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Congratulating History Making Productions and commemorating the work of Founder and Executive Producer Sam Katz for his multi-format historical documentary television film and Internet project Philadelphia: The Great Experiment.
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WHEREAS, Philadelphia: The Great Experiment was developed to showcase America's first city from its pre-history and then across nearly four centuries, as the nation's laboratory of ideas, a place of continuous innovation, exploration, and inquiry. A primary goal of the project is to give the viewer a better understanding of the origins and development of American ideas and ideals and the American character, through the lens of the Great Experiment. The story of democracy, the Constitution, civil rights, religious freedom, and of pluralism originates in Philadelphia. By using Philadelphia as an outstanding example of the urban crucible, viewers will understand Philadelphia better. By attaching the ideas of democracy, freedom, and tolerance to the specific location of Philadelphia, the project intends to engage viewers with four centuries of history, finding new ways to understand the challenges facing America and its cities today; and
WHEREAS, Sam Katz believing that Philadelphia has been on the forefront of progressive social movements, technological innovation, and the arts since the City's founding decided to showcase the City's history by researching, co-writing, and co-producing the documentary series Philadelphia: The Great Experiment; and
WHEREAS, The series' first four episodes titled The Floodgates Open, Fever: 1793, Promise for a Better City, and The Fight aired on 6ABC; and
WHEREAS, Sam Katz used creative ways to engage the public and raise funds including over $50,000 using Kickstarter to go toward post-production costs for the next set of episodes, webisodes and a longer movie put together with the footage already shot for the series; and
WHEREAS, Sam Katz's History Making Productions received three 2013 Emmy Awards from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Mid-Atlantic Chapter for Best Documentary and Best Musical Composition/Arrangement for the episode Fever:1793 and Best Historic/Cultural Program/Special for the episode The Capital City; and
WHEREAS, Philadelphia: The Great Experiment serves as a showcase for our City; that can be shown around the world documenting our prominent role in the formation of America and the future role that we will continue to play as one of our nation's largest and forward-thinking cities; now therefore be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That it hereby congratulates History Making Productions and commemorates the work of Founder and Executive Producer Sam Katz for his multi-format historical documentary television film and Internet project Philadelphia: The Great Experiment.
RESOLVED FURTHER, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to Sam Katz and History Making Productions further evidencing the sincere admiration and respect of this legislative body.
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