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Draft:Joseph Litzinger

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Joseph (Joe) Litzinger is a Primetime Emmy-nominated TV Producer.[1] and an award-winning documentary filmmaker. He is best known for his role as the Executive Producer on the docu-reality series Life Below Zero for National Geographic and BBC Studios. Additionally, Litzinger has served as the Executive Producer on three spinoffs of the series: Life Below Zero: Next Generation[2], Life Below Zero: First Alaskans[3], and Port Protection Alaska.

Litzinger is the founder of Interesting Human Media[4], a production company under which he has co-directed and Executive Produced two feature-length documentary films: Zulu Summer[5] and Will Work for Views: The Lo-Fi Life of Weird Paul.

Life and Career

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Joe Litzinger was born and raised in Houston, Texas, and pursued studies in sociology and American Sign Language at UT Austin. In 2002, he relocated to Los Angeles to embark on his career in the entertainment industry. Initially working as a production assistant, Litzinger transitioned to reality and docu-reality content in 2006, beginning with his role as an assistant director on Hell’s Kitchen. Subsequently, he contributed to various reality TV shows, including Black Gold and The Challenge.

In 2013, Litzinger joined the production team of Life Below Zero, a collaboration between National Geographic and BBC Studios. The series has won eight Emmy Awards[6]. Litzinger's involvement in the show's production has spanned over 13 seasons.[7]

In 2017, Litzinger established Interesting Human Media. The company's inaugural project Will Work For Views: The Lo-Fi Life Of Weird Paul, showcased Litzinger's versatility and dedication to storytelling. The success of this venture was followed by the production of Zulu Summer, which premiered at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in 2019[8]

Throughout his career, Litzinger has continued to produce docu-reality content. Projects include the creation of two additional Life Below Zero spinoffs, Life Below Zero: Next Generation and Port Protection Alaska[9]. In 2022, he expanded the franchise with the development of Life Below Zero: First Alaskans.[10]

In 2023, Litzinger co-directed and executive produced the short documentary Life In Tandem,[11] which explores the world of freestyle canoe dancing. The same year, he served as an executive producer for the feature documentary Go Like Hell, which premiered at the Atlanta Film Festival in April 2024.

Filmography

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Reality Television
Year Title Credit
2013-present Life Below Zero Executive Producer
2018-2019 Life Behind Life Below Zero Executive Producer
2020-2023 Port Protection Alaska Executive Producer
2020-2023 Life Below Zero: The Next Generation Executive Producer
2020-2023 Life Below Zero: First Alaskans Executive Producer
Documentary
Year Title Credit Notes
2017 Will Work for Views: The Lo-Fi Life of Weird Paul Executive Producer & Co-Director Co-Director with Eric Michael Schrader
2019 Zulu Summer Executive Producer & Co-Director Co-Director with Eric Michael Schrader
2023 Life in Tandem Executive Producer & Co-Director Co-Director with Mia Grimes
2023 Chopped & Screwed: The Final Mixtape[12] Executive Producer
2024 Go Like Hell Executive Producer

Awards & Nominations

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Year Award Category Nominees Result
2019 Emmy Awards Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program Life Below Zero Nominated

References

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  1. ^ Grobar, Matt (2019-08-27). "How 'Life Below Zero' Crew Crafts Emmy-Worthy Series In Unimaginably Extreme Conditions". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  2. ^ Dehnart, Andy (2020-08-31). "Life Below Zero: Next Generation's creation and casting; Life Below Zero season 14 details". reality blurred. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  3. ^ Carey, Matthew (2022-05-26). "National Geographic Orders Second Season Of Spinoff Series 'Life Below Zero: First Alaskans' Ahead of Season 1 Premiere". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  4. ^ "About Us – Interesting Human Media". Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  5. ^ "Critic's Choice: 'Zulu Summer' follows an African royal in small-town Montana". Los Angeles Times. 2019-07-17. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  6. ^ "Life Below Zero". Television Academy. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  7. ^ Dixon, Marcus James (2021-06-02). "Joseph Litzinger ('Life Below Zero' showrunner) on 'emotional vulnerability' of Emmy-winning series [EXCLUSIVE VIDEO INTERVIEW]". GoldDerby. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  8. ^ Nordine, Michael (2019-02-13). "'Zulu Summer' Review: This Crowd-Pleasing Documentary Is a Real-Life 'Coming to America'". IndieWire. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  9. ^ Dehnart, Andy (2020-02-18). "How Life Below Zero: Port Protection is different from the shows that form its name". reality blurred. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  10. ^ Darwish, Meaghan (2022-04-28). "'Life Below Zero: First Alaskans' Sets a Premiere at Nat Geo — Get a First Look (VIDEO)". TV Insider. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  11. ^ "Life in Tandem: Making an Unexpected Documentary". Post Perspective. March 13, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  12. ^ Brooks, Dave (2021-01-22). "Watch First Trailer For DJ Screw Documentary 'Chopped and Screwed: the Final Mixtape'". Billboard. Retrieved 2024-03-27.