Cara Tortora

CLIENT: Bed, Bath & Beyond
+ MBooth Communications Agency

ROLE: Showran & Produced digital branded 3 episode culinary series called “From Our Table to Yours” showcasing new Our Table product line from Bed, Bath & Beyond. “In the kitchen” studio based show consisted of host, Joel Gamoran, and guest celebrity chefs creating unique recipes from scratch and seamlessly integrating Our Table product line. Hired full 30+ person crew for shoot. Managed production team on set and worked with editors, supervising editorial aspects of post production. Facilitated organization & prioritization of client product, script talking points, and talent prep. Supervised broll shoots happening across the country in guest chef’s hometowns. Worked both on set in person during COVID adhering to COVID protocols as well as remotely through post production.

ABOUT:
Introducing “From Our Table to Yours," a new video cooking series created to unite people over a common love for food, bring communities across the country into people’s homes, and inspire everyone to try new dishes.

Throughout the series, you’re invited to take a seat at Our Table™ with acclaimed chefs JJ Johnson, Joe Flamm, and Vivian Howard as they prepare dishes inspired by the flavors, history, and people of their hometowns. The series is hosted by celebrity chef Joel Gamoran of virtual culinary institute Homemade.

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Walmart Cookshop powered by Eko

CLIENT: Walmart

ROLE: Showran, Directed & Produced full digital branded interactive “hands and pans” culinary series with 8 possible unique outcomes per episodes across 24 full episodes. Managed production team on set and worked with editors, supervising post production and input of all nodes into Eko Studio. Worked both on set in person during COVID adhering to COVID protocols and remotely through post production.

ABOUT: Multinational retail chain Walmart, and interactive storytelling platform Eko have partnered to create real-time shoppable episodes for a new recipe-driven series hosted on Walmart’s Cookshop. The shoppable online videos provide the brand’s viewers with a technology-forward solution for healthy and convenient eating.

Viewers are guided through the immersive video experience, choosing in real-time between options like “sweet or savory” and “Strawberry or Honey Pecan Cream Cheese,” based on their own preferences in order to ultimately create a personalized meal recipe. The shoppable video series also provides the option to purchase the associated products in the desired recipe as it is created, and consumers have the option to either subsequently pick up the purchased items in-store, or have them delivered to their own front door.

The custom, integrated experiences are viewable online and on mobile through Walmart Cookshop, an innovative video hub for cooking enthusiasts that brings choice to both grocery shopping and meal planning by providing convenient recipe ideas for customers.

Built on the Eko platform for shoppable and interactive video, the new series serves as an example of how shopping occasions are moving online and into the live-selling territory as companies increasingly utilize embedded virtual tools, interactive entertainment, and immersive experiences to mirror the best of the in-store retail and event occasions.

CLIENT: ABC News

ROLE: Booked all guests, conducted interviews, & wrote full 1 hour show. Managed production team and worked with editors and support staff to help curate imagery. Ingested materials and screened cuts with a remote work setup.

ABOUT: “The Wine Con” – In the early 2000s, a young upstart named Rudy Kurniawan exploded into the world of fine wine, where the rich spend more on a bottle than some people make in a year. He was spending up to a million dollars a month on rare wine at auctions, throwing lavish dinners and becoming the darling of the wine world. He also became the center of one of the most outrageous scams of all-time conning some of the richest collectors in the world. Kurniawan was celebrated for building a cellar full of the rarest wines, selling many of his bottles for record-breaking amounts of money, but he was hiding a secret. After crossing billionaire wine collector Bill Koch, the dark truth about Kurniawan was exposed. The episode features interviews with Koch, novelist Jay McInerney, filmmaker and friend of Rudy’s Arthur Sarkissian, and takes viewers around the world with investigators, wine experts and former FBI agents as they uncover lie after lie.

CLIENT: ABC News

ROLE: Booked guests, pulled moments for scripts, researched and licensed footage for the 2 hour show, worked with editor on specific requests, ingested footage remotely. Remote project due to COVID-19, causing production staff to find workflows to remote in to private company server and disseminate project material to other staff on the project.

ABOUT: How Paris Hilton, Britney Spears and Kim Kardashian changed Hollywood's fame game and paved the way for a new era of celebrity and social media influencers.

CLIENT: Disney+ & National Geographic

ROLE: Contributed to research and development for series overall. Story Produced two episodes (Colombia & Ethiopia) working with editors, writing VO, producing VO sessions, scripting verite content, addressing client notes. Supervised AP & Production support.

ABOUT: ROGUE TRIP is a travel guide to all the places the average tourist is least likely to venture - the roguish nations, territories and regions often misunderstood and frequently overlooked, but each possessing a unique power to surprise, amaze and inspire. Led by ABC News correspondent Bob Woodruff and his 28-year-old son, Mack Woodruff, the two will take viewers on a globe-trotting adventure that will expose the grit and glamour of travel. They’ll share inside jokes, dirty laundry and cramped hotel rooms as Bob teaches his son about the hidden places he loves most. Expect the unexpected in this father-son guide to the beautiful, breathtaking and often hopeful experiences to be had on the edge of chaos. All six episodes of “Rogue Trip” will be available to stream on Disney+ beginning July 24, 2020.

CLIENT: Pati Jinich & Gran Centenario

ROLE: Researched and booked guests across the country for multiple integrated digital videos in partnership with Gran Centenario Tequila.

ABOUT: Pati Jinich connects with her fans once again.. They invite her over for a home cooked meal and, this time, Pati is bringing the drinks!

WINNER: 2019 Front Page Award for Special Reporting (Investigative or Enterprise Reporting)

CLIENT: ABC News

ROLE: Booked, Directed, & Interviewed guests. Scripted 6 act, 1 hour show. Oversaw multiple editors, managing workload & schedules. Supervised AP & Production support.

ABOUT: Privilege, Power, Tragedy. Ted Kennedy, Mary Jo Kopechne, Chappaquiddick. Now finally, her story.

CLIENT: ABC News

ROLE: Booked and Interviewed guests, Directed BROLL shots and Graphic Backplates. Acquired archival footage for 2 hour show from ABC News archives as well as outside news outlets. Oversee 3 Editors, managing workload & schedules. Supervise AP & Production support.

ABOUT: How did late-night phone calls between two friends explode into one of the biggest political scandals in American history? Truth and Lies: Monica and Bill, a new two-hour documentary from ABC News, takes an up close look at hours of surreptitiously recorded conversations between White House intern Monica Lewinsky and her confidante, Linda Tripp; how the saga that ensued took an emotional toll on the desperate, young intern; and the lengths her colleague would go to uncover an American president's deception. The special marking the 20th anniversary of President Clinton's impeachment features new interviews with Kenneth Starr, independent counsel during the Clinton presidency, and Lucianne Goldberg, a literary agent who advised Tripp to make the tapes. The documentary also includes excerpts from Barbara Walters' extraordinary interview with Monica Lewinsky – watched by a record-breaking 48 million people when it aired in 1999 – and rarely seen or heard evidence assembled by the special counsel, including photos, surveillance material and audio recordings.

CLIENT: Genius Kitchen

ROLE: Story Produced entire series- strung out episodes for editors on Avid, wrote all VO & worked with talent on laying in track, provided story notes as well as executed Executive & Network notes, oversaw Post through QC & Conform.

ABOUT:

HOST: Gesine Bullock-Prado

CLIENT: Food Network

SEASONS: 2

ROLE: Book guests, coordinate logistics, & prepare each shoot day’s schedule for full season. Travel to VT for shoot, overseeing and coordinating 20+ person crew. Take post & continuity notes during filming of ITK segments. Direct all insert and close up 2nd passes. Facilitate communication on set between culinary dept, camera crew, art dept, & production. Write up Hotsheets, Beauty Grid, & Field Notes for Editors. Work with Post Dept to submit recipe & production still deliverables.

ABOUT SHOW: Vermont is a very special place and nothing can compare to its beauty. Sugar Glider Kitchen, located in Hartford, Vt., is owned by the self-taught baker, teacher and author Gesine Prado, who hosts classes in her 18th-century farmhouse. Not everyone can visit Sugar Glider Kitchen, so it is coming straight to viewers' homes in "Baked in Vermont." Join Gesine as she crafts her favorite cookie dough, shows off new twists on leftovers, and gives tips for stocking a freezer full of goodies. Throughout the season, viewers will get tips and tricks for making baking easy, fun and accessible for all.

WINNER: 2019 James Beard Foundation Award for Best Television Program, in Studio

HOST: Pati Jinich

CLIENT: PBS

SEASONS: 4 & 7

ROLE: Research creative content & guests for full season. Work with government fixers to book international guests for travel field pieces in Mexico. Reach out to and secure deals with fashion brands, hotels, and vendors for series Trade Outs. Coordinate logistics & schedule each shoot day for Field & ITK shoot dates. Facilitate acquisition and execution of Carnet for camera equipment traveling across international border. Shoot all Social Media content for show promotion. Travel to Mexico & DC for filming, overseeing and coordinating 20+ person crew. Take post & continuity notes during filming of ITK segments. Act as Set Designer, propping and dressing set for each episode. Facilitate communication on set between culinary dept, camera crew, & production. Write up Episode Descriptions, Hotsheets, Beauty Grid, & Field Notes for Post Production.

ABOUT: This series brings authentic Mexican flavors, colors, textures and warmth into American kitchens. A former policy analyst focused on Latin American politics and history, Pati Jinich is also a chef, cooking teacher, food writer and mother of 3 whose true passion lies in sharing the tastes of her childhood and culinary adventures in her native country.

In each episode, Pati embarks upon an exciting and entertaining journey, where each dish serves as a point of departure into Mexico's rich history and culture, Pati's personal experiences, and her ongoing conversations with cooks in both Mexico and the US.

HOST: Rashad Frazier

CLIENT: Cooking Channel

SEASONS: Pilot

ROLE: Research creative content and book guests for Pilot. Acquire recipes, coordinate logistics & schedule each shoot day for Field shoot dates. Set up mise en place for segments. Act as support in ensuring working kitchens can keep open during filming. Write up Episode Descriptions, Hotsheets, Beauty Grid, & Field Notes for Post Production.

ABOUT: Chef Rashad Frazier is in pursuit of food mashup masters who are combining two or more dishes into one spectacular meal. On this trip, he's digging into Stuffed Mac-and-Cheese Ball Burgers, Pork Belly Corndogs, Sloppy Jo-Nuts and Pecan Pie Fries.

CLIENT: Fusion Network

SEASONS: 1

ROLE: Research creative content and book guests for full series on tight turnaround. Work with guests on documenting sensitive subject matter in discreet & respectful manner. Produce story beats for verite narrative thread through each episode. Supervise small crew from field & office to ensure all creative from the field has been acquired. Supervise 5-8 offsite editors at any given time, giving notes, & overseeing creative content.

ABOUT: City Porn dives deep into the adult industry, chronicling the lives of people making a living in the business of sex. From new emerging technologies to companies normalizing inclusivity in porn to educators navigating new sexual territories and more, City Porn examines the full scope of industries surrounding human sexuality.

Each hour-long episode is seen through a lens of a specific city, highlighting what makes sexuality unique in the community based on its history, cultural norms, and current societal agendas. Following multiple characters over the course of an episode, the series documents the distinct communities in Las Vegas, Portland, San Francisco, and New York.

HOST: Afika Nxumalo

CLIENT: Rolling Stone

ROLE: Research creative content and book guests for each episode. Work with Destination Canada to ensure client satisfied with editorial direction. Write up Episode Descriptions & Field Notes for Post Production. Travel to different cities across Canada, facilitate execution of Carnet for international travel with equipment, and manage small crew throughout shoot. Work with Editor on scripting & crafting episodes through completion.

ABOUT: In the new video series, "The Scene," our correspondent Afika Nxumalo visits cities all across Canada to explore the thriving culture full of incredible food, beautiful landscapes and a booming music scene.

CLIENT: History Channel

ROLE: Research creative content and work with EP in mapping out and executing overall show structure. Write & Script multiple Acts of 2 hour special. Oversee 5-10 Editors at any given time, managing workload & schedules. Supervise AP & Production support in acquiring Archival Footage for segments.

ABOUT: A gripping look at Putin’s rise from humble beginnings to brutal dictatorship, and his emergence as one of the gravest threats to America’s security.

HOST: Martin Bashir

CLIENT: ABC

ABOUT: Rare interviews with close friends and her personal staff, including her former butler, chef, bodyguard, press secretary and personal trainer, expose what the princess was thinking as she navigated between new relationships, romance, the press and the public eye. We chronicle a romantic summer with Dodi Fayed, her tender relationship with British Pakistani surgeon Hasnat Khan, and celebrate the emergence of a "new" Diana determined to chart her own path.

CLIENT: A&E

ABOUT: This two-hour special dives into the minds of child killers, and tells the intense, personal stories of young murderers and their victims, with exclusive access to the families involved. These emotional stories drill deep into tragic moments of violence, and show the ripple effects on the families and the killers themselves. In-depth interviews with the prosecutors and defense attorneys in each case, as well as child psychology experts, fosters a debate over punishment versus rehabilitation, and the competence of the adolescent brain.

HOST: Jonas Family

CLIENT: Food Network

SEASONS: Pilot

ABOUT: Kevin, Joe, Nick and Frankie Jonas are heading back to their Southern roots in Belmont, N.C. to support their father's dream of opening a restaurant that pays tribute to his grandmother, Nellie. While the family knows how to sing and perform, they don't know a thing about opening and running a restaurant. With the grand opening just one week away they are down to the wire: the chef must perfect Nellie's signature chicken and learn the Jonas Brothers' favorite sweet potato casserole, the staff needs to be trained, and construction must be completed. It's all hands on deck to make sure Nellie's is ready to serve delicious Southern cuisine and entertain the town, Jonas family-style!

CLIENT: Discovery ID

ABOUT: The murder case-turned-national obsession thanks to the 2014 podcast SERIAL is revisited through exclusive new interviews. Hear from key players in the case as Adnan Syed, convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee, fights for a new trial.

CLIENT: ABC

SEASONS: 2

ABOUT: This unscripted, authentic medical series invites viewers to ride along with the proud men and women of the Boston emergency medical services, one of the most seasoned teams of first responders in the country, as they provide the first step in trauma care to those in need. The responders maintain a calm and professional demeanor, even when dealing with disasters and mayhem, as they give urgent care to the injured and transport them to Boston's prominent hospitals, providing an up-close view of medicine in action.

CLIENT: A&E

ABOUT: Who Is Donald Trump? seems like an appropriate title that asks the question many Americans want to know the answer to. The one-hour documentary will be an up close and personal glance at how this presidential hopeful rose to the top of the real estate game and how he continues to dominate news headlines with his sharp-tongued but witty sayings. On A&E’s television show, expect to learn about him from people who know him best, including members of his own family, other celebrities who’ve worked closely with him, book authors, and even some who don’t particularly like “The Trump.”

The king of competitors, Donald Trump was born to win. And according to him, that’s what his life has been about — winning, and nothing more. Who Is Donald Trump? will reveal that the infamous real estate mogul-turned-producer, author, and now potential presidential hopeful knows just how to make money and ruffle up the American public’s feathers at the same time.

HOST: Francis Garcia & Sal Basile

CLIENT: Cooking Channel

SEASONS: 1 & 2

ABOUT: Cousins Francis Garcia and Sal Basille run successful pizza shops in New York, so they must know a thing or two about the popular food because New Yorkers are picky about their pizzas. But it's not just the best pizza pies they're looking for in this series. They leave the Big Apple in search of some of the best food spots in America, from mom-and-pop joints to well-known establishments. Stops on the guys' culinary journey include Chicago, where they look to discover the secrets of the city's famed deep-dish pizza; visiting America's oldest family-owned Italian restaurant in Philadelphia; and Los Angeles, where they try tacos wrapped in tortillas.

HOST: Debi Mazar & Gabriele Corcos

CLIENT: Cooking Channel

SEASONS: 5

ABOUT: To some, the pairing of a tough-talking actress from Queens, N.Y., with a food purist from Tuscany would seem as natural as, say, mixing oil and water. Yet these two seemingly disparate individuals manage to not only share a passionate marriage but also a love of fine food. Independent film fave Debi Mazar and her Italian husband, Gabriele Corcos, are the spirited stars of this part-reality series, part-cooking show. Prepare for plenty of pesto and paparazzi, as the couple experience the perfect Tuscan-American blend of food and fun.

HOST: Bethenny Frankel

CLIENT: Syndicated

SEASONS: 1

ABOUT: Bethenny Frankel entered the spotlight as the runner-up on "The Apprentice: Martha Stewart" before gaining notoriety as one of the original housewives on the Bravo reality series "The Real Housewives of New York City." She has since built that popularity into her own reality shows and now an hourlong daytime talk show. Frankel's goal with the show is to provide women with someone they can hang out with who understands their needs, desires and inspirations.

HOST: Anderson Cooper

CLIENT: Syndicated

SEASONS: 1 & 2

ABOUT: Anderson Cooper, the youngest son of socialite Gloria Vanderbilt, has hosted a prime-time reality show ("The Mole") and a long-running cable news program ("Anderson Cooper 360"). Now, the journalist enters the daytime talk show scene with "Anderson," a show that's unlike most other daytime chat fests. You won't see Cooper revealing the results of paternity tests. "Anderson" is more of a topical show, with a focus on current events and news stories that capture the audience's attention. In addition to covering news and social issues that stir debate, Cooper brings a more light-hearted approach to some episodes by interviewing celebrities and people with inspiring human interest stories. He also shares provocative personal stories, because Cooper says telling stories that are relevant to viewers' daily lives is when he feels "most useful."