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Alan and Susan Raymond

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Filmmakers

The Resume

    Alan Raymond (1943- ), cameraman and film editor
    Susan Raymond (1948- ), sound technician
    Documentary filmmakers
    Directors of the 'American Family' docu-series
    Together made the films 'The Police Tapes (1977),' 'To Die for Ireland (1980),' 'Police Chiefs (1984),' 'Elvis 56 (1987),' 'Into Madness (1988),' 'Doing Time: Life Inside the Big House (1990),' 'Sweet Home Chicago (1991),' 'I Am a Promise: The Children of Stanton Elementary School (1993),' 'Children in War (2000),' 'The Congregation (2004),' 'Hard Times at Douglas High (2008),' 'Journey Into Dyslexia (2011)' 'Toe Tag Parole: To Live and Die on Yard A (2015),' and 'Killing the Colorado (2016)'
    Founded the Video Verite film company (1974)
    Won an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, 'I Am a Promise' (1994)

Why they might be annoying:

    They gave us the first reality television show.
    They accused the makers of Hill Street Blues and Cops of ripping off their documentary style from the 'Police Tapes' documentary about Bronx officers.
    None of their other projects came close to having the impact of their 12-part PBS docu-series.
    They produced a Rescue from Gilligan's Island ten years after the series conclusion - An American Family Revisited.
    They were accused of causing the breakdown of the Louds' marriage after they filmed Pat asking Bill for a divorce.
    Their relationship with producer Craig Gilbert grew so acrimonious that they're still not on speaking terms.

Why they might not be annoying:

    They have been married and working together for over fifty years.
    They traveled to Bosnia three times during the war, as well as to Rwanda, Israel and Northern Ireland.
    Their first film projects focused on the 1968 US presidential election and Christy Brown.
    They received two Emmy Awards for their work on 'I am a Promise' and 'Children of War.'
    They disliked filming the Loud family's arguments, which led to their clashing with producers. They remained close with the family for years.
    The series drew record audiences for PBS (10 million viewers) and sparked a national conversation about what an American family is.
    Susan retired from sound after being injured on assignment.
    In 2001, Lance Loud asked them to make a film of the final year of his life because he was dying of AIDS. They agreed.
    They were portrayed by Patrick Fugit and Shanna Collins in the HBO dramatized version of the 'American Life' filming, 'Cinema Verite.'

Credit: BoyWiththeGreenHair


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 11 Votes: 81.82% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 9 Votes: 44.44% Annoying