Tim Curran
New York, NY 10017
phone:
email:
web site: www.timcurran.com
www.linkedin.com/in/currannews
Overview:
Credit Summary:
CNN, Discovery, MTV, History, PBS, ID, Bravo, A&E, HGTV, Travel Channel, Channel 4, SiriusXM
Experience:
COPY EDITOR/LEAD WRITER, “Early Start,” CNN, New York, NY
Writing and editing anchor copy and on-screen banners in a fast-paced, high-volume national newsroom. Enhancing the energy and urgency of all copy (spoken and graphics), as well as checking for style, spelling, and compliance with standards and practices. In a live control room, rapidly adding and editing copy to keep pace with breaking news, and with evolving production and editorial decisions by the line producer, anchors and director 2014-present
SUPERVISING STORY PRODUCER, Investigation Discovery/Atlas Media Corp., New York, NY
Edited, doctored and polished all scripts, outlines, synopses and treatments for 20 episodes of Investigation Discovery’s high-rated true crime series ▶“Stalked: Someone’s Watching.” Heightened storytelling in all production documents. Wrote 3 episodes. Directed narration sessions and host segments. Conducted host interviews and integrated her responses into episode fine cuts. Acted as deputy show-runner, managing and coaching writers, producers, post producer, associate producers, editors, and recreation team. 2013-2014
NEWS DIRECTOR/MANAGING EDITOR/ANCHOR, OutQ Channel, SiriusXM Radio, New York, NY
Created, launched and grew an innovative start-up news service on America’s only 24/7 talk and entertainment radio channel for the lesbian and gay community, helping Sirius grow from 30,000 to 22 million subscribers. Established sophisticated newsgathering system to compensate for lack of a national gay wire service. Edited, produced and anchored ▶hourly newscasts on tight deadlines, driving talk show conversation. Won New York Festival Award for Best Newscast in first year after launch. Earned 15% incentive bonus annually, even in company-wide ‘no bonus’ years. Hosted 12,000 newscasts over ten years. Hired, coached and supervised a small staff of anchors, reporters and interns, and assembled the largest stable of freelancers in LGBT news (150+). Managed news department budget. Executive produced and hosted compelling ▶documentary and ▶special programming including town hall and live election coverage. Oversaw all communication on Twitter and Facebook feeds, supporting a news blog. Built or customized web and database applications to make a small staff comprehensive and credible in a competitive news market space. 2002-2012
FREELANCE NEWS & CABLE SEGMENT WRITER/PRODUCER, Washington, DC
Wrote and field produced fast-paced, entertaining segments for a variety of DC and New York clients, including the public TV magazine show ▶“In the Life,” and the HGTV shows ▶“Old Homes Restored” and “House Detective.” Also freelance TV newswriter, and producer of government and corporate communications video. 2000-2002
DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION, Sky City Entertainment, Miami & St. Petersburg, FL
Supervised all productions for a start-up documentary company. Also wrote, produced and directed shows in production (including ▶“Sweetheart Swindlers” tent-pole special that drew a 1.1—almost twice Discovery’s average rating for the time slot). Developed programming ideas, authored proposals and treatments, and pitched concepts to network buyers. 1998-2000
WRITER/PRODUCER, “History’s Lost & Found,” History Channel/Atlas Media, New York, NY
Researched, wrote, produced and directed episodes of a highly dynamic, quirky and irreverent historical magazine show for The History Channel. (“Clyde Barrow’s Death Shirt!” ▶“Oliver Cromwell’s Severed Head!”) Directed nationwide field shoots with distinctive visual approach, and personally created more than fifty stylish After Effects animations. 1999-1999
CO-PRODUCER/DIRECTOR, “Fire Island,” Channel 4 UK/Image Group Entertainment, New York, NY
Co-produced and co-directed a logistically complex four-part reality-soap on the gay communities of New York's ▶Fire Island. Led and managed a crew of 20 during weekend shoots; ran production office on weekdays. Also served as Director of Photography and camera operator. After wrap, provided story editing over a three-week director’s post. Series also aired on Bravo, Summer 2000. 1998-1998
SENIOR WRITER/PRODUCER, Venture Productions, Miami, FL
Wrote, produced and researched cable documentaries and segments on a wide variety of historical, scientific, social, military and other topics, including ▶"Historic Traveler" for the Travel Channel and the Navy's anti-hazing training video. Developed story ideas, authored proposals and treatments, and pitched ideas to buyers. 1997-1998
SENIOR WRITER/PRODUCER/DIRECTOR & CREATIVE DIRECTOR, Wingspan Network, Bethesda, MD
Created long-form cable documentaries on a variety of aviation and automotive subject matter, achieving high production values at low cost. Responsibilities included budgeting and estimating, authoring story treatments, script research and writing, film research, conducting on-camera interviews, directing field shoots and narration sessions, supervising offline and online editing, and music/effects spotting. Early leader in interactive synergy, producing videos for Discovery Channel CD-ROM that I also adapted into a high-rated, award-winning TV documentary special. Credits included ▶"Wings Over Europe" (a CINE Golden Eagle winner for Discovery) and ▶"Rain of Ruin" (which earned History Channel its first CableACE nomination). Designed and executed ▶graphics packages for company projects using After Effects, 3D animation software, Photoshop and Illustrator. Also specced and programmed a sophisticated film library tracking system using Microsoft Access. 1994-1997
PRODUCING EDITOR/STORY EDITOR, “Real World” & “Road Rules,” MTV/Bunim-Murray, Hollywood
Helping to ▶pioneer the reality TV genre, wove 100 hours of raw verité field tape into three-act, 22-minute narrative serial dramas, provided only with a six-page outline. Performed extensive offline edit list management. Ran online edit, audio sweetening and color correction. Conducted supplementary interviews. In addition to the above duties, served as co-story editor and performed Avid online for the pilot that sold ▶‘Road Rules’ to MTV. August-October 1993 & 1994
TV NEWSWRITER/VIDEOTAPE EDITOR/SEGMENT PRODUCER, Los Angeles & San Francisco
Newswriting in various major-market newsrooms included rewriting wire copy, package intros, and telephone interviews for “shooter only” stories. Video editing (including two years on staff at KCAL, Los Angeles) involved both high-volume spot news editing and high-production mini-doc work. 1988-1993
REPORTER/WEATHERMAN, KTWO-TV and 1030 AM, Casper, WY
City beat and general assignment reporting, videotape editing, and weekend weather segment on TV news. Produced data graphics for elections. 1986-1988
EDUCATION:
Bachelor of Arts in English, University of California, Berkeley. News director at the University’s student-run radio station, KALX-FM.
Additional Skills:
Web programming in JavaScript, HTML, PHP, CSS, DHTMLX and MySQL. Application programming in VBA, VB, MS Access, Pascal and AutoIT. Professional experience in graphic design and typography.
Personal Interests
Travel, theater, fiction and non-fiction reading, gadgets and camping.
AWARDS & HONORS:
New York Festivals, Best Newscast (2004); Classic Telly Award for Something More at Stake (writer) (2003); Gold Coast Builders Assn. Gold Prism Award for Deering Bay: Preserving a Proud Legacy (writer) (1998); CableACE Best Documentary Special Nomination for Rain of Ruin (1996); CINE Golden Eagle Award for Wings Over Europe (1995). Excellence in Radio, 2nd Place, Natn’l Lesbian & Gay Journalists Assn (2012) for Live Coverage: Marriage Equality Comes to New York; Best Feature Editing, 2nd Place, Associated Press/California-Nevada (1992). Outstanding Young Men of America (1986); National Merit Finalist (1980); Eagle Scout (1979).
Please note: People send me a lot of ideas for shows. Some of them are even good ideas. However, because of the volume of mail, and because of the legal ramifications (i.e., I might someday, somewhere work on something vaguely like your idea), I cannot respond to such solicitations. In fact, if you send me an idea, consider it a gift to me. It becomes mine! (In other words, please don't send me your show ideas; there's nothing I can do with them. Sorry.)
Last updated: 30 March 2019
My résumé is best printed using the PDF
file.
Welcome! Please check out my resume and the video and audio clips that are linked with a ▶Play button to my 'Samples' page.
Before sending me a show idea, please read the disclaimer at the bottom of this page.