BOOM'S MATTHEW GINSBURG TAKES LEAD ON HISTORY'S WWII IN HD WORKING WITH LOU REDA PRODUCTIONS Boom Pictures Founder Matthew Ginsburg is fresh off a successful stint running production of HISTORY's epic 10-part WWII in HD, a color-film documentary series that presents human history's deadliest conflict for the first time ever in HD. HISTORY, via Pennsylvania-based Lou Reda Productions, entrusted Ginsburg to lead a production team of 40 in pulling together more than 1500 hours of rarely or never-before-seen original color film, gathered from overlooked archives and forgotten private collections around the world, and crafting it into a massive and compelling story. HISTORY recruited Ginsburg based on his reputation as a proven creative talent with experience as an executive producer/show runner, director and writer on non-fiction series and specials, as well as documentaries covering subjects as varied as the heavy metal band Metallica (Metallica: In Their Own Words, Fuse), the global AIDS crisis (Tracking the Monster, VH1), famous stories of survival in American History (Extreme History with Roger Daltrey, HISTORY), and life as a senior citizen (Uncle Frank, HBO Documentaries). The visually captivating and critically acclaimed WWII in HD covers every aspect of the U.S. involvement in the war, from the attack on Pearl Harbor to D-Day; from the bloody battles of the Pacific Campaign to the liberation of Nazi concentration camps. The series weaves the larger story of the war around the experiences of 12 Americans who played an intimate role in the conflict. The result is a documentary experience that delivers a very personal take on a well explored topic and does so with a renewed sense of immediacy. In addition to being the series' executive producer, Ginsburg played a major role in directing (5-episodes), co-directing (2 episodes) and co-writing the ten hours. Ginsburg and the team's challenge was to coordinate the arcs of the 12 diverse characters - ranging from nurse to war correspondent to U.S. Armed Forces personnel - with the archival footage, while also telling the larger story of the war. The project was an impressive editorial feat. Ginsburg and the writing team used original news sources, journals, letters and new interviews to inform the characters' stories. The team of producers, editors and assistant editors culled the best of the available footage (most of which was used in a representational manner) from the massive archive and then crafted scenes. Edited together with classic sound reels from the Library of Congress and the voice over performances of 12-actors who read the words of the series real life characters, WWII in HD presents a comprehensive and engaging narrative of the Second World War. WWII in HD was produced for HISTORY by Lou Reda Productions in Easton, Pennsylvania. Scott and Lou Reda were executive producers and spearheaded the project from the beginning. Ginsburg collaborated with the Redas, as well as HISTORY. He worked closely with the team of 15 editors, who did the heavy lifting when it came to the task of telling the story visually. He also worked side by side with the series' sound editor and re-recording engineer Joe Raabe, who created the soundscape for nearly ten hours of silent film. Ginsburg proved his skills directing some of Hollywood's top actors. Emmy Award winner Gary Sinise narrates the series, while Justin Bartha, Rob Corddry, James Kyson Lee, LL Cool J, Rob Lowe, Josh Lucas, Jason Ritter, and Steve Zahn voiced eight of the individual stories, bringing the documentary characters' war years, to life. "Matt's involvement in WWII in HD was pivotal," says HISTORY executive producer Michael Stiller. "He brings proven show running skills with a film-maker's sensibility. At his heart, he's a great storyteller who gets involved in every element of a project, and he's been doing exceptional work both individually and at Boom Pictures for years." "WWII in HD is the kind of project you dream of making," says Ginsburg. "When HISTORY asked me to come aboard, I didn't hesitate to say yes. The opportunity to tell these intimate accounts of this critical event in human history, and to do so, using these rare, color archival films was a tremendous privilege. This project was a true collaborative effort with a team, as equally passionate about the creative process." The series launch of WWII in HD - which debuted Sunday, November 15 from 9-11pm ET on HISTORY - claimed 2.6 million Total Viewers, 1.1 million Adults 25-54, 931,000 Adults 18-49 and a 2.1 HH rating. The premiere propelled HISTORY to the #1 cable network from 9-11pm in both Men 18-49 (670,000) and Men 25-54 (792,000). Additionally, the series is slated for DVD release in January. For more ratings info visit TV by the Numbers. Credits: EP/Show Runner: Matthew Ginsburg EP: Michael Stiller, David McKillop (HISTORY) EP: Lou Reda, Scott Reda (Lou Reda Productions) Producer (series): Liz Reph, Frederic Lumiere Co