THE EXHIBIT'S PROJECT MANAGER ON
OUR WEBSITE.
>>> AFTER MORE THAN 30 YEARS ON
THE JOB, CORRESPONDENT MIKE
LEONARD RETIRED FROM NBC'S
"TODAY" SHOW IN 2012.
BUT HE HAS NOT SLOWED DOWN OR
STRAYED FROM TELLING STORIES OF
ORDINARY PEOPLE.
IN A NEW SERIES CALLED inCOMMON
HE FOCUSED ON MOMENTS OF
PEOPLE'S LIVES WHERE THEY DO
GOOD WORK AND TOUCH THE LOVES OF
OTHERS.
IN THE SERIES OF THE FIRST
EPISODE, THIS FRIDAY NIGHT IS
THE CHICAGO AREA'S OWN MIKE
LEONARD.
WELCOME BACK TO "CHICAGO
TONIGHT."
>> I'M VERY WELL, THANK YOU.
>> WHAT IS THE NEW SHOW ABOUT?
>> IT IS CALLED inCOMMON ABOUT
THINGS THAT WE HAVE IN COMMON,
ALL OF US.
AND ABOUT KIND OF THE COMMON
THINGS THAT WE TAKE FOR GRANTED.
THAT HAPPEN EVERY DAY.
AND I, A FILM MacKER A HOME
MOVIE MAKER I THOUGHT THE LITTLE
MOMENTS WITH MY CHILDREN WERE
THE GREAT MOMENTS.
NOTHING WAS HAPPENING, WASN'T A
BIRTHDAY, MIGHT BE LOOKING OUT A
WINDOW.
I KNOW PEOPLE RELATE TO THAT
STUFF.
AND EACH EPISODE EXPLORES A
TYPICAL THEME.
>> THE FIRST EPISODE IS ABOUT
TIME.
I THAT I THAT IS THE GREAT MOAT
WITTOR FOR ME AND MANY PEOPLE OR
OUR TIME IS RUNNING OUT.
AND THERE IS ONE ON FATE AND
DISTIN KNEE AND HOPE AND ONE ON
ACCEPTANCE.
EACH HALF HOUR HAS A THEME AND
ALL OF THE PIECES IN THAT HALF
HOUR, NOT ALWAYS IN SUCH AN
OBVIOUS WAY.
LET'S LOOK AT THE BEGINNING OF A
PIECE, A CLIP TOWARD THE
BEGINNING OF THE SEGMENT.
HAS TO DO WITH HOME MOVIES.
THE VIETNAM WAR WAS DRAG ON AND
SOCIETY WAS MOVING ON.
SHEDDING TRADITIONS AND CUSTOMS
IN THE STYLE AND MANOR NEVER
BEFORE SEEN IN AMERICA.
LIFE WAS CHANGING RAPIDLY AND I
WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF IT ALL
FOCUSING MY CAMERA ON MOMENTS
BIG AND SMALL, FIGHTING MY
BATTLE WITH TIME, AND LEARNING
ALONG THE WAY THAT THE PAYOFF
DIDN'T COME WITH WHEN THE FILL
WAS DEVELOPED.
IT WAS THE ACT OF FILMING THAT
SEEMED TO MAKE LIFE SLOWDOWN.
BY PEERING THANK YOU VIEW-FINDER
FOR A BETTER ANGLE OF A QUIET
MOMENT.
LIKE CLIMBING ON TO THE ROOF OF
MY HOUSE FOR A MORE TRAMATIC
VIEW OF A STROLL DOWN THE
SIDEWALK.
AND FRAMING MOST ORDINARY
ASPECTS OF LIFE IN WAYS TO BE
NOTED AND REMEMBERED.
WNS THAT REALLYSATION KICKED IN
I KNEW MY GRIP ON THE MOVIE
CAMERA WOULD NEVER LOOSEN AND MY
ONLY CHANCE OF MAKE ANYTHING
IMPACT IN LIFE IS TIED TO THOSE
BITS AND PIECES OF LIFE THAT TIE
ALL OF US TOGETHER.
MIKE, HOME VIDEO STYLE CAMERA
WORK IS YOUR SIGNATURE.
WHY DID THAT BECOME YOUR TECH
MEEK?
>> I STARTED AT HOME.
AND I KNOW THE CHILDREN WERE
NEVER THAN ENTIM DATED BY IT.
WHEN I WAS AT THE "TODAY" SHOW
FIRST I USED THE BIG CAMERAS,
AND MFRT OF THE STORIES I DID
WERE OF PEOPLE THAT NEVER HAD
BEEN ON TV BEFORE.
AND YOU TURN THAT LIGHT ON AND
THEY CHANGE.
I FOUND WHEN THE QUALITY WAS
BETTER WITH LITTLE CAMERAS IT
WAS JUST ME AND THE CAMERA.
>> YOU SHOT YOUR OWN AT THE END?
>> AND COY GET CLOSE TO THEM AND
THEY FORGOT ABOUT THE CAMERA
BECAUSE IT WAS LITTLE.
AND THE QUALITY WAS GOOD.
THINKINGS WERE WAY MORE
REALISTIC.
>> WHAT ARE THE PEOPLE THAT YOU
FOCUS ON?
WHY DID YOU PUT IN THE EPISODE?
>> MY WIFE AND I LIVED IN
PHOENIX AND THAT IS WHERE I GOT
INTO TV, LATE, WHEN I WAS 31.
LOOKING FOR A TV JOB, NO
JOURNALISTIC EXPERIENCE, HE'S IN
THE QUALIFIED.
THIS JOB REQUIRES, AND DANNY
LOOKING FOR A COACHING JOB, WE
WERE IN THE SAME AGE.
I GOT MY JOB IN TV AND DANNY GOT
A JOB AS A HIGH SCHOOL COACH AND
WE SEPARATED AND I GOT A CALL A
COUPLE OF YEARS AGO AND HE SAID
MIKE, REMEMBER ME.
OF COURSE, FROM BROOKLYN AND I
CAME TO PHOENIX ON A WHIM AND
GOT A JOB AS A DRIVER'S ED
INSTRUCTOR.
I KNOW I CAN BECOME A KETCH AND
HE BECAME A GREAT COACH.
AND WENT TO STATE
CHAMPIONSHIPPINGS AND CHANGED
THE LIVES OF PLAYERS.
>> LET'S LOOK AT A CLIP OF DAN.
>> AS THE YEARS AND VICTORIES
ADDED UP SO DID THE LIFE
LESSONS, USUALLY DELIVERED IN
STORY FORM.
I HAD A YOUTH COACH AND WE HAD A
BASEBALL TEAM, WE WERE PRETTY
GOOD.
AND LONG STORY SHORT F WE WON
THIS GAME WE WITH TAKE A TRAIN
RIDE TO VIRGINIA TO PLAY.
AND NONE OF US HAD BEEN OUT OF
BROOKLYN, THIS IS UNBELIEVEABLE.
WE PLAYED ST. MARKS.
A SCHOOL, THESE MATURE ITALIAN
KIDS, WE LAST 24-3 AND WE WERE
LUCKY TO GET THE THREE.
THEY PUT IN A BUM PITCH ARE AT
THE END.
I WILL NEVER FORGET THIS.
WE ARE CRYING.
THIS IS ALL WE HAD.
WE DIDN'T GO HOME TO HOT TUBS
AND SWILLING POOLS.
AND HE LOOKS AT US AND SAID
FELLAS I'M PROUD OF YOU, IF THIS
IS THE BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT
YOU EVER HAVE, WILL BE LUCK YOU
MEN.
HIS SON BRIAN WAS ON THE TEAM.
AND WE WERE ABOUT WEFL THEN, 7
YEARS LATER I GET A PHONE CALL,
BRIAN GIBBONS KILLED IN VIETNAM
AT THE AGE OF 19.
AND I COULDN'T STOP THINKING OF
MR. GIBBONS.
IN THE EPISODE YOU INTERVIEW ONE
OF HIS PLAYERS, FORMER PLAYERS
WHO, WHAT QUOTE DOES HE REPEAT?
>> THE SAME THING.
IF THIS IS THE WORST THING YOUR
LIFE YOU ARE A LUCKY MAN.
YOU SEE THE IMPACT OF A COACH.
DAN IS THE SIMFUL OF ALL COACHES
AND TEACHERS WHO CHANGE LIVES.
AND HE HAS FOUR KIDS AND LAST
ONE TO DRUGS.
HE HAS BEEN MISSING FOR A COUPLE
OF YEARS.
HE CAN DO THE BEST HE CAN, BUT
WE ARE ALL TOUCHED BY TRAGEDY
AND IT IS TOUGH ON HIM BECAUSE
HE'S DONE SO MUCH TO CHANGE THE
LIVES OF OTHERS BUT IT DIDN'T
WORK OUT.
NOT BECAUSE HE'S NOT A GOOD DAD,
HE IS.
YOU USE THE PHRASE TAKING
PICTURES IN AN ATTEMPT TO SLOW
DOWN TIME.
LET'S WATCH ANOTHER CLIP THAT
HAS TO DO WITH TIME.
SOME PEOPLE MEASURE A PERSON'S
VALUE IN FINANCIAL TERMS.
TO THE NET WORTH.
OTHERS USE A FAR DIFFERENT
STANDARD.
>> HE PROBABLY HAS MOST TRUE
CHARACTER ANYONE WOULD IMAGINE.
THE CLOCK TICKS FOR ALL OF US,
WITH VARIABLE DEGREES OF
ALLOTTED TIME.
DAN INVESTED HIS SHARE OF TIME
IN THE LIVES OF OTHERS.
AND IT PAID OFF.
IN ANOTHER CONDITIONED OF
WEALTH.
>> MY MOTHER USED TO TELL ME,
YOU WANT TO BE RICH, COUNT YOUR
BLESSINGS AND I DO THAT.
>> YOU KNOW, TELLING STORIES,
FOR THE GOOD IN EVERYDAY PEOPLE,
HOW DO THIS COME TO BE YOUR
NICHE?
>> BECAUSE I GOT IN THE BUSINESS
SO LATE AND I HAD MANY BLUE
COLLAR JOBS AND HAD NO MONEY.
YOU FEEL THAT YOU ARE FORGOTTEN
AND WHEN I GOT IN TV I GRAFFITI
STATED I DID SPORTS, AND
GRAVITATED TO THE PLAYER IT IS A
DIDN'T GET A LOT OF ATTENTION
AND I DEPARTMENTS DO THE
QUARTERBACK BECAUSE EVERYONE
ELSE DID THAT INTERVIEW.
I WOULD GO TO THE GUARD OR
SECOND STRINGER, AND I THINK THE
WHOLE WORLD IS MADE OF A LOT OF
PEOPLE WHO DO WORK AND DON'T GET
NOTICED FOR IT.
I HAD AN EMPATHY FOR IT BECAUSE
OF STRUGGLING TO MAKE A LIVING
MYSELF AND GETTING TO TV SO
LATE.
WITHOUT JOURNALISM OR ANYTHING.
AND ON THE "TODAY" SHOW, SOCIETY
MOVED ON AND THESE PHONY REALITY
SHOWS AND PEOPLE ARE FAMOUS FOR
NOTHING.
SEEMS LIKE WE FORGOT ABOUT THE
PEOPLE LIKE DANNY MACK.
IT IS NOT LIKE HERE'S THE GOOD
NEWS SHOW.
THOSE CAN BE SAPPY.
HAVE YOU THE SENTIMENT AND STUFF
LIKE THAT.
A LOT OF TERRIFIC STORIES AND I
KNEW FROM MY 32 YEARS ON NBC I
DID OVER A THOUSAND STORIES
ABOUT PEOPLE WHO WERE NEVER ON
TV BEFORE.
AND THEY WERE GREAT.
THE PEOPLE WERE GREAT.
AND I JUST THINK WE NEED IT.
I THINK IT MAKES US FEEL GOOD
WHEN WE SEE SOMEONE LIKE US WHO
IS ABLE TO BE, LIKE DANNY,
CHANGE LIVES, TINY HOUSE.
NOT A LOT OF MONEY.
BUT MADE BIG KRUBTTION.
>> MY UNDERSTANDING IS YOUR
CONCERN ABOUT THE IMPACT, YOU
ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE
POTENTIAL IMPAJT THAT YOUR STORY
CAN HAVE ON THE SUBJECT ONCE YOU
CLEAR TOWN.
TELL ME ABOUT THAT?
>> IT IS INTERESTING.
AS YOU KNOW IN OUR BUSINESS WE
CAN MAKE SOMEONE LOOK GOOD OR
BAD.
IF I GO TO A SMALL TOWN AND I
MAKE SOMEONE LOOK BAD THAT IS
NOT A GOOD THING BUT IT IS OKAY,
BECAUSE THE PERSON WILL RALLY
AROUND AND BLAME ME.
IF I MAKE HIM LOOK TOO GOOD, HIM
OR HER, LIKE A HERO, BETTER THAN
THEY ARE, I LEAVE TOWN, RIGHT,
AND THEY SAY WAS HE BRAGGING TO
REPORTER OR DOING ALL THIS.
SO HAVE YOU TO BE CAREFUL, I
LEAVE THE TOWN, THEY STAY.
AND DIA STORY IN A STATION, AND
I KNOW THAT IF I MADE HIM LOOK
TOO GOOD, HE WILL GET RIBBED ALL
THE TIME.
AND GET RESENTEDDED BY PEOPLE.
IT IS IN OUR CARE TO DO THE
RIGHT STORIES AND CARE FOR THE
PEOPLE WE DO THE STORIES ON.
WE LEAVE.
AND WHAT WE LEAVE IS HOPEFULLY
THE TRUTH.
>> WHAT DO YOU WANT TO CONVEY
THROUGH THE SERIES?
>> THAT WE ARE IN IT TOGETHER.
THERE IS A LOT OF TALK ABOUT
INEQUITY AND THE REST BUT IN
BASIC THINGS AND ENJOYMENT AND
HAPPINESS, HAVING MEANING.
WE ALL CAN'T HAVE MEANING.
YOU KNOW, I CAN SAY TO THE BEING
BOY, YOU ARE DOING A GOOD JOB.
THAT MIGHT LIFT HIS SPIRIT AND
HE MIGHT GO BACK TO SCHOOL.
I DON'T KNOW.
IT DOESN'T HURT.
AND I DON'T WANT TO COME ACROSS
AS I AM THE GOOD NEWS GUY ABOUT
A LOT OF STORIES THAT DESERVE TO
BE TOLD AND THAT'S WHAT I WILL
TRY TO DO.
MICHAEL LEONARD CONGRATULATIONS