British TV Spotlight on Serial Killer Story

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Villains skulking in the night, a deadly firearm snuggled down for ready access, leave mayhem and death across a 600 square mile metro area. Some 47 targets later (human, animal, property), the story ends in handcuffs and shackles and the revealed faces of serial killers. 

How did these faces, the dejected, brooding face of Sam Dieteman and the impertinent, scheming one of Dale Hausner, 47 times contorted in the glee of secret destruction, how did these faces develop out of what was once the innocence of childhood? 

The British TV show, Born to Kill? came to the desert this week to delve into the eternal question of Nature vs. Nurture in the formation of serial killers.  The show airs as Twisted in the U.S. The British producers based this episode on my book, A SUDDEN SHOT: THE PHOENIX SERIAL SHOOTER. 

TwoFour producer Greg shows off my book while Paul shows off  his lipstick mark!

It was certainly a pleasure to me to see Greg from England clutching his own dog-eared copy of my book. When the show first contacted me, the lovely English accents coming down the phone line spoke reverentially of the character they had gotten to know through my pages, serial killer survivor Paul Patrick. Would it be possible to meet him, they asked? Knowing how much Paul gets out of each opportunity to tell his story and radiate the spirit of triumph, I was glad to pass along the invitation.

TwoFour Studios producers Tom and Greg set up a nice lighting effect for Paul's interview .

Tom, seen behind Paul's bed in this photo, and Greg were awed by meeting Paul. They shook his hand and told him how grateful they were to hear him speak. 

Regular visitors to this blog or to the A SUDDEN SHOT FB page know that this has been a very difficult year for Paul. He has never regained his former stamina after yet another major surgery and brush with death in January of 2012. Paul screwed up all his concentration, fighting through his many medical debilities, to give Greg and Tom the best account he could of his ordeal. The Brits found it amazing that Paul could be so open but by the end of the interview understood that, finding purpose in catastrophe, Paul considers it his mission to tell the story.  

And then they got a great giggle when Paul's face lit up as he spotted me drawing out my tube of red lipstick after their camera finally stopped running.  In our tradition of several years, I gave myself a fresh coat and then performed the Ritual of Planting the Forehead Lipstick Kiss.  This is most often performed with just Paul and me in attendance. It was fun to see the reaction of this international audience of 2 as they witnessed Paul's vividly happy anticipation.

I had my own time in front of the camera a bit earlier than Paul did.  

This is why I missed attending the Jodi Arias trial a couple days last week

The House of Broadcasting, Inc. on 5th Avenue in Old Town Scottsdale was invaluable. So much thanks to Mary Morrison for her help. It was a pleasure to have her on set. She was even kind enough to remember that I was one of the first to give the museum publicity back when she first created it and I was a columnist for the Arizona Republic.  Hey, I see a KOY sticker on the wall behind Tom. I used to work there, too!

This is the first time one of these TV shows that I have done has focused on the question of Nature vs. Nurture. It was interesting to contemplate. Is there something essential simply broken inside the soul or brain of a serial killer that no intervention could affect? Or do situations in early childhood or at other points in life "create" an irredeemable villain? In Dale Hausner's case, there's a particular incident in his early adulthood that the producers wanted to talk about. 

I'll let you know as soon as I know myself when and where the show will air. It will be in both the UK and US, so chances are many of you will get a chance to see it. 

In the meantime, which side of the question do you come down on?  Nature? or Nurture? I'd love to hear your ideas in the comments below. 

Behind the Scenes Shooting Another TV Show

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I've been pretty busy this week....

Behind the scenes as TV crew puts it all together

...another TV crew came to town!

That's cinematographer Jacin Buchanan making me look good. And soundman Brian Sepowitz getting the microphone just perfect.  We feasted at Mrs. White's Golden Rule Cafe first, so they were in a good mood! (Hey, keeping the crew happy is the First Rule of Television--I knew Mrs. White's would do the trick!)

Now, does this look like a happy crew?!

They are such professionals I thought I was on a Spielberg set. Jacin revealed one of my favorite videographers is his mentor. (I would love to give this artist a plug here, but he told me he's publicity shy so I've gotta respect that.)  I mentioned his name and Jacin's eyes sparkled. I knew I was in good hands when Jacin declared, "I'll go him one better!" Indeed, the lighting turned out soft and lovely, the framed shot dimensional.

And the sound flawless. Engineered by Brian to eliminate all rustles, no external traffic noise was allowed to infiltrate the set. I expect to sound like I exist in richly tapestried Vatican chambers! Or maybe get a chance to takeover Kathleen Turner's voiceover gigs? Alas, if only Brian would follow me everywhere to make me sound so good.

Do you notice how each of these photos is perfectly framed with interesting context and dynamism? This isn't due to cropping or any other photo chicanery--it's all because ace director Chip Selby snapped these photos and used his director's eye to create a story in each picture, even though all he had to use was a cellphone.  Finally, we got him to step in front of the camera...

Chip Selby standing, left, oversaw a seamless TV shoot

Chip got the best work out of me and made it feel easy. His enthusiasm for the story and the show quickly swept me in so I could leave my nerves behind.  I admired how deftly he guided me.

It's too soon to tell you what the show is but I can tell you it's national and they flew in from out of state. Today they are shooting scenes in the desert. After that, out of Arizona and off to more adventures!

I'll post more pictures as we get closer to air date....oh! When I know the air date, I'll post that, too! Of course, I'll post the name of the show, too!

To Chip, Jacin, and Brian- So glad to meet you and be placed in your care. I learned something from each of you. What a pleasure!

UPDATE: This show has aired! For a bit of video, info about the case, and how to find out when it's airing next, click here!

Why not check out a lot of writers at once? After you read Story #8, come back to this blog for an update on the story!

17 different writers take you all over the world of crime in this new anthology...
Here's the Kindle version--

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Pssst! Going to jail, buying documents, and everything else it takes to get this kind of info for the blog takes time and money! Every time you make a purchase here, it helps me be able to do more for you! 

A Sudden Shot on Investigation Discovery!

Here is the crew in town, visiting crime scenes, interviewing detectives, hearing the survivor's stories.

The show is called Wicked Attraction. The episode airs in the fall. Watch this space for details or visit A Sudden Shot on FaceBook.