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+--- Thread: WINE SHOW for PBS (/thread-2495.html)
- Brian Stephens - 10-24-2003
Hello everyone,
My name is Brian Stephens. my partner Vivian Levine and I are currently in production of a 13 show HD series on wines called, "Wine Degustation of The World". We will travel around the world to familiar countries in search of the many different landmarks of the wine industry, while learning how the skilled professionals make their mark in history. We would like to take this time to propose to any who may be interested in effort to help sponsor our program.
Our upcoming thirteen-episode series will allow us to focus on the unseen world of winemaking. Current sponsor's have requested that we help supply exposure for their companies, products and unique visions in marketing wines from around the world. We are currently developing strategic alliance partnerships with these companies who will offer marketing savvy as well as enable Internet hyperlinks to our sponsor's websites. Our goal is not only to provide high quality programs for national network television, but it is also are goal to provide streaming video from particular episodes that feature those sponsor's stories. The objective is to expose high quality programming for our sponsors under an existing full-service website that currently hosts such sponsor's domains. New media capabilities for future e-business endeavors are a priority for those sponsors who may lack a strong web presence or who are not currently achieving the unique number of visitors they desire. An introductory demo reel shot on DV of our behind the scenes footage from Australia is now available at: www.pixel-flick.tv.
NOTE: The site is still currently under construction until mid-november and we thank you for your patience.
EXECUTIVES
The Producer, Vivian Levine, has been producing programs for more than 11 years with such shows as, "The K-9 Capers" series on PBS and "K-9 Gallery of Breeds". She is currently the Wine Specialist for the Chicago restaurant, Arun's, which serves extensive world wine selections. Arun's has recently received the coveted Wine Spectator Award of Excellence. Vivian
Levine's global e-mail address is vivlevine_pfetv@yahoo.com.
The Director, Brian Stephens, has worked in the film and television industry for more than 11 years. He began his career as an actor in television and film, and retains a current SAG membership. He has worked as a Director for live television talk shows for PBS, and has been master control operator, switcher, technical director and lighting technician. He Produced a half-hour show on footballs most fabulous females, "The Oakland Raiderettes". He has worked on numerous feature films and worked on the lighting crew for John Hancock's HD (high definition) movie titled, "Suspended Animation", which premiered in winter of 2001/2002. Brian can be reached by phone or email at: 708 860-2564 or bstephens_pfetv@yahoo.com
THE PROGRAM
"Wine Degustation of The World" is a program that will peek the interest of wine enthusiasts and wine connoisseurs alike. It is geared toward armchair travelers, casual wine buyers, and architectural aficionados as well. Because it is a magazine style show, viewers are guided through an exploratory visit
of unique wine producing regions of the world and can experience first hand, the many wine producing techniques.
As a 13 episode, multiple-location program, we will help viewers distinguish the finest wine growing regions of the world (i.e., Australia, Italy, California, Germany, Austria, Spain, Portugal, France, Greece, Hungary, Argentina/Chile, New Zealand, and South Africa). Each show will allow for related topics as well. Viewers will be able to see and appreciate the unique beauty of featured vineyards, as well as the countries in which they reside. Programming will feature architecture, family histories, award winning wines, manufacturing innovations, agricultural climates, and other visual points of interest. Viewers will also be rewarded in their eventual grasp of the factors that affect the taste, quality and value of the featured wines. Finally, viewers will be given the opportunity to meet with the world's greatest wine producers, in their most intimate settings.
DEMOGRAPHICS AND DISTRIBUTION
Our presenting station is PBS (public television stations), and will originate on WTTW in Chicago, Illinois. The network's distribution is comprised 346 affiliate stations. The Chicago demographics alone currently cover over 2.2 million households comprised of upper-middle class, educated, 22-68 year old viewers.
OBJECTIVES
Our objectives with Pixel-Flick Entertainment are to continue producing high quality programming. We will engage the services of a nationally recognized advertising firm in order to advance our marketing and programming services throughout numerous countries. We will focus on clients needs and supply strong exposure for their products.
MARKETS
Watching the program entices viewers to visit certain parts of the world, and helps bring our sponsor's wines to mind when viewers shop for newer vintages or order the program's featured wine products from their favorite restaurants or retail wine sellers.
Our production will capture additional footage to be used for ancillary needs, including but not limited to; promotional pieces, educational materials, and product-specific marketing pieces for our featured winemakers, the travel industry, agricultural bureaus of the world, and wine manufacturing associations who choose to become featured participants of the project. PBS viewers may eventually order either a VHS or a DVD collection which will also have special "behind-the-scenes footage" to learn even more about the countries, geographic regions, vineyards, vintages, varietals, winemakers, and interesting stories behind the wines.
PRE-PRODUCTION
Pixel-Flick Entertainment visited Australia with a 12 member technical crew and captured exceptional footage of the Penfolds Estate (located just below the Adelaide Hills), as well as the d'Arenberg Estate (situated in the McLaren Vale region of South Australia). Additional footage was acquired while visiting the newly established National Wine Center of Australia, which endeavors to provide both an "educational" and "wine appreciation" experience for its many thousands of annual visitors. Shooting didn't wrap until shortly after taking advantage of a picturesque journey across the beautiful Barossa Valley aboard the famous Barossa Wine Train. Having recently returned from Australia, we now begin production on our next episodes. Currently we're focusing on traveling to Europe for the next few episodes followed by the Southern Hemisphere Countries such as South Africa, Argentine/Chile, & New Zealand.
If anyone is interested in speaking with us about the project and may even be interested in being a sponsor, please email or contact us for further information.
Thank
- Auburnwine - 10-24-2003
Do you actually have a contract with PBS -- or is this one of those things where you charge companies $15 or $20K to film them with the promise that they will be featured on national television (usually A & E or PBS)?
I've never heard of any reputable production where "Current sponsor's [sic] have requested that we help supply exposure for their companies, products and unique visions in marketing wines from around the world." And I have never seen a program on PBS that featured the products of companies that were the program's sponsors.
I hate to be cynical but it sounds like you're working a con.
- Thomas - 10-24-2003
I don't know from working a con, but by the nature of the Australian pre-production stuff, I can already tell that the program will be rehashing the stuff that every major wine region and wine producer gets from rags like the Wine Spectator, et al.
I would love a program to travel off the well-worn and well-hyped beaten track to actually talk about wine, in its historical, cultural, and modern context, and not in its hyped advertising and promotion mode.
Hugh Johnson already did a fairly good program on wine that PBS ran years ago, and I have yet to see anyone do a better one.
I also wonder about "coveted Wine Spectator" awards; coveted by whom? Certainly not real wine people.
- Brom - 10-30-2003
"Programming will feature architecture, family histories, award winning wines, manufacturing innovations, agricultural climates, and other visual points of interest"
Thing is, none of the above have anything to do with your title, do they? I am surprised to begin with that a programming chief would approve a title with the word "Degustation" in it, but if you are going to claim it, shouldn't that be your focus?
Why did you choose this title?