Sightlines
Producing Hispanic Programming for PBS-A Case Study
Spring 1985
by Henry Herx
Dr Lorena Parlee was teaching courses in Mexican history and culture at the University of California at San Diego when she was asked by Cinewest, an independent film group, to do some historical research for a video documentary about veterans of the 1910 Mexican Revolution. BALLAD OF AN UNSUNG HERO took two years to complete, but went on to win a Blue Ribbon at the 1984 American Film Festival. Six months later, in December 1984, the video had its national television premiere on PBS. Narrated by actor Julio Medina, BALLAD OF AN UNSUNG HERO recounts the life story of 88-year-old Pedro J. Gonzalez, from his youth as a telegraph operator drafted into Pancho Villa's army during the Mexican Revolution to his years as a popular singer on a Los Angeles Hispanic radio station in the 1920's, and his unjust imprisonment in San Quentin in the 1930's. Essentially an oral history, the videotape is enlivened by the use of Gonzalez's extensive collection of personal photographs, 8mm footage from both sides of the border, and period recordings. Through its account of Gonzalez's long, colorful career, the tape presents fascinating insights into Mexican-American history and culture.
Research & Development
Lorena Parlee's initial task was to canvas the Southwest for survivors of the Mexican Revolution. Her inquiries through Hispanic publications and social centers turned up few leads until she was contacted by Gonzalez. It took only one meeting with him to convince her that the documentary should profile Gonzalez, since his life reflected many aspects of the Mexican- American experience-the culture of the barrio, the strong family bond, and the demoralization induced by ethnic prejudice.
With the program firmly focused on Gonzalez, the next step was to line up funding to subsidize production costs. Like any novice in the world of independent production, Parlee learned early on that the actual making of a documentary is not nearly as difficult as raising funds to produce it. At this early stage, Cinewest had been developing the project on a small planning grant from the California Council for the Humanities. After their program proposal was turned down by several large corporations headquartered in the Southwest, Cinewest turned to KPBS, the public television station based in San Diego.
Paul Espinosa, director of Hispanic Affairs and senior producer for KPBS, realized the project's potential and committed the station as co-producer. Although KPBS had no funds to offer, it undertook the responsibility for raising whatever money was necessary to produce the documentary. KPBS subsequentially submitted proposals to the National Endowment or the Humanities, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and the Film Fund. "All of them turned down the project," Parlee claims, with a hint of scorn in her voice, "because the subject was not considered important enough or because it was only of regional interest." While these proposals were still under consideration, KPBS allowed Cinewest to start taping Gonzalez, using the station's production equipment and editing facilities. After some months, however, production came to a halt when KPBS recalled its equipment for use on a revenue-producing project for the station. Fortunately, the bulk of Parlee's interviews with Gonzalez and his wife (shot directly on one-inch broadcast quality videotape) had already been completed.
Lacking funds, Parlee, who began the project as researcher and by now was co-writer and associate producer, had to search for photographs and film footage that could be acquired for free. Gonzalez provided a number of personal photographs as did other members of the Hispanic community. Additional material was found in the library of the Los Angeles Museum of Natural History, the files of a local advertising firm, and the prison library at San Quentin. Most of the original footage from the Mexican Revolution came from the University of Mexico City's film archives. In all cases, duplication fees were the only cost.
PBS & Promotion
Once production had been completed, KPBS offered BALLAD OF AN UNSUNG HERO to PBS for national airing. A grant from local McDonald's restaurants, underwriting the cost of the program's national presentation, as well as funding for its promotion, made the PBS broadcast possible. A national PBS airing helps create a national presence for a program, which is a definite plus for independent productions aiming for future distribution in school and library markets.
Promotion is important for any independent production company fortunate enough to get a program aired on PBS. Aided by the McDonald's grant, Cinewest assembled a professional press kit, containing production and content information about BALLAD, with illustrative stills. These kits were distributed to all PBS stations and members of the broadcast press. Since local public television stations are not obliged to broadcast the PBS national feed, the more information the stations have in advance about an upcoming program, the greater the chance that they will carry the show. A comprehensive press kit is important in attracting the station program manager's attention.
Parlee came to New York City in January 1985 to help publicize BALLAD'S broadcast on WNET, the local PBS affiliate, which was showing the program a month after its national air-date. According to Parlee, "I found out just how hard it is to get the press to review a half-hour TV documentary. It was easier to get news coverage about the program than space on the entertainment page." With McDonald's funding for promotion, however, Cinewest was able to afford a modest reception and preview hosted by PBS for the New York press, which Parlee considered quite successful both in the number of press representatives who showed up and their positive reactions to, the program. Most of her efforts in New York were directed at such national publications as The Wall Street Journal, Time magazine, and Newsweek, as well as Hispanic editors and reporters. Her goal was to raise consciousness about Hispanic programming, so that even if journalists write nothing about BALLAD, they might be more open to Hispanic broadcasts in the future. By the time she left New York, Farlee succeeded in getting a lengthy article about BALLAD in The New York Times.
Onward & Upward
Since Dr. Parlee had conducted nine hours of interviews with Pedro Gonzalez and his wife, Maria, for the program, considerable portions were unused in the final 28-minute cut. So, Parlee compiled the entire nine hours into a video oral history. Of considerable cultural and historical value, these videotaped interviews have since been acquined by the libraries of Stanford University, the University of Texas, and the University of California at Los Angeles.
With her first successful project under her belt, Lorena Parlee is now deeply involved in preparing her next production. FROM THE OTHER SIDE will profile three generations of Hispanic women, their experiences from the time of the Mexican Revolution to their immigration to the U.S., and their part in the organization of the United Farm Workers' union in the 1960's. As in the case of BALLAD OF AN UNSUNG HERO, a planning grant from the California Council for the Humanities facilitated the research and scripting. Parlee has been developing her current project in conjunction with Pan American Films, another San Diego production company, whose film, IN THE NAME OF THE PEOPLE, impressed her. Narrated by Martin Sheen this feature-length documentary examines the conflicts in Central America from within the ranks of the guerrillas. It has been nominated for a 1984 Academy Award.
Parlee has also been conducting research for KPBS for THE LEMON GROVE INCIDENT, a program which the station is preparing to produce this year. It will focus on the nation's first school desegregation case: In 1934, a San Diego suburb was sued for providing "separate but unequal" facilities for Anglo and Hispanic students. This project is being funded primarily by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) Program Fund, whose support Parlee attributes to the station's success with BALLAD OF AN UNSUNG HERO. Dr. Parlee is well aware, of course, that there are few "windows" for Hispanic programs on the television broadcast schedule. Right now, however', her main concern is finishing her current production and finding the means to have it reach its audience.