Hartford Business Journal Special Editions

2015 | Doing Business in Connecticut 39 By Matthew Broderick J ennifer Boyd wanted a career where she could help people. She considered social work and psychology, but chose a path where she felt she could make a broader impact: documentary filmmaking. "Television is a very power- ful medium and, if used well, can create change," said Boyd, who currently juggles duties between running her homegrown business, West Hartford-based Boyd Produc- tions, LLC, and serving as executive producer of national programming for Connecticut Public Television. During her nearly 30 years in the film industry, Boyd's work as a producer, director and writer has garnered her nine Emmy Awards, and has been featured on Good Morning America, Dateline NBC, and ABC World News. Boyd's motivation stems from her love for the art of storytelling. "When I first started out, I wanted to give a voice to the underserved, to stories not discussed in commercial media," the Syracuse University graduate explained. "Over time, however, I focused my filmmaking on more positive stories to offset a lot of the negativity within the mainstream media." One of her proudest accomplishments is the recently released documentary e Blizzard of '78, which was viewed on CPTV by more than 200,000 people in its first weekend, making it the #1 rated public television show in the country over that time period. And while she appreciates the Nielsen ratings, she enjoys knowing she's rekindling memories for people. Aer they find out Boyd has produced the documentary, "people will share their stories and experiences from the blizzard." at's what Boyd loves most about filmmaking: relationships and connections. She said it's an honor that people place their trust in her to be accurate and respect- ful of their stories. Filmmaking has allowed her to visit people and places she other- wise would never have had the chance to experience. "I've had some pretty power- ful experiences while filming," she said. at includes living with a family in Haiti, the poorest nation in the western hemisphere. "It was life changing to see firsthand how people live." ese days, she is busy producing the national concert series Infinity Hall Live, which is carried on more than 70 percent of public television stations nationwide. "It's a great opportunity to establish Connecticut as a leader in creating na- tional music content," she said. She is also the co-creator of a new live cabaret music series featuring Broadway artists, for national distribution. e balance of her time is spent managing her documentary projects, one of which will take her this spring to a shoot at the top of a Hawaiian volcano. "I've been fortunate to be able to tell the stories I want to tell," Boyd said of her filmmaking career. "ose types of projects feed your soul." And along the way, she's touched others' lives, just like she always wanted. ❑ Boyd (right) and her husband Jon Olson, a freelance photographer (left) chatted with Elizabeth McGovern at a local fundraiser. McGovern, who stars in Downton Abbey, is also part of a rock band, which appeared on CPTV this season. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. e tax credit has helped Connecticut establish a television and digital media sector, said Norfleet. He hopes that as that sector continues to mature, television-based crews in the state may take advantage of seasonal opportunities to work on film productions. But it's not just film companies that Norfleet has his sights on. "We are currently partnering with schools like the University of Connecticut's Department of Digital Media and Design to provide highly trained candidates for entry level positions within the [film and digital media] sector," he said. at may mean more media intern- ships, like the one ESPN's Mike Soltys got back in 1980, although the media landscape has vastly changed since then. Soltys points to the April relaunch of ESPN.com – the 20th anniversary of the site — as an example to illustrate just how far we've come. "Per- sonalization is a big part of the new site," he said, "and an outstanding way to serve fans." It's what people have come to expect in a digital age that is alive and well in Con- necticut. ❑ A Lens on Life Documentary filmmaker and CPTV producer finds success in Connecticut PHOTO/CONTRIBUTED PROFILE $5.5 billion Source: Economic Modeling Specialists Interna onal (EMSI), Moody's Analy cs $330,951 billion Output produced by the digital media industry was valued at about which cons tuted approximately of Connec cut's Gross State Product. 2.3% There were 715 film business establishments located in Connec cut. Output per worker in this industry was Aggregate sales from Connec cut's digital media industry topped $6.5 billion

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