Edge West Productions
Encyclopedia
Edge West Productions is an American
documentary film and television production company
founded by Peabody Award
winning director, Philip J Day
.
The company was formed in 2006 to better facilitate Day's status as a Documentarian. For more than a decade Day has been an active producing partner with National Geographic Channel
, Public Broadcast Service, Discovery
, The History Channel
, TLC
, BBC Television
, Channel Four (TV UK), and NHK
Japan. Today, Edge West specializes in making high-end, documentary films with elaborate and dramatic recreations about a wide range of subjects. They have produced eight films in three years. Edge West's first film 'The Real Roswell' has been repeated almost every month since it premiered in 2007. 'Tunnel to a Lost World' was voted 'Best Documentary of the Year' by an audience poll in Turkey, the country where the film was made. In 2009 'The Skyjacker That Got Away' was the best rated program ever on the long running series 'Undercover History' for National Geographic.
Before Day started Edge West, he had a long career as a freelance producer and director. His documentary credits include, National Geographic Channel
, Discovery
, BBC TV, Channel Four (UK), The History Channel
, TLC
and PBS.
at the 2010 News and Documentary Emmy Awards in the class of Outstanding Individual Achievement: Lighting Direction & Scenic Design. Also in 2010 the company won three other top Telly Award's for "Lost Cities of the Amazon", "Tunnel to a Lost World" and "Great Escape: The Final Secrets".
Edge West is currently producing three films for National Geographic Channel
. Two of the projects will be made as part of the National Geographic Explorer
series, with one special slated to air in late 2010 and the other in 2011. Both Explorer shows are modern, breaking stories, one dealing with crime, and the other violence. The third film will be included in the long-running Undercover History series on Nat Geo. The films will all be helmed by Philip J Day
and produced by long time collaborator William Martens. A talented and tight knit team, who have collaborated on the company's other films, have been assembled to make the film, including writer, producer Aidan Pickering, son of Sir Edward Pickering (journalist)
.
Owner of Edge West Productions, Philip J Day, is a multi-award winning producer and director. His series on Lyndon B. Johnson
's secret and illegal White House tape recordings began with "Hello Mr President"(1997). The long running series 'The Johnson Tapes' went on to win multiple awards including an Emmy Award
, three EMMY nominations and a Peabody Award
. In 2002 Day's film 'Challenger: Go For Launch' for BBC & Discovery was nominated for an Emmy Award
and also won two Telly Award. 'The Skyjacker That Got Away' is Edge West's first Emmy Award
nomination.
Phil often races triathlons under the banner of Edge West to raise money for children's charities like the Children's Hospital Los Angeles
.
and one for PBS.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
documentary film and television production company
Production company
A production company provides the physical basis for works in the realms of the performing arts, new media art, film, television, radio, and video.- Tasks and functions :...
founded by Peabody Award
Peabody Award
The George Foster Peabody Awards recognize distinguished and meritorious public service by radio and television stations, networks, producing organizations and individuals. In 1939, the National Association of Broadcasters formed a committee to recognize outstanding achievement in radio broadcasting...
winning director, Philip J Day
Philip J Day
Philip J Day is a British Documentary film director and Peabody Award winner. His documentary credits include, National Geographic Channel, Discovery, BBC TV, Channel Four , The History Channel, TLC and PBS....
.
The company was formed in 2006 to better facilitate Day's status as a Documentarian. For more than a decade Day has been an active producing partner with National Geographic Channel
National Geographic Channel
National Geographic Channel, also commercially abbreviated and trademarked as Nat Geo, is a subscription television channel that airs non-fiction television programs produced by the National Geographic Society. Like History and the Discovery Channel, the channel features documentaries with factual...
, Public Broadcast Service, Discovery
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
, The History Channel
The History Channel
History, formerly known as The History Channel, is an American-based international satellite and cable TV channel that broadcasts a variety of reality shows and documentary programs including those of fictional and non-fictional historical content, together with speculation about the future.-...
, TLC
TLC (TV channel)
TLC is an American cable TV specialty channel which initially focused on educational content. Since 1991 TLC has been owned by Discovery Communications, the same company that operates the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and The Science Channel, as well as other learning-themed networks...
, BBC Television
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
, Channel Four (TV UK), and NHK
NHK
NHK is Japan's national public broadcasting organization. NHK, which has always identified itself to its audiences by the English pronunciation of its initials, is a publicly owned corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee....
Japan. Today, Edge West specializes in making high-end, documentary films with elaborate and dramatic recreations about a wide range of subjects. They have produced eight films in three years. Edge West's first film 'The Real Roswell' has been repeated almost every month since it premiered in 2007. 'Tunnel to a Lost World' was voted 'Best Documentary of the Year' by an audience poll in Turkey, the country where the film was made. In 2009 'The Skyjacker That Got Away' was the best rated program ever on the long running series 'Undercover History' for National Geographic.
Before Day started Edge West, he had a long career as a freelance producer and director. His documentary credits include, National Geographic Channel
National Geographic Channel
National Geographic Channel, also commercially abbreviated and trademarked as Nat Geo, is a subscription television channel that airs non-fiction television programs produced by the National Geographic Society. Like History and the Discovery Channel, the channel features documentaries with factual...
, Discovery
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
, BBC TV, Channel Four (UK), The History Channel
The History Channel
History, formerly known as The History Channel, is an American-based international satellite and cable TV channel that broadcasts a variety of reality shows and documentary programs including those of fictional and non-fictional historical content, together with speculation about the future.-...
, TLC
TLC (TV channel)
TLC is an American cable TV specialty channel which initially focused on educational content. Since 1991 TLC has been owned by Discovery Communications, the same company that operates the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and The Science Channel, as well as other learning-themed networks...
and PBS.
Awards
In 2010 Edge West Productions won a coveted Telly Award for the production of The Skyjacker That Got Away. The story of DB Cooper, a man who has eluded the FBI for over thirty years. Four Edge West members of that film, Philip J Day, William Martens, Calder Greenwood and Mark Fenlason have been nominated for an Emmy AwardEmmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
at the 2010 News and Documentary Emmy Awards in the class of Outstanding Individual Achievement: Lighting Direction & Scenic Design. Also in 2010 the company won three other top Telly Award's for "Lost Cities of the Amazon", "Tunnel to a Lost World" and "Great Escape: The Final Secrets".
Edge West is currently producing three films for National Geographic Channel
National Geographic Channel
National Geographic Channel, also commercially abbreviated and trademarked as Nat Geo, is a subscription television channel that airs non-fiction television programs produced by the National Geographic Society. Like History and the Discovery Channel, the channel features documentaries with factual...
. Two of the projects will be made as part of the National Geographic Explorer
National Geographic Explorer
National Geographic Explorer is an American documentary television series that originally premiered on Nickelodeon on April 7, 1985, after having been produced as a less costly and intensive alternative to PBS's National Geographic Specials by Pittsburgh station WQED...
series, with one special slated to air in late 2010 and the other in 2011. Both Explorer shows are modern, breaking stories, one dealing with crime, and the other violence. The third film will be included in the long-running Undercover History series on Nat Geo. The films will all be helmed by Philip J Day
Philip J Day
Philip J Day is a British Documentary film director and Peabody Award winner. His documentary credits include, National Geographic Channel, Discovery, BBC TV, Channel Four , The History Channel, TLC and PBS....
and produced by long time collaborator William Martens. A talented and tight knit team, who have collaborated on the company's other films, have been assembled to make the film, including writer, producer Aidan Pickering, son of Sir Edward Pickering (journalist)
Edward Pickering (journalist)
Edward Pickering was a British newspaper editor.Born in Middlesbrough, Pickering entered journalism as an apprentice with the Northern Echo. He then moved to London as a sub-editor on the Daily Mirror, followed by the Daily Mail...
.
Owner of Edge West Productions, Philip J Day, is a multi-award winning producer and director. His series on Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
's secret and illegal White House tape recordings began with "Hello Mr President"(1997). The long running series 'The Johnson Tapes' went on to win multiple awards including an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
, three EMMY nominations and a Peabody Award
Peabody Award
The George Foster Peabody Awards recognize distinguished and meritorious public service by radio and television stations, networks, producing organizations and individuals. In 1939, the National Association of Broadcasters formed a committee to recognize outstanding achievement in radio broadcasting...
. In 2002 Day's film 'Challenger: Go For Launch' for BBC & Discovery was nominated for an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
and also won two Telly Award. 'The Skyjacker That Got Away' is Edge West's first Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
nomination.
Charities
The Employees of Edge West often bring in aspiring filmmakers to teach them "the ropes" of the entertainment industry. Phil's daughter, Kaya, was one of their many students, who at the age of 16 obtained her first production credit for the film Nasca Lines: The Buried Secrets.Phil often races triathlons under the banner of Edge West to raise money for children's charities like the Children's Hospital Los Angeles
Children's Hospital Los Angeles
Children's Hospital Los Angeles, formerly Childrens Hospital Society, is a private, non-profit teaching hospital in Los Angeles. The hospital provides multidisciplinary care to over 93,000 children each year, with physician expertise in over 100 pediatric specialties and subspecialties.The hospital...
.
Notable films
Since its inception in 2006, Edge West Productions has produced seven documentaries for National Geographic ChannelNational Geographic Channel
National Geographic Channel, also commercially abbreviated and trademarked as Nat Geo, is a subscription television channel that airs non-fiction television programs produced by the National Geographic Society. Like History and the Discovery Channel, the channel features documentaries with factual...
and one for PBS.
- "Inside Rio Carnaval" (2007) PBS
- "The Real Roswell" (2007) National Geographic
- "Lost Cities of the Amazon" (2008) National Geographic
- "Tunnel to a Lost World" (2008) National Geographic
- "Great Escape The Final Secrets" (2009) National Geographic
- "The Skyjacker That Got Away" (2009) National Geographic
- "Explorer: 25 Years" (2010) National Geographic
- "Nasca Lines: The Buried Secrets" (2010) National Geographic