Fire Dogs: Press Release
For some of the first responders in Greenville, the next call they hear could be one to be on television.
Local film company, Dead Horse Productions, will be filming several local fire departments, as part of a televisions series pilot for “Firedogs,” a reality show based on the lives and adventures of firefighters.
The series, created by local entrepreneur James Hayes, will chronicle the personal and professional lives of firefighters from Boiling Springs Fire Station, and other fire departments in the Upstate.
Hayes said his deep respect and admiration for fire fighters led to his belief that the public should know what they do.
“It’s been 10 years since Sept. 11, and our first responders are facing huge budget cuts because of the economic downturn,” Hayes said. “I have tremendous respect for these guys and want to show the public what they face on a day-to-day basis.”
Using state of the art technology, the film crews will travel with the fire departments over to videotape the action as it happens. The series will follow firefighters, much like reality series “Deadliest Catch” follows Alaskan crab fishermen.
Vic Aviles, creative director for Dead Horse Productions, said his crew would be embedded with firefighters for the rest of the month.
“Our goal is to give viewers a taste of what it’s really like to be a firefighter,” Aviles said. “By using special helmet mounted high def cameras, viewers will see what firefighters see. We’ll take the audience into the fire, not only of the buildings and situations the firefighters find themselves in at any call, but in their personal relationships and daily lives.”
Production will wrap up toward the end of the month, Aviles said.
“It is our goal to have the pilot ready for cable television stations by the end of April,” Aviles said. “The stories of these men and women, what they go through on a daily basis, what they do for a living, what they deal with at home, is as compelling television as you’ll ever see.”
This Place Matters: Press Release
Dead Horse Productions, in association with the Anderson County Museum, will premiere its documentary “This Place Matters” on Feb. 22, as part of the museum’s celebration of Black History Month.
The documentary follows historic re-enactor Joe McGill as he spends the night in one of Anderson County’s last remaining slave cabins, while offering insight into what life was like in Anderson County for slaves prior to the Civil War. McGill visited Anderson in August 2010 as part of his effort to bring attention to slave cabins throughout the South.
“All slave dwellings should be preserved so that they can help interpret the African American story as it relates to American history,” said McGill, an officer with the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Purchased by the Palmetto Trust in 2010, the cabins were subject to demolition by the city until the Trust stepped in. According to Palmetto Trust’s research, it is thought that they served as slave cabins for an estate off Morris Street in downtown Anderson, or possibly as cabins for slaves owned by a local merchant, but leased out to others for labor. After the Civil War, the then-freed slaves were allowed to live in the cabins. Eventually, the cabins became rental property for several decades, before being condemned by the city of Anderson.
“These houses represent an historical picture of the lives of slaves and free black men in Anderson County,” said Vic Aviles, Chief Creative Officer for Dead Horse Productions. “Working in conjunction with the Palmetto Trust, historians and the Anderson County Museum, we’ve been able to document what that history was, as well as Joe McGill’s passion to bring that hidden history to the surface.”
During the month of February, a companion exhibit about the buildings and their history will be
on display in the museum.
The documentary will also be shown at the March meeting of the Palmetto Historic Trust.