Platforms

The Washington Post Snag Films

Partners

The Washington Post Downtown Community Television Center Carnegie Corporation of New York

Process

Selection

We asked the citizens from the Primaries ’08 series to continue.

Participants

  • Lizz, a 23-year-old florist from Iowa
  • Bert, a laid-off manufacturing professional and libertarian from New England, now living in Maine
  • Tamara, a 33-year-old Baptist mother of three and teacher from South Carolina
  • Tanya, a gun-carrying half-Cuban-American/half Puerto-Rican art gallery director from Florida
  • Alex, a Californian who works for AT&T and lives with his Mexican-American son-in-law and grandchildren.

Financing

The production budget was covered by individual contributions and a grant from The Carnegie Corporation to DCTV in partnership with Purple States, for nonpartisan, grassroots coverage of the immigration issue.

Editorial Control

The producers selected the citizens and determined the content.

Credits

  • Produced and (with the exceptions specified below) directed by Cynthia Farrar, John Kennedy, and Beth Morrissey
  • (Re) introducing Purple States; Job (in) security; A (Post) Racial Election; and Preventing (Teacher) Dropout directed and edited by Laura Beatty
  • Editing of remaining videos by Flavia Fontes
  • Videography by Robbie Leppzer

(Re)Introduction

Obama and McCain, Biden and Palin, through the eyes of five ordinary Americans.

Job (In)Security

Is the American Dream disappearing? Will green jobs offer security and pensions? Lizz and Bert with candidates in Michigan.

Drill (Maybe) Drill

Elizabeth is young and Green, and she worries about offshore drilling -- which both candidates support.

Foreclosing On Trust

Alex and Tanya explore the effect of the housing crisis on neighborhoods – and on public confidence in candidates or government.

The (Home) Front

Being married to a veteran complicates Tanya’s argument with Alex that war is worth the sacrifice.

Preventing (Teacher) Dropout

Tamara and Bert investigate campaign rhetoric about "keeping good teachers and getting rid of bad ones."

The (Post) Racial Election?

Tamara explores the meaning of Barack Obama’s candidacy to black Americans.