ESCAPE TO REALITY Show

o show overview (.pdf)

This show covers the real-life adventures of a seasoned photojournalist. Me.

Why? Because nobody has ever told the story of a photojournalist.

  • A photojournalist is like a wandering cowboy. He is the last romantic hero. He is self-reliant, works alone, travels near and far and calls home where he places his hat. He’s a hybrid: part scout, part native and part soldier.

  • The photojournalist might sleep under the stars one night and bask in the luxury of a five star hotel the next. In the morning, he is gone, off to another place seeking another story to photograph.

  • The photojournalist finds the ideas, researches its background, gains access to the subject, photographs and writes about it then sends the story off to editors around the world.

Sounds pretty glamorous. But it’s true. One week I might be chasing tornadoes in Oklahoma. The next week I might be in a flak jacket in Iraq. Not quite. I’m more likely to be backstage at a Paris cabaret.

There are only a handful of us full-time free-lance photojournalists in the world. And “Escape to Reality” is the first television about a photojournalist.

ESCAPE TO REALITY Show Overview

Show Concept
The show is about a photojournalist who travels all over the world. It is more about personal experience than a guidebook. The audience will feel like they met the subjects not merely watching a host showing off touristy sites.

The Market
This show is for upscale baby-boomers. Based on the past 25 years, the audience is well-educated with disposable income, relatively well-traveled, curious about other cultures and places. This profile applies to audiences in virtually all countries.

Show Structure
A 24 minute show is a combined series of ‘clips.’ Each clip is an independent story running from one to five minutes.

Topics Covered
The main theme is people met on the journey. However, the situation can fall into a number of categories: travel, history, food, adventure, art, lodging, music, sensuality.

Show Season
Locations scheduled for 2006 include:
China (Beijing)
Cuba
France (Paris)
Japan
Singapore
Thailand
USA (Oklahoma)
USA (Los Angeles)

Show Outline
Broadcasters can custom design their programming by selecting from a wide range of themed clips.

USA – Oklahoma – choice of clips includes:

• Byron Berline – He played for the Rolling Stones, Elton John and Bob Dylan. He prefers giving concerts in Guthrie.
• SWAK – Small town knitting shop has one of the world’s largest inventory selections.
• Doll Hospital – Broken hearted collectors send in their broken dolls for repair from all over the world.
• Buffalo Soldiers – African-Americans protected Native Americans from white settlers and vice versa.
• Guthrie – America’s largest historic landmark.
• Bricks – The state is made of red clay and that’s why we have red bricks.
• Yellow Barn Art Farm – One man’s dream to create a 400 mile art park.
• Miss Lizzie’s Bordello.
• Clydesdales – Featured in the Macy’s parade, they actually live in luxury out here.
• Stockyards – cowboys on horses still driving cattle in a major metropolitan area.
• Custom-made Cowboy Hats – At Stemwinders, they certainly do make them like they used to.
• Custom-made Cowboy Boots – These $3,000 a pair boots don’t see horses or cattle.
• Cattleman’s Steakhouse – A 100 year old steak place tradition.
• Prairie firefighters – Prairie fire fighting school.
• Scottish Rites – A building suitable for an empire located in a small town.
• Lady bull riders – Talk about hard-bodied tough.
• Black cowboys – One of every three cowboys was African-Americans. We prove it.
• FAA – Flying with the airport mapmakers.
• Oklahoma City.

Show promotion

• During the production of each show the local broadcast and print media are contacted for interviews.
• Individual show clips will be distributed to a wide range of ‘free’ internet clip sites with the show logo attached.
• Google advertising.
• Public appearances and lectures at travel trade shows.
• Work directly with all local public and private film commissions, tourism offices, chamber of commerce.

Advertising and sponsorship
The show offers a unique opportunity to laser target an audience with webcasting, slivercasting and broadcasting media. A sponsor for example might hitch onto all ‘food’ or ‘style’ related outlets.

Be on the show
Publicists, Public relations firms, government tourism offices, private companies, individuals are welcome to pitch show topics.

For more information contact:

harris@harrisfromparis.com