Depth of Field | The 4:Minute.Media Update: Winter 2007

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		Winter2007

Simba, an orphan at Tatenda Gunguwo's orphan home in Harare, Zimbabwe, injured his shoulder in March 2005. The bone became infected, forcing its way through his skin. With no access to proper medical care, Simba lived in agony until he was flown to South Africa for a successful surgery in early 2006. Sean Sheridan/4MM photograph.

Tatenda Gunguwo shook his head in frustration as he reluctantly turned the two orphans away from the children's home he and his wife run in harare, zimbabwe. A short time later, both children were found dead, victims of abuse, poverty, and a government that doesn't seem to care about its own people.

Principal's perspective

Dear Friend,

Whew! 2006 was a wild ride for us, in both our business and personal lives.

First, many of you have asked about the photograph I took of Emmanuel (the Rwandan genocide survivor) that was named a finalist in SMITHSONIAN magazine's third annual photo contest. The photograph was published in the August issue of SMITHSONIAN and will be on the SMITHSONIAN magazine web site throughout the rest of this year. Look for it!

Second, 4MM is nearing the end of pre-production on a major shoot and product development project tentatively titled "The Africa Experience." See the main article for more details. You'll get a peek at the trailer in the next update.

Third, on November 28 I suffered a "season-ending" vertebrae fracture after falling hard on my back while on a snowy early morning run in Avon, Colorado. I am healing well and will be resuming my normal shooting and work schedule soon.

And lastly, the 2006 home front highlight: my dear wife, Linette, give our family another healthy, beautiful child: Olivia Michael Sheridan, born April 5, 2006. We're thankful! Have a great 2007!

719.229.8559

info@4minutemedia.com
www.4minutemedia.com

The full story was recorded by the World Vision Report — a newsmagazine produced by World Vision Radio and hosted by former ABC World News Tonight correspondent Peggy Wehmeyer — through an interview Wehmeyer did with 4MM Principal Sean Sheridan about letters Gunguwo sent to Sheridan over a three week period in March and April of 2006 (the show is scheduled to be broadcast sometime this year). The letters recount the heart-wrenching story of how the two homeless orphans — a seven-year-old boy and a three-year-old girl — came to the home asking for help. Sheridan met Gunguwo in November 2005 while making a movie for Horizon International about AIDS-affected orphans in sub-Sahara Africa.

“Their parents died last May during the times when the government was destroying people's homes,” Gunguwo wrote to Sheridan on March 23, 2006. “Since then they have never lived in a house, so some people referred them to us. Because of the food shortage and also that most of our children do not have sponsorship and they are out of school, I felt I could not take them in, so I turned them away. They left with streams of tears running down their innocent faces." When reports reached Tatenda a week later about a girl who was found dead in a nearby waterway, he went to view the body. "It was the same young girl that I turned away," he wrote. "My brother, my heart is in deep trouble.” On April 1, 2006, the boy was found dead in a bush just four miles away. "A dog came carrying his hand and the owners started a search in the area," Tatenda wrote to Sheridan. "They then found the dead body in a bush. This has been more devastating that the first death." In a follow-up visit August 12 and 13 of 2006 with 4MM Microsoft associate Greg Urquhart, Tatenda told Sheridan he's doing better but food shortages are still a major concern.

This year, 4MM is going back with writer Brian Sytsma and photographer Michael Myers to Zimbabwe and two other sub-Sahara African countries to tell stories like this for "The African Experience," a year-long project that will result in a 30-minute High Definition broadcast film, a large-format coffee table book, and a unique road show. Look for a complete report on this project, a list of corporate sponsors, a short trailer, and a link to a photography section in the next update!

Little Ideas is a company started by Denise and Linette Sheridan and is dedicated to the concept that how we communicate can be both timeless and fashionably modern.

It all began in the kitchen. Of course. And that was when Little Ideas was born. The small company specializing in "simple paper fashion" looked to 4MM to concept the company identity and branding. The result is design that's both timeless and fashionable. The products? Well, all we can say is that once you become a Little Ideas customer, you'll join the ranks of people like Julia Roberts who are already using Little Ideas to keep on the fine edge of simplicity and style. See Little Ideas in action this year at the National Stationery Show in New York City or at a boutique near you.
note: some areas of the Little Ideas website are still under construction.

moving pictures

Michael Toschi Women's Line High Definition Image Movie
Shot in Italy last October, the just-released Michael Toschi Women's Line image video introduces the new MT collection for the ladies. Shot in High Definition video, this is one of the coolest movies 4MM has ever done!

MULTIMEDIA

World Vision Holiday E-Card
For the past four years, 4:Minute.Media has helped concept and produce the annual World Vision Holiday E-Card. This year, the E-Card hit mailboxes the same day Sean Sheridan hurt his back. Check out the E-Card now!

2006 Highlights

The critically acclaimed World Vision AIDS Experience opened to the public in New York City's Grand Central Station June 20-24, 2006. 4:Minute.Media worked with World Vision to concept the experience and craft the audio tracks each guest hears while walking through the exhibit. See the online version and listen to a portion of one of the stories.