a producer, and we are a
> > production
> >> company, who believe in the power, importance and responsibility
> > of the
> >> "serious" documentary---and this is, without question, a serious
> >> documentary.
> >>
> >> While (vis-a-vis the Network's demographic concerns) we
> > certainly want to
> >> produce a program that's interesting, and compelling, to
> > everyone, there
> >> is a specific storytelling method in making a documentary that's
> > especially
> >> compelling to women. We must, in an up-close-and-personal way,
> > introduce
> >> our audience to WHO these women really are. Our audience must
> > know them;
> >> and care about them. As storytellers, we must talk about these
> > women's
> >> lives---and not just about their crimes... and/or the crimes
they're
> >> alleged to have committed.
> >>
> >> This show is not an expose, nor is it a prison reform
> > investigation---and
> >> it is not, in any way, a salacious peek into
'women-behind-bars'. We
> >> don't need blood 'n guts to make this show special. We don't need
> >> inmates swearing and spitting at the guards to make this
show work.
> >>
> >> We do, however, need to look inside the secret-selves of these
> > women. We
> >> do need to climb inside their hearts. We need these women to
> > trust us enough
> >> to tell our audience their harrowing and dramatic tales, whether
> > they're
> >> heartrending or gut-wrenching. We need them to be honest,
> > truthful and
> >> real. We are not looking for misery. We are not looking to
> > produce pity.
> >> We are, though, looking to produce a show about women (people!)
> > who, no
> >> matter what, deserve the respect of having their stories told,
> > especially
> >> those story-parts which were (too often) never seen during, or
> > after,
> >> their trials---and, perhaps, those story elements that some
> > folks may not
> >> want told even today. As national media, we have the
privilege, the
> >> right---and the obligation to reveal all the facts, whether
legal or
> >> emotional.
> >>
> >> Please understand, our program is, in no way, an apologia for
these
> >> women's crimes (and/or alleged crimes). It is also not an
anti-death
> >> penalty rant; nor is it a pro death penalty sermon. Our
> > documentary is
> >> about these women as, well---as Human Beings, in the light and
> > in the
> >> dark.
> >>
> >> Although we're currently speaking with the attorneys for three
> > women now
> >> on the Row in Texas (Frances Newton, Darlie Routier and Cathy
> >> Henderson), we'd very much like to speak with ALL the women
> > currently on
> >> death row. However, we're having some trouble locating any
> > "principal"
> >> people (whether lawyers or support groups) for the other women.
> >>
> >> Please Rick, if there's anything you can do to help us get in
> > touch with
> >> these women (and/or their supporters/lawyers), we'd be delighted
> > if you
> >> would. Obviously, the women must want to be interviewed. We'll
> > do the
> >> rest. As you know, we cannot promise that our stories (of their
> > lives)
> >> will actually help them. But we can promise that as many as
> > 50-million
> >> people will see their stories---and, I believe, will be genuinely
> >> affected by it.
> >>
> >> Thanks!
> >>
> >> Best Regards,
> >>
> >>
> >> Philip Reeder---714/842-8422
> >>
> >> Senior Producer
> >> "The Women on Death Row"
> >> "Burrud Productions"
> >> "WE: Women's Entertainment Network"
> >>
