March 03, 2006

Political George - How do I get past the gate keepers in DC? Rancho Calamari Productions is starting up a new documentary project and we'd like to get interviews with a bunch of mucky-mucks in Washington DC, but I can't seem to get past their "people" in their offices. Anyone have experience in this?

We're doing a doc that explores and extends the idea of family to include gay and transgender parents, (of both couples single parents) tentatively called "Baby Steps". Our intention is to create something celebrating healthy, loving families where the parents just happen to be gay or transgendered. The doc is prescient in that the RNC has decided that their "wedge issue" during the mid-term elections is going to be gay parents adoption rights, creating something similar to the furor about gay marriage last election cycle. We want to interview people on both sides of the isle including, Barney Frank, Hillary and Bill Clinton, Gavin Newsome (SF Mayor), Sheila Kuel, Newt Gingerich, Pat Robertson, Sam Brownback, John Cornyn, Tom Delay, Todd Akin, Lewis Gohmert, Rick Scarborough, Phillis Schlafly, Allan Keyes and his gay daughter Maya Keyes, Gary Bauer, Janet Parshall and Ken Melman as well as any other politician who might offer an opinion. We are concentrating on DC since we will be attending an anti gay adoption rally to interview the right wingers in DC in two months and would love to knock off a few interviews with politicians while we are there. Also, we are looking for gay and transgendered families to interview as well. If you know of anyone who might be interested in participating in our documentary, have them write me at m.escher@ranchocalamari.com. Thanks in advance for any help you might provide.

posted by squidranch 18 years ago
  • Goes to show that you should always preview your links. Click here to see Rancho Calamari's website.
  • I hear you can get government buildings evacuated by sending packets of white powder to prominent members in the mail. They might like to talk to a TV team while they're outside, waiting for the secret service to open the building again.
  • What problem do you seem to be running into? "Getting past their people" is going to be difficult, if not impossible. Getting through their people is probably what you should aim for. Send the scheduler a detailed request, whatever forms they want, and a press kit. Your pitch letter should be clear on what time you'll need from them, your own schedule expectations, and what you already know about their position. Make it clear that you're not just some goof looking to waste their time. Also, include a media kit, so they know you're a real company. It'll get circular-filed immediately, but is a quick indicator of credibility. Good luck.
  • Yeah - do that. Also I'm told they like money.
  • If you want to get past the gatekeeper you need to find the keymaster. Then Gozer the Gozerian, also known as Gozer the Destructor, Volguus Zildrohar, and the Traveller, will appear in one of his pre-chosen forms. During the rectification of the Vuldronaii the Traveller came as a large, moving Torg. Then, during the third reconciliation of the last of the McKetrick supplicants they chose a new form for him - that of a giant Sloar. Many Shuvs and Zuuls knew what it was to be roasted in the depths of the Sloar that day, I can tell you.
  • Doesn't Newt have a gay child as well? I know Cheyney does.
  • Could you get some sort of semi-influential NGO behind your project so that you could tell the politicians you're representing an organisation that has some clought with voters? Could you perhaps fabricate such an organisaiton?
  • No, TORG! Get a Torg!
  • I think it's his sister. Teh ghey, not teh Torgh.
  • Talk to the Log Cabin Republicans. I hear that even though they are hell-bound sodomites that they are still Republicans. Perhaps they can help you find some way to get inside the GOP.
  • I second all of Piro's advice. My program has had to do a lot of appealing to politicians and civil servants, and that's all solid. I'll add - sned your letters to a lot more people than you think you'll need. Washington is all about neteworking, and someoen who's interested may not be able to help, but will know someone who is.
  • I'm not privy to the machinations of would-be Machiavellis but I understand it's all about referrals and knowing people. If you know someone who can put you in touch with someone who plays golf with the wife of the person who does the laundry of the politico you want to meet, you're golden! You could also get in touch with *your* congressman/woman and see if they might be able to hook you up.
  • ♫ Get . . Down ♫ Ooooga_booga_booga! ♫ (good suggestion!) on preview, my musical notes seem to have been replaced by blocks. That used to work. Must be a firefox/IE thing?
  • The musical notes display for me (firefox 1.0.7)
  • I'd third Piro's advice. Send the letters, understand it from the scheduler's point of view and try and make it simple for them. You're this, you're not some nutjob. You want to set up an interview with the honorable so and so about such and such. If you can name drop organizations or notables already interviewed, that could help establish both that you're not fly-by-night and you are trying to get viewpoints from both sides of the issue. I'd also second requesting more people than you think you need--because some notables may have more stringent guidelines regarding how they agree to do the interviews which may or may not work for you (e.g., they need to agree to all interview questions beforehand, you need to not ask them about the banana incident, etc.). And hey, feel free to ask us DC monkeys more when you're getting ready to come into the area.
  • Political George - How do I get past the gate keepers in DC? Try this: left, right, right, square, triangle, start.
  • I used to know Senator Clinton's office assistant, but she got a new job. Sorry.
  • are letters still the way to go post-anthrax? I'd heard that mail can take an absurdly long time, and that faxing was now the prefered method.
  • Patita makes a good point. Fax or email is much better- snail mail goes through a lengthy security process nowadays.
  • Hey, thanks pete! And your notes look just fine from over here (firefox 1.0.7)
  • FWIW - Portland has lots of gay families. I know two on my block alone. We even have a gay city commissioner who likes to do lots of interviews. I infinitieth piro's advice
  • I see notes! Firefox 1.5.0.1. Isn't it more to do with the character encoding? I've got mine set to Unicode. And I know nothing about DC.
  • Underaged boys with bumps of coke can work wonders for getting in to offices in DC.
  • hhhh
  • hey! has anybody seen my new website? ...it's got pictures of my caaar...♫
  • Talk to the Log Cabin Republicans....Perhaps they can help you find some way to get inside the GOP. The back door.
  • haw haw!
  • sexyrobot: first reaction: Wow, so it's not just a clever username. second reaction: Nice car!
  • Quidnunc, you are my hero for reciting my favorite movie line of all time. Mwah!
  • Thank you kittenhead. No one else liked it. But they will all die in pain when the Traveller comes again, so, meh! Whachagonnado.
  • Thanks for hijacking the thread Steve.
  • Hey! At least he posted a picture of himself in his MoFi T-shirt.
  • There is no Koko, only Zuul!
  • I'm totally the keymaster, baby. Great party, huh?!
  • I collect spores moulds and fungus. IN MY PANTS.
  • Okay! Important safety tip, thanks Igon.