As if it’s not enough to be able to work in a profession that allows infinite creative expression, the instant gratification of being able to watch your work on TV or see your name in the credits…they give awards for this stuff! And last week we were lucky enough to win two Emmys for “Giada at Home”, the culinary/lifestyle program that we produce for Food Network.
Best Direction – Anne Fox
Best Culinary Program
First of all it IS the Giada DeLaurentiis show. If it were not for her talents as a chef, her tireless work ethic and professionalism, great recipes, on-air personality and presence…let’s face it, we would be producing really ‘neat’ home videos that few people would see. She truly is the real deal and how she comes across on TV is truly who she is.
And our client, Food Network. Very close to 100 million homes, doing well in a down economy, just really nice people to work for who know their brand and are leaps and bounds the best client we’ve ever worked for.
So as the production company, we try to do a good job at all of those variables that we CAN control. The producing and directing, trying not to stick within the ‘formula’ day in and day out, the editing, sound, lighting, look, feel, pacing, graphics.
Anne Fox won the Emmy for best direction for the 2nd year in a row! As Producer and Executive Porducer of the show as well, Anne really didn’t want to Direct, but in the end reluctantly agreed to do both. Two years and 2 Emmys later, I guess it was a good decision. If you were to watch the process, you would see that talent and creativity only takes you so far and then it simply comes down to just a lot of hard, meticulous, work. No one could possibly have any idea what actually goes into the production of a “cooking show”.
While Anne runs the show, it is very collaborative and it really does take a village. Upwards of 70 people touch this show in some way. Last year when Anne won the Emmy for Best Direction, we brought it back on the airplane. Quite the site it was to see it pass through the security scanner.
When we got it back on the other side, part of the wing was cracked off..before we even got it home! So Anne chose to cut it up into little pieces and present everyone in the company with their piece of the Emmy.
The comment that we often receive about the show is how beautiful it looks. OK, a big part of that is the Host! But the look and feel of the beautiful HD set and food and Giada is all Dan Fox. Yes, they are…the hardest working married couple in show business. He along with Anne is an Executive Producer of the show and has created a look that we feel is the most beautiful show on the air.
It was very special to us to compete and win Emmys in L.A. against L.A. and New York companies hailing from the mile High City. And the most exciting part of the evening was winning the Emmy for best culinary program on TV. Once again the competition was daunting and to hear “Citizen Pictures” called was surreal.
We have been nominated in the past and haven’t won. It is truly an honor to just be nominated. But let’s be honest, winning and bringing home the hardware is just better.
Frank Matson