Lost Parks of Northern California wins at the 2014 CreaTiVe Awards
Pardon us if you’ve already heard the news, but…we think it’s worth bragging about:
“Lost Parks of Northern California,” the series produced by ACE Northern California and Great American Thrills took home the award for “Best Community Access Television Series – Professional” on Saturday at the CreaTiVe Awards in downtown San Jose.
Accepting our CreaTiVe Award for Best Professional Community Access TV Series (Photo by: CreaTV San Jose)
The show airs on both CreaTV San Jose and Peninsula Television here in the Bay Area.
We could not have done this without everyone who we’ve met along the way, contributed a video or photo at a lost park they once visited, or simply shared their experiences with us. Thank you for the opportunity to live history vicariously through you! Here’s to many more awards and celebrations.
And yes, you’re allowed to say, “We knew them when…”
Bay Area Proud and “Lost Parks”
It’s crazy to think how time flies by, but this week marks one year since were had the incredible fortune of being followed for the day by Garvin Thomas of NBC Bay Area.
Surreal, nerve racking, inspiring – all words that would describe us that day. But Garvin and his assistant kept us at ease – they never were intrusive, yet you knew they were there. They never got in the way, yet somehow always got the shot they needed. In case you missed it, here’s the story that Garvin produced.
But Garvin didn’t just stop there. He went a step beyond. When a TV station tried to hire me away from my current gig, Garvin was more than happy to dish out advice – good advice mind you – that has served me well ever since.
The motto at my high school was “Men and Women for Others.” I must say, after meeting with and working with Garvin – he is the living epitome of that phrase. I can only hope to someday return the favor. Maybe with a mention in an Emmy speech…or how about the CreaTiVe Awards if we’re nominated?
Taking our Lumps
I suppose it was inevitable – the “Lost Parks” and Great American Thrills train (so to speak) was doing so well for such a long time – eventually we’d have to stumble or run into some adversity.
Unfortunately, that adversity came in the form of a Facebook message at 12:53am on early Friday morning.
As some of you know, we air sporadically on CreaTV in San Jose and Campbell. We had entered our Manteca Watersides episode into three categories for consideration in their CreaTiVe Awards – a massive gala held at the California Theatre every January.
Sadly, the episode (the best in the series thus far) did not qualify as a finalist in any of the three categories it was entered into. (Creative Excellence – Editor, Creative Excellence – Producer, Non-Profit – 2-30 mins.)
To say it’s a blow to the ego would be an understatement – but, if I’m looking on the flip side, it says a ton about the state of local producers and their content that something as detailed and time consuming as our project was – was simply not enough.
We move onward – to the Santa’s Village episode, and then into a bright 2014 full of optimism, hope and, “who knows.”
Great American Thrills® 