In the midst of the pandemic, Green Buzz was approached by PBS and the Peabody Awards to quickly pivot their 79th annual awards ceremony into their first ever winners’ roundtable. In place of the traditional awards ceremony, we directed, produced, and edited a roundtable discussion with the Peabody documentary winners that premiered live across PBS digital platforms. Our team directed and produced the roundtable entirely remotely, with 15 panelists spread across 9 different time zones.

Moderated by Tabitha Jackson, Director of Sundance Film Festival, the special featured the filmmakers of the 10 winning documentaries, including Dream Hampton, executive producer of Surviving R. Kelly, and Waad Al-Kateab and Edward Watts, directors of For Sama. The filmmakers addressed the ways that African American Justice and Dignity; Authoritarianism and Threats to Democracy; Families in Global Conflict Zones, and Scientific Frontiers are reflected and represented in their award-winning work.

Our team facilitated a seamless remote panel discussion from start to finish, leading the project from creative development all the way through to post-production. We coordinated every aspect of pre-production, prepping backgrounds, lighting, and audio for the shoot. Even while recording remotely, we prioritized footage quality, sending camera packages to featured panelists.

Using high quality B-roll footage, Green Buzz directed a dynamic and cinematic roundtable special, all while staying remote. In post-production, our team elevated the completely user-generated footage with in-house customized motion graphics and effects. We spliced in relevant clips from each winning documentary throughout the discussion, keeping the program engaging and to the level of Peabody’s sophistication.

Without the opportunity for a live, in-person celebration of the artistic and social achievement of these Peabody-winning filmmakers, we stepped in to meaningfully honor their work. The winning filmmakers were Oscar nominees, BAFTA winners, and dedicated activists, all bringing unique perspectives and unrelenting dedication to their work. In a time of isolation, our team offered a  program of raw and hard-hitting conversations, which leaned into the deeper importance of the Peabody Awards, and what the winning documentaries aim to achieve.