JULIE COAN
Julie Coan
Julie Coan, an award-winning producer and writer, joined HoustonPBS
as an Associate Producer in November 1996. She began her career
in the Boston area before moving to Houston. In April 1998
Julie became Co-Producer for Channel 8's daily public affairs
program,
WeekNight Edition, which eventually
became
WeekDay when HoustonPBS moved into its
new home, the Melcher Center in the fall of 2000.
In October 2002 Julie was named Managing Producer for local
productions and asked to develop a prime-time magazine show
for Channel 8. In its first year the
connection was nominated for 8 Emmys, including
Outstanding Public Affairs Program.
During her career, Julie has tackled a number of important
topics including, violence against women, sexual abuse,
and racism. For her work, she has won over 30 national,
regional and local awards including 7 Emmys for journalistic
excellence.
Julie is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts/Boston.
She serves on the Board of Directors for the National Academy
of Television Arts and Sciences Lone Star Emmy Chapter and
is the Regional Vice President for the Houston area. She
has been happily married to her husband Patrick since 1992.
In her spare time she enjoys spending time outdoors with
Patrick and two of the cutest dogs in the world, Abby and
Rusty.
FUJIO WANTANABE (Videographer/Editor)
Fujio Wantanabe
Fujio
Watanabe likes to call himself a visual storyteller. A job
he describes as the best job on the planet. "I come
to work knowing that every day is different… filled
with interesting people, places and challenges…"
It's a job that he has enjoyed doing since he graduated
from the University of Houston's School of Communication
in 1989. And while he thought he would be writing and producing,
Fujio's path took him towards the technical side of television
production. His first job was with Media Services department
of Houston Independent School District where he was exposed
to shooting, editing, writing, and producing. In addition
to his work in television doing "socially redeeming
video", he worked on independent feature films and
music videos.
With his current job as Videographer/Editor at HoustonPBS,
it seems that Fujio hasn't really gone far… just several
hundred yards from where he took his first media classes.
In reality, his quest to tell good stories has taken Fujio
across the United States and the globe from the first-world
metropolis of Taipei, Taiwan to the haunting killing fields
of Wounded Knee in South Dakota to the launching of the
International Space Station at Cape Canaveral. "I tell
people that my job is to sweep out the studios and shoot
with 70,000 dollar camera systems".
At HoustonPBS, Fujio is a contributing member of a team
of storytellers that has received countless Emmys, Katies,
Gracies and other awards of note. Using a term that seems
overly used (but true), Fujio is a "life-long learner".
"I've had the great privilege of learning from my colleagues…
and I like to think that they've had the chance to learn
what not to do from me…" (smile).
DOUGLAS ROBERTSON
(Sound Design)
Douglas Robertson
Doug's first sound design was the fifth grade school musical.
"I guess I just can't ignore a VU meter." Threading
projectors and running spotlights seemed like the thing to
do. Eventually Doug found himself in the Media Department
of the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts where
he ran KPVA, the student radio station and met his mentor
Pat Coakley. "Mr. C was the first sound guy at channel
8. He infected me with the pioneering spirit that came with
inventing TV."
After 23 years of professional sound services in Houston,
his mother likes the fact that he has been awarded a Lone
Star Emmy for Sound Design as well as three Emmy nominations.
Shrugs Doug: "I'm only as good as the people I work
with."
Other Sound Design Credits include:
Art projects: Dan Havel and Dean Ruck's Alchemy
House. Dean Ruck's Chain Reaction a Living Space,
Mark Larsen's Imminent Asteroid. Stages Rep Theatre:
The Dying Gaul, The Moon is Blue, Valley
Song, Kindertransport, Funny Girl,
The Pitchfork Disney, Fit to be Tied, Below
the Belt; Ascendancy, Quills. Infernal
Bridegroom Productions: Edmund, Roberto Zucco,
Tamalalia 3&4; In the Underthunderloo;
In the Jungle of Cities. Feature Film: Thanks
for a Lovely Dinner; E.L.M. Mr. Robertson is the owner
of Citizen Doug Productions, providing digital mastering
and editing services for CD and CD-ROM as well as turnkey
sound design, location and post sound services.
LAURA LUCAS (Assistant Producer)
Laura Lucas
Ms. Lucas joined the HoustonPBS family in the summer of
2001 as an intern from the University of Houston, where
she was studying Media Production & Broadcast Journalism.
Upon graduating, this Pearland native came on board as an
employee of the HoustonPBS live daily show, WeekDay. In
2005, Laura received an Emmy nomination for her work on
Journey of Hope, a documentary profiling three Holocaust
survivors living in Houston.
BRAD SAYLES
Brad Sayles
Brad Sayles is a musician whose talents extend to both sides
of the microphone. As both an active composer and recording
engineer, he has fused his love of technology with his passion
to make music. Brad has been the recipient of the Aurora Gold
Award, Silver Telly Award, and the Communicator Award for
Excellence for his scores for his feature film, video, and
audio projects.
In 2003 he was the recipient of the Louisa Stud Sarofim
Prize for his chamber composition, New England Journey.
Charles Ward of the Houston Chronicle says of Brad's orchestral
premiere, "Sayles offered well-crafted music in the
tradition of Aaron Copland and others whose best work employs
a straightforward style that is neither threatening nor
path-breaking. In 2005 he received the Gold Special Jury
Award from the Houston Worldfest Film Festival for his score
to the feature film Echoes of Innocence." Bill
Wright (www.godsofmusic.com) praises Brad's score for the
New World Pictures production, for its "twentieth century
meets romantic" feel that creates a "poignant,
lingering impression on the ear."
On the technical side, Brad serves as chief recording engineer
for the National Public Radio affiliate, KUHF in Houston.
His recent engineering credit for the Houston Symphony's
CD on the KOCH label was hailed by Gramophone Magazine as
"One of the best recordings from North America."
In 2004 he received the Silver Axiom Award for his engineering
of the 90th Anniversary of the Houston Symphony live broadcast
from Jones Hall.
Brad is equally at home editing sound for film, prompting
Academy Award nominated sound editor Allen Robert Murray
to hail Brad's expertise as "incredible" for his
work on the movie Space Cowboys.
While completing Master's studies at the Moores School
of Music, he has held a teaching fellowship in the theory
department, as well as produced, engineered, and edited
four Moores School recordings for the Albany label. His
undergraduate studies were completed at Michigan State University.
Brad is supported by the best cheering section in the world:
his beautiful wife, Patricia, and their two sons William
(4) and Johnathan (2).
