John Paget's Blog

Buffalo For Real TV series

Buffalo For Real TV is an online series exploring the unique places and one-of-a-kind experiences to be found in Buffalo and Western New York.  Check out all episodes in the series at the Buffalo For Real TV youtube channel.  Collaborating with musician Nelson Starr and Ed Healy at Visit Buffalo Niagara, we produced five episodes in 2011: Beer, On the Waterfront, First Fridays in Allentown, Buffalo Bills Tailgating, and Vidler's 5&10.  Thanks for watching and look for more episodes in 2012.

"Locally Grown" complete - get it on DVD!

One of my favorite projects this year was producing Locally Grown, a 35 minute documentary about Buffalo's most beloved store, the Lexington Co-Op.  It was a privilege to meet many of Lexington's founding members and local farmers;  they offered many humorous anecodotes, and an inspiring message for all of Buffalo about what is possible when a community comes together in common purpose.  In case you missed the premiere, the DVD is now available at the store.

Buffalo: All The City's A Stage

My latest short film, produced with Theatre Alliance of Buffalo (Constance McEwen Caldwell) and Visit Buffalo Niagara (Ed Healy). Only seven minutes, but a year in production.  Thanks to those who helped on various shoots (William Bottriell, Wesley Dean, Nate Peracciny), and all the actors and artists who appear in interviews: Vincent O'Neill, Saul Elkin, Anthony Chase, Leah Russo, Adrienne Lewis, Jon Elston.

Paget Films publishes Alcatraz ex-con biography

This summer, I acquired publishing rights to and reprinted (with a new cover design by Ryan Besch) the biography of ex-Alcatraz inmate #1076, John Dekker. 

If you're touring San Francisco, look for it in stores along the Wharf.  Or, you can purchase a signed copy from my online store ....OR if you're a Kindle reader, it's also available for Kindle through Amazon.

Dekker is one of the featured characters in my documentary film Alcatraz Reunion - in fact, he kind of stole the show with one witty comment after another.  BTW, he's the only Alcatraz inmate to be seen actually smirking in his official mug shot - so we had to use it on the book cover.

Elvis Impersonator World Championships

Just finished up a week in Memphis, Tennessee, co-producing an international Elvis impersonator contest, the KING OF THE WORLD ELVIS TRIBUTE ARTIST WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS.

Our winner was Mr. Dwight Icenhower from Orlando, Florida. (Yes, he imitates the King but has the name of a President).

If you've never been to Memphis for the Elvis World Championships, you're missing out on one of the great moments in American culture.

Here are a few short highlight films I put together from the week.

Buffalo For Real TV premieres online

Check out Buffalo For Real TV, a new web series I'm producing with Nelson Starr and Visit Buffalo Niagara.  First installement went online today and is a profile of Buffalo's craft beer scene, featuring Pearl Street Grill & Brewery, Cole's, Blue Monk, Village Beer Merchant and the Adam Mickiewicz Library.

CNU Daily Show in Madison, Wisconsin

I produced an online daily TV show with First+Main Media at The Congress for the New Urbanism in Madison, WI.  Check out some interesting interviews and highlights from what I think is the most important unheralded movement in the world.  You can find all episodes of the daily show at the First+Main youtube channel.  Click here for the complete playlist.

Thanks to Notre Dame School of Architecture for sponsoring the show!

New promo film for Visit Buffalo Niagara

New promo film for Visit Buffalo Niagara, helping launch their new brand "Buffalo. For Real."

I shot this mostly in the last month here in Buffalo, New York (of course).  Script by Ed Healy at Visit Buffalo Niagara and narration by Saul Elkin.

 

"This Place Matters" wins at 2011 Addy Awards in Buffalo, New York

"Buffalo: This Place Matters", the short film I created last year with the Buffalo Niagara Convention & Visitors Bureau, won Best of Show Runner-Up and a Gold Addy in the category of Video Sales Presentation at the Buffalo Advertising Club's 2011 Addy Awards.

The judges, a panel of advertising professionals from markets including Toronto, Boston, Philadelphia and Winston-Salem, offered these reviews:

"A love letter to Buffalo."

"Made me want to move here."

The film will now move on and compete at regional and national levels of the American Advertising Federation.

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The annual ADDY Awards competition recognizes exceptional advertising created in the Western New York market in all forms of media including print, broadcast, out-of-home, and interactive. 418 entries by 25 companies were judged by a panel of four independent advertising professionals from markets including Toronto, Boston, Philadelphia and Winston-Salem, N.C. Of the 418 entries, 317 were submitted by the five listed above. - from Business First Buffalo

The convict that could not make it to the Alcatraz Reunion...

Today's San Francisco Examiner features the story of an ex-Alcatraz inmate just released from Leavenworth Prison on March 18th at age 78.  Judging from his Alcatraz inmate number (the numbers were assigned consecutively), he served time with many of the cons featured in my documentary, Alcatraz Reunion.

Click to read story: "Former Alcatraz convict now free at 78"