Patrick Creadon
Encyclopedia
Patrick Creadon is an American
documentary
filmmaker, best known for the documentary film Wordplay
. A profile of New York Times crossword
editor Will Shortz
, Wordplay premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival
and became the second-highest grossing documentary of that year. His second film, I.O.U.S.A.
, an examination of America's debt problem which forecast the global financial crisis of 2008-2009, premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival
and was later named one of film critic Roger Ebert
's Top 5 documentaries of the year. Since 2006, Creadon is one of only three filmmakers to release multiple films that were ranked within the Top 100 highest-grossing documentaries of all time. The other two filmmakers are Michael Moore
(Sicko
, Capitalism: A Love Story
) and Davis Guggenheim
(An Inconvenient Truth
, It Might Get Loud
, and Waiting for 'Superman' ).
on The 90’s, regularly shooting and editing pieces for the critically acclaimed weekly documentary showcase. The series was presented on PBS by WTTW
/Chicago and KBDI
/Denver. The Arizona Republic
called The 90's "the best show on television." At 22 years old, Creadon was one of the youngest cameramen in the history of PBS.
In 1993, he moved to Los Angeles after being accepted to the AFI Conservatory
, where he earned his master’s degree in cinematography. His thesis film Tendrils (on which he served as Director of Photography
) was nominated for a student Academy Award
in 1997. As a cameraman, his work has appeared on every major network, including NBC, CBS, ABC, MTV, VH1, and ESPN. He has also done work for Paramount Pictures, Warner Brothers, Sony, Universal Studios, and Disney.
and The Weinstein Company
after being nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance 2006. It was released theatrically on June 16, 2006. The film ran in over 500 theaters across the United States, including at least one theater in all fifty states. Wordplay went on to gross $3,100,000 in domestic box-office, then ranking it among the Top 25 highest grossing documentaries of all time.
A 2008 episode of The Simpsons
, "Homer and Lisa Exchange Cross Words
", is based on the film. James L. Brooks
got the inspiration for the episode after watching Wordplay. "We felt both Will and Merl were very compelling, off-the-beaten-track personalities [in Wordplay], who would fit into our universe very well," Brooks said. The episode was written by Tim Long
, and directed by Nancy Kruse
, and guest starred crossword puzzle creators Merl Reagle
and Will Shortz
as themselves.
Creadon and his wife, producer Christine O'Malley, borrowed $150,000 from family and friends to make Wordplay over the course of 2005-06.
Critics Choice Award nomination "Best Documentary 2006"http://www.bfca.org/ccawards/2006.php
Grand Jury Prize nomination at Sundance "Best American Documentary 2006"http://www.indiewire.com/buzz/documentary.html
Rottentomatoes.com - "Golden Tomato Award For Best Reviewed Documentary of 2006" http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/wordplay/
, one of only sixteen films selected from over 950 submissions. The film is a profile of former Comptroller General
David M. Walker as he and others travel the country warning of financial challenges facing the country. Also featured prominently in the film is Robert Bixby, executive director of the non-partisan Concord Coalition
. It was released by Roadside Attractions
and opened theatrically on August 22, 2008. In an innovative event that took place the night before, I.O.U.S.A. was simulcast live by National CineMedia
to an audience of almost 45,000 in 350 theaters across the United States. Warren Buffett
and others took part in the live town hall meeting immediately after the screening (also simulcast). In addition to traditional movie theaters, the film also screened on over 100 college campuses and community centers throughout the 2008 presidential campaign and after the election, including a special screening for members of Congress at the Library of Congress.
Roger Ebert's "Top 5 Docs of 2008"http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080821/REVIEWS/329/1023
Critics Choice Award nomination "Best Documentary 2008"http://www.bfca.org/ccawards/2008.php
Grand Jury Prize nomination at Sundance "Best American Documentary 2008"http://www.indiewire.com/buzz/movies.html
In promoting the documentary, Creadon was interviewed by NPR's Marketplace, CNN's Lou Dobbs, MSNBC's 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue with David Shuster, NPR's Tavis Smiley, and others.
“There's such a huge disparity between the wealthy and the poor in this country, and I think that's one of the reasons why consumerism is so rampant. A lot of us have become addicted to a lifestyle we can't afford. We're immersed in the culture of excess, so it's going to get really ugly when it has to stop. No one saved for the rainy day and now it's raining.”
in Oak Park, Illinois
in 1985. He graduated with a BA
in International Relations
from The University of Notre Dame
in 1989, where he had served as a writer and an editor for the school paper The Observer.
Creadon is married to and works with producer Christine O'Malley. They live in Los Feliz, California, where they are raising their three young children.
He was a member of the U.S. Documentary Jury at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
filmmaker, best known for the documentary film Wordplay
Wordplay (film)
Wordplay is a 2006 documentary film directed by Patrick Creadon. It features Will Shortz, the editor of the New York Times crossword puzzle, crossword constructor Merl Reagle, and many other noted crossword solvers and constructors...
. A profile of New York Times crossword
Crossword Puzzle
For the common puzzle, see CrosswordCrossword Puzzle was the second to last album made by The Partridge Family and was not one of the most popular albums. It was released in 1973 and did not produce a U.S. single. This album was finally released on CD in 2003 on Arista's BMG Heritage label...
editor Will Shortz
Will Shortz
Will Shortz is an American puzzle creator and editor, and currently the crossword puzzle editor for The New York Times.-Early life and education:...
, Wordplay premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
and became the second-highest grossing documentary of that year. His second film, I.O.U.S.A.
I.O.U.S.A.
I.O.U.S.A. is a 2008 American documentary film directed by Patrick Creadon. The film focuses on the shape and impact of the United States national debt. The film features Robert Bixby, director of the Concord Coalition, and David Walker, the former U.S...
, an examination of America's debt problem which forecast the global financial crisis of 2008-2009, premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
and was later named one of film critic Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
's Top 5 documentaries of the year. Since 2006, Creadon is one of only three filmmakers to release multiple films that were ranked within the Top 100 highest-grossing documentaries of all time. The other two filmmakers are Michael Moore
Michael Moore
Michael Francis Moore is an American filmmaker, author, social critic and activist. He is the director and producer of Fahrenheit 9/11, which is the highest-grossing documentary of all time. His films Bowling for Columbine and Sicko also place in the top ten highest-grossing documentaries...
(Sicko
Sicko
Sicko is a 2007 documentary film by American filmmaker Michael Moore. The film investigates health care in the United States, focusing on its health insurance and the pharmaceutical industry. The movie compares the for-profit, non-universal U.S...
, Capitalism: A Love Story
Capitalism: A Love Story
Capitalism: A Love Story is a 2009 American documentary film directed, written by and starring Michael Moore. The film centers on the late-2000s financial crisis and the recovery stimulus, while putting forward an indictment of the current economic order in the United States and capitalism in general...
) and Davis Guggenheim
Davis Guggenheim
Philip Davis Guggenheim is an Academy Award-winning American film director and producer. His credits as a producer and director include Training Day, The Shield, Alias, 24, NYPD Blue, ER, Deadwood, and Party of Five and the documentaries An Inconvenient Truth and Waiting for 'Superman...
(An Inconvenient Truth
An Inconvenient Truth
An Inconvenient Truth is a 2006 documentary film directed by Davis Guggenheim about former United States Vice President Al Gore's campaign to educate citizens about global warming via a comprehensive slide show that, by his own estimate, he has given more than a thousand times.Premiering at the...
, It Might Get Loud
It Might Get Loud
It Might Get Loud is a documentary by filmmaker Davis Guggenheim. It explores the history of the electric guitar, focusing on the careers and styles of Jimmy Page, The Edge, and Jack White. The film received a wide release on August 14, 2009 in the U.S...
, and Waiting for 'Superman' ).
Career
Creadon started his professional career as a cameraman and producer in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
on The 90’s, regularly shooting and editing pieces for the critically acclaimed weekly documentary showcase. The series was presented on PBS by WTTW
WTTW
WTTW channel 11 is one of three Public Broadcasting Service member public television stations serving the Chicago, Illinois market; the others are WYCC and WYIN. WTTW began broadcasting on September 6, 1955 and it is owned and operated by Window to the World Communications, Inc., a not-for-profit...
/Chicago and KBDI
KBDI-TV
KBDI-TV, known as Colorado Public Television or CPT12, is a PBS member television station in Denver, Colorado. The station is licensed to Broomfield, with studios in the Five Points neighborhood just northeast of downtown Denver. It broadcasts a digital signal on channel 13, which remaps to...
/Denver. The Arizona Republic
The Arizona Republic
The Arizona Republic is a daily newspaper published in Phoenix. Circulated throughout Arizona, it is the state's largest newspaper. Since 2000, it has been owned by the Gannett newspaper chain. It was ranked tenth in US daily newspapers by circulation in 2007.-Early years:The newspaper was founded...
called The 90's "the best show on television." At 22 years old, Creadon was one of the youngest cameramen in the history of PBS.
In 1993, he moved to Los Angeles after being accepted to the AFI Conservatory
AFI Conservatory
The AFI Conservatory is a division of the American Film Institute founded in 1969, located in Hollywood's Griffith Park. The school is the only existing Master of Fine Arts conservatory in advanced film education...
, where he earned his master’s degree in cinematography. His thesis film Tendrils (on which he served as Director of Photography
Cinematographer
A cinematographer is one photographing with a motion picture camera . The title is generally equivalent to director of photography , used to designate a chief over the camera and lighting crews working on a film, responsible for achieving artistic and technical decisions related to the image...
) was nominated for a student Academy Award
Student Academy Awards
The Student Academy Awards is the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' annual competition for college and university filmmakers. The awards were originally named the Student Film Awards and were first presented in 1973. Since 1975, the awards have been given annually, usually in June...
in 1997. As a cameraman, his work has appeared on every major network, including NBC, CBS, ABC, MTV, VH1, and ESPN. He has also done work for Paramount Pictures, Warner Brothers, Sony, Universal Studios, and Disney.
Wordplay
Creadon's documentary Wordplay was acquired for distribution for $1,000,000 by IFC FilmsIFC Films
IFC Films is an American film distribution company based in New York, owned by AMC Networks. It distributes independent films and documentaries under the IFC Films, Sundance Selects and IFC Midnight. It operates the IFC Center....
and The Weinstein Company
The Weinstein Company
The Weinstein Company is an American film studio founded by Bob and Harvey Weinstein in 2005 after the brothers left the then-Disney-owned Miramax Films, which they had co-founded in 1979...
after being nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance 2006. It was released theatrically on June 16, 2006. The film ran in over 500 theaters across the United States, including at least one theater in all fifty states. Wordplay went on to gross $3,100,000 in domestic box-office, then ranking it among the Top 25 highest grossing documentaries of all time.
A 2008 episode of The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, "Homer and Lisa Exchange Cross Words
Homer and Lisa Exchange Cross Words
"Homer and Lisa Exchange Cross Words" is the sixth episode of The Simpsons twentieth season. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on November 16, 2008. In the episode, Lisa discovers that she has a talent for solving crossword puzzles, and she enters a crossword tournament...
", is based on the film. James L. Brooks
James L. Brooks
James Lawrence Brooks is an American director, producer and screenwriter. Growing up in North Bergen, New Jersey, Brooks endured a fractured family life and passed the time by reading and writing. After dropping out of New York University, he got a job as an usher at CBS, going on to write for the...
got the inspiration for the episode after watching Wordplay. "We felt both Will and Merl were very compelling, off-the-beaten-track personalities [in Wordplay], who would fit into our universe very well," Brooks said. The episode was written by Tim Long
Tim Long
Tim Long is a comedy writer born in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada. Tim calls Exeter, Ontario, Canada his home town and has written for The Simpsons, Politically Incorrect, Spy Magazine and The Late Show with David Letterman. Currently credited as a consulting producer on The Simpsons, Long was - until...
, and directed by Nancy Kruse
Nancy Kruse
Nancy Kruse is a former animation director on The Simpsons. She started working on the show during the first season as a background clean-up artist. After that she did background layout and character layout for several years on the show before becoming an assistant director...
, and guest starred crossword puzzle creators Merl Reagle
Merl Reagle
Merl Reagle is an American crossword constructor. Since 1985, he has constructed a puzzle every Sunday for the San Francisco Chronicle ; it is now also published by the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Seattle Times, The Plain Dealer...
and Will Shortz
Will Shortz
Will Shortz is an American puzzle creator and editor, and currently the crossword puzzle editor for The New York Times.-Early life and education:...
as themselves.
Creadon and his wife, producer Christine O'Malley, borrowed $150,000 from family and friends to make Wordplay over the course of 2005-06.
Critical response
National Board of Review nomination "Best Documentary 2006"http://www.nbrmp.org/awards/past.cfm?year=2006Critics Choice Award nomination "Best Documentary 2006"http://www.bfca.org/ccawards/2006.php
Grand Jury Prize nomination at Sundance "Best American Documentary 2006"http://www.indiewire.com/buzz/documentary.html
Rottentomatoes.com - "Golden Tomato Award For Best Reviewed Documentary of 2006" http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/wordplay/
I.O.U.S.A.
Creadon's second feature documentary I.O.U.S.A. premiered in the U.S. Documentary Competition at Sundance in January 20082008 Sundance Film Festival
The 2008 Sundance Film Festival ran from January 17, 2008 to January 27 in Park City, Utah. It was the 24th iteration of the Sundance Film Festival. The opening night film was In Bruges and the closing night film was CSNY Déjà Vu.-Films:...
, one of only sixteen films selected from over 950 submissions. The film is a profile of former Comptroller General
Comptroller General
Comptroller General or Comptroller-General or Controller General may refer to:* the Comptroller General of the United States, director of the Government Accountability Office* Comptroller General of Convicts...
David M. Walker as he and others travel the country warning of financial challenges facing the country. Also featured prominently in the film is Robert Bixby, executive director of the non-partisan Concord Coalition
Concord Coalition
The Concord Coalition is a political advocacy group in the United States, formed in 1992. A bipartisan organization, it was founded by former U.S. Senator Warren Rudman, former Secretary of Commerce Peter George Peterson, and the late U.S. Senator Paul Tsongas. The Concord Coalition's advocacy...
. It was released by Roadside Attractions
Roadside Attractions
Roadside Attractions is a US film distributor based in Los Angeles, California, founded in 2003, specializing largely in independent films.Lionsgate bought a partial stake in Roadside in 2007.-List of films released by Roadside Attractions:...
and opened theatrically on August 22, 2008. In an innovative event that took place the night before, I.O.U.S.A. was simulcast live by National CineMedia
National CineMedia
National CineMedia operates NCM Media Networks, an integrated media company reaching U.S. consumers in movie theaters, online and through mobile technology...
to an audience of almost 45,000 in 350 theaters across the United States. Warren Buffett
Warren Buffett
Warren Edward Buffett is an American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. He is widely regarded as one of the most successful investors in the world. Often introduced as "legendary investor, Warren Buffett", he is the primary shareholder, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. He is...
and others took part in the live town hall meeting immediately after the screening (also simulcast). In addition to traditional movie theaters, the film also screened on over 100 college campuses and community centers throughout the 2008 presidential campaign and after the election, including a special screening for members of Congress at the Library of Congress.
Critical response
Academy Awards Shortlist "2008 Best Documentary Feature"http://www.oscars.org/press/pressreleases/2008/08.11.17a.htmlRoger Ebert's "Top 5 Docs of 2008"http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080821/REVIEWS/329/1023
Critics Choice Award nomination "Best Documentary 2008"http://www.bfca.org/ccawards/2008.php
Grand Jury Prize nomination at Sundance "Best American Documentary 2008"http://www.indiewire.com/buzz/movies.html
In promoting the documentary, Creadon was interviewed by NPR's Marketplace, CNN's Lou Dobbs, MSNBC's 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue with David Shuster, NPR's Tavis Smiley, and others.
Quotes
"A movie about crossword puzzles is an easier sell than a movie about the national debt." (Comparing Wordplay with I.O.U.S.A.)“There's such a huge disparity between the wealthy and the poor in this country, and I think that's one of the reasons why consumerism is so rampant. A lot of us have become addicted to a lifestyle we can't afford. We're immersed in the culture of excess, so it's going to get really ugly when it has to stop. No one saved for the rainy day and now it's raining.”
Personal life
Creadon was born in Chicago and graduated from Fenwick High SchoolFenwick High School
Fenwick High School is a private university-preparatory school located in Oak Park, Illinois, founded in 1929 as part of the Province of St. Albert the Great . It is the only school operated and staffed by the Catholic Order of Dominican friars in the United States. It is named in honor of...
in Oak Park, Illinois
Oak Park, Illinois
Oak Park, Illinois is a suburb bordering the west side of the city of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is the twenty-fifth largest municipality in Illinois. Oak Park has easy access to downtown Chicago due to public transportation such as the Chicago 'L' Blue and Green lines,...
in 1985. He graduated with a BA
Bachelor of Liberal Arts
The Bachelor of Liberal Arts is the title of an undergraduate academic degree. Generally, it is awarded to students who major in liberal arts, pursue interdisciplinary studies, or design their own concentrations....
in International Relations
International relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
from The University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
in 1989, where he had served as a writer and an editor for the school paper The Observer.
Creadon is married to and works with producer Christine O'Malley. They live in Los Feliz, California, where they are raising their three young children.
He was a member of the U.S. Documentary Jury at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival
2009 Sundance Film Festival
The 2009 Sundance Film Festival ran from January 15, 2009 until January 25 in Park City, Utah. It was the 25th iteration of the Sundance Film Festival.-Award winners:*Grand Jury Prize: Documentary - We Live in Public...
.
External links
- An Interview with I.O.U.S.A. Director Patrick Creadon at Huffington PostThe Huffington PostThe Huffington Post is an American news website and content-aggregating blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti, featuring liberal minded columnists and various news sources. The site offers coverage of politics, theology, media, business, entertainment, living, style,...
- Patrick Creadon Writes About His Interviewing Style and Influences at Moving Pictures MagazineMoving Pictures MagazineMoving Pictures is a magazine focusing on the film industry and the art of film. The editor-in-chief is Howard Burns. The magazine, which celebrated its fifteenth anniversary in 2005, is published by the Maitland Primrose Group...
- Nickelodeon Taps Patrick Creadon and Christine O'Malley to Produce First-Ever SpongeBob SquarePants Documentary at ReutersReutersReuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...