Producer and Director Information Read your documentary film analysis questions, particularly Authorship Economics Food, Inc. Producer and Director Information

Who is the director? Robert Kenner Has directed documentaries since the 1990s (many for PBS) His films have been nominated for Emmys and the Oscars. He has won one Emmy Also directs commercials and corporate videos for Hallmark, Hewlitt Packard, and eBay In 2012, Kenner launched FixFood, a social media action project that uses videos and campaigns designed to engage the public in measures to improve the food system.

What do producers do? Producers get films made. They find the money. But there are a bunch of different titles, so here’s a handy chart:

Producer= highest ranking (collects the Oscar if it wins) Producer= highest ranking (collects the Oscar if it wins). In documentaries, he is involved in both finding funding for the film AND the creative aspects Executive Producer= involved in the development, financing or production of the movie, but generally not all three…more of a “big idea” job. Less hands on with the day-to-day creative parts of the film Co-producer = 3rd in ranking. A “junior producer” credit often go to someone who performs a key function in getting the movie made, but who doesn’t have the power or clout of a producer or executive producer. Associate Producer = 4th in ranking. See above.

Why do I care about producers? Since producers are responsible for getting the money to make a film, it’s important to know WHY they decided to get involved. It’s also important to note their resumes in order to assess whether this film is inside or outside of their realm of expertise. Because producers are responsible for getting the film made,

Ok, so who are the producers? Robert Kenner, producer Also the writer and director Has produced documentaries since 1986. Elise Pearlstein, producer Also wrote the film Has been a writer and producer for documentaries since 1998

Bill Pohland, executive producer Produced 12 Years a Slave (2013), Into the Wild (2007) and Brokeback Mountain (2005). the son of self-made billionaire Carl Pohlad, owner of the Minnesota Twins baseball team and one of Forbe's 400 Richest Americans. Robin Schorr, executive producer Food, Inc was her only documentary. She’s produced a bunch of films (which I’ve never heard of, except for The Prince and Me.) She appeared as an actress in 1 film…as Blond Woman In Car, and her scenes were deleted.

Jeff Skoll, executive producer He was eBay's co-founder and first President. (hint…remember who Kenner makes videos and commercials for???) Has produced a TON of both movies and documentaries (and Kenner’s most recent Merchants of Doubt)…some of the most popular documentaries there are (An Inconvenient Truth 2006, Fast Food Nation 2006, Waiting for Superman 2010). And some very popular and award-winning movies: Good Night/ Good Luck, Syriana, The Kite Runner, Charlie Wilson’s War, The Soloist, The Help, Contagion, The Crazies, A Most Violent Year)

Diane Weyermann, executive producer. Has produced a ton of documentaries (many of the same as Jeff Skoll) Richard Pearse, co-producer movie director Member of the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Documentary Branch)…these people are responsible for “corporate management, control, and general policies” for the Academy (the Oscars) On the Yale University Faculty of the New School for Social Research

Melissa Robledo, co-producer Has produced 2 of Robert Kenner’s other films (both after Food Inc). Seems to be a “jack of all trades”—editorial dept, archival research, production manager Eric Schlosser, co-producer author of Fast Food Nation Narrates Food, Inc. has produced 4 other documentaries and the movie There Will Be Blood. Son-in-law of famous actor, Robert Redford 

Sascha Goldhor, associate producer also produced the TV series, Ice Loves Coco and Real World LA credited with “archival research” for Food, Inc. Jay Redmond, associate producer This is the only film he ever produced. He’s in the “camera and electrical department” for Food, Inc. and Merchants of Doubt (2014), which is Robert Kenner’s most recent documentary

Take a moment… Answer the questions for Authorship economics

Here we go! Chapter 1: Fast Food to All Food Directions: I want you to think about what you had for lunch yesterday or today.

❑ It was fast or easy. ❑ It was what I usually eat. ❑ It was nutritious. ❑ It tasted good. ❑ It was a good price. ❑ It was in season. ❑ My friends liked it. ❑ Other factor: __________________________________________________ ❑ I didn’t have any choice in what I ate.

If everyone is looking for similar things in their food—for example, that food be cheap and easy to get—how might that affect what food is available? In what ways might that affect how food is grown and produced?