Pilot Episode and Series Update: A House With Many Rooms

A Postponed Release

Producing, directing, and editing this series has been a remarkable task and I'm glad but more so relieved to say I finished it this past fall. It's a 6-part documentary series, each episode is 30 minutes long, with the last episode's runtime at 60 minutes. 

However, in considering, deliberating, and consulting on how and where to release the series, it has become clear that it should not be released at this time. I knew documenting the story of fostering children would be tough, but I didn't anticipate just how intensely the story would unfold. And while the story was told from my wife and I's perspective, it has become clear the story doesn't belong to us alone. We fostered 6 children spanning 2.5 years. Each child was unique and daring in how they approached their uprooted world. They ranged from birth to age 18. They were defiant, hilarious, angry, noisy, ambitious, resilient, artistic, messy, kind, mean, and everything in between. I have so many hopes for them. While they don't all still live with us, I've made it a practice to say each of their names before I go to sleep at night. Call it a prayer. In the editing room, I made every effort to keep them anonymous; blurring faces, changing names, blurring school names, keeping locations ambiguous, altering details of their story, and even speeding up voices to change the pitch. However, in the end, if someone attended a particular event with a child, there is still that chance they can be recognized.

With this said, the series is being shelved indefinitely.

I've put in a great deal of consideration trying to decide on the right step forward. I've spoken with distributors, therapists, teachers, lawyers, and social workers. Opinions varied greatly. 

My hope is that once the older children we fostered are responsible, decision-making adults we can discuss its release with them, and perhaps their further involvement (maybe giving their perspective). I've already chatted with the 18-year-old we fostered and showed them the episode in which they are featured. They are willing to be involved (albeit anonymously) and allowed me to do a bit more filming with them.

So, with relief and resolve I am releasing the pilot episode of the series (see above) and moving on. I hope you enjoy it. And I hope one day, we will get to release the rest. But we'll have to wait and see.