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Home My WebLink About11/15/2022 04.Bi Yakima Documentary Series Concept Plan Y�'111;'+ BUSINESS OF THE CITY COUNCIL YAKIMA, WASHINGTON AGENDA STATEMENT Item No. B.i. For Meeting of: November 15, 2022 ITEM TITLE: Yakima Documentary Series Concept Plan SUBMITTED BY: Chief Matt Murray Alexis Robie, Executive Producer SUMMARY EXPLANATION: Executive Producer Alexis Robie is presenting to the council a concept plan for a Yakima documentary series. His focus is on policing and community engagement and empowerment. Mr. Robie has done several documentary series over the years. We are asking for a Council perspective on this before agreeing to proceed with this project. There will be no cost to the City. ITEM BUDGETED: NA STRATEGIC PRIORITY: NA APPROVED FOR SUBMITTAL BY THE CITY MANAGER RECOMMENDATION: ATTACHMENTS: Description Upload Date Type D concept plan 10/19/2022 Presentation 2 YAKIMA DOCUMENTARY SERIES PROJECT - CONCEPT PLAN INTRODUCTION For several years, I have followed the work of Chief Matt Murray, the Yakima police department, and various Yakima community groups. I have seen how the partnerships and programs have begun to bear fruit. Crime is trending downward, trust in the police is on the rise. Opportunity for young people is growing, with more options for treatment, jobs, and education. ='•�. Ar_ F WALK ABOUT YAKIMA • While there is a lot of good news here, that's not the story I get when I read about Yakima in the press. I am proposing to tell a NEW STORY about Yakima, one that is not widely known. It is a story of a city with challenges and with community members who are not afraid to do the work to try to change. And I want to tell this story not just for the people of Yakima to see, but also as an inspiration to communities around the country who might be losing hope. This is an opportunity to tell an important story that deserves to be told. _, •�+ k` -a �T . - 4100 3 YAKIMA DOCUMENTARY SERIES PROJECT — CONCEPT PLAN And to tell this story effectively, I believe we need to be immersed in the world of the police department and community organizations DOCUMENTING their work in real time. THE PROJECT We are developing a limited documentary series that showcases the work being done TODAY by both the Yakima police department and Yakima community groups as they take on the challenges of public safety. This untitled series of six to eight 60-minute episodes is to be pitched to premium television networks and streamers. Our plan is to film officers and commanders from across the police department as well as community activists, families, and others in the community as they all continue their day-to-day work, in an effort towards increased public safety and increased opportunity for younger members of the community. We would film them as they work and then interview them about their experiences. Imo 111 III .. POLICE -- • ._ jig ' (Mk �i► To produce the series, we would require access to film with the Yakima Police Department over a period of 12 months. Our filmmaking approach uses small production crews of one or two highly trained camera operators, who work with small cameras, to be as unobtrusive as possible. No big crews, no hot lights, no distractions. We only film with permission of the participants. 2 4 YAKIMA DOCUMENTARY SERIES PROJECT - CONCEPT PLAN Our professional crews are experienced with filming law enforcement and community members from across the country. They are trained to understand how to document police work as well as members of the public with respect and compassion. Our first step would be to create a short development reel with the Yakima PD and community organizations. This would involve filming for a few days. The development reel would be used to pitch the series to various streamers and networks. Upon commission of the series by a streamer or network, we would begin our principal production period. PROPOSED SCHEDULE • Sept/Oct 2022— If access is granted, film and edit development reel. • Oct/Nov 2022 — Review proposed access agreement between production company and Police department. • Nov/Dec 2022— Pitch networks o If network commissions the limited series, begin filming 2023 o If we need more time to secure commission, we will push start. • Jan 2023 — Dec 2023 — Film over the course of 12 months. • Oct 2023—July 2024— Edit the episodes. • TBD— Projected Broadcast 3 5 YAKIMA DOCUMENTARY SERIES PROJECT - CONCEPT PLAN , ,,y1 It— sa ` e PRODUCERS BACKGROUND Project creator ALEXIS ROBIE is an award-winning documentary producer and creative executive with over twenty years of production and editorial experience. A specialist in the crime and justice genre, he has developed, produced, or overseen hundreds of episodes of programming, including Executive Producing and show running over 130 episodes of A&E's critically acclaimed series, The First 48. He also developed and overseen other non-fiction series such as The Killer Speaks, The Case that Haunts Me, The Interrogators, Runaway Squad, Homicide Squad Atlanta, and First Blood. A+E FACTUAL STUDIO is an IP creation powerhouse that develops and produces premium documentary films and unscripted television for the global marketplace. The studio has expertise in a broad range of genres including docuseries, competition, transformation, lifestyle and true crime. Comprised of two specialty brands, Category 6 Media and Six West Media, the production house delivers exceptional factual content across a number of platforms and networks, including Disney+, HBO Max, Discovery+, A&E, Lifetime, History, Amazon, PBS, NBC, Oxygen and Hulu. LFor More Information, Contact: Alexis Robie, Executive Producer alexis.robie@aenetworks.com 4