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What People are
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"Katrina Diary"

From: day21@twlakes.net
Subject: Katrina DVD
Date: April 30, 2006 7:28:33 AM CDT
To: justinpearce@redwirefilms.com

Hi Justin my name is Steve Tucker, I am the drummer for Tommy Miles. I just had the oppurtunity to see your DVD on Katrina. I was quite impressed with the way ya'll captured the devastation both physically and emotionally. I would like to know how to get a final cut and any posters.

From: badfinger007@cableone.net
Subject: Re: Katrina Diary DVD
Date: April 20, 2006 10:05:04 AM CDT
To: justinpearce@redwirefilms.com

Hi Justin,

Watched the DVD yesterday when I got home, and the Wife and I both enjoyed it immensly! It is a really fine piece of work. The production is nice, and some of the storm video you have is awesome. I'd really like to see all the footage you got from D"Iberville!
This DVD ranks right up there with the WLOX DVD!
You and your crew of Friends looked like you were really kicking it up a notch! What a time you had and conveyed on the disc...reminded me of all my friends back in the day when I was in school in 1972!
Really great Job, Justin...hope you do well with it.
Thanks,
Taylor Dickson
Gulfport

From: swish0212@cableone.net
Subject: DVD - Thanks
Date: April 27, 2006 7:07:47 AM CDT
To: JustinPearce@redwirefilms.com;
Reply-To: swish0212@cableone.net

Mr. Pearce,

I just wanted to let you know that I received my 2nd DVD in the mail yesterday and I very much appreciated your sending it so quickly. I also wanted to let you know that I was able to watch the movie (not all of the special features, yet) and I thought that it was wonderful. I applaud you for not just getting rid of the before footage, as you said hiding it in shame, but turning it into a wonderful movie that brings home how quickly things changed for people on the coast. I also liked the way you put the before images in with the after images; to me that just brought everything home. I am sorry that you and your family and friends lost so much and hope that you're all doing well. I also wanted to say that I think you and your Dad trying to help find relatives of people you didn't even know in the first days after the storm was very generous and possibly the best thing you could have done. Please keep me in mind if/when you add new Hurricane Katrina related products to your collection. I have been very pleased with both of my purchases. Congratulations on, what I think, is a wonderful movie that shows the MS coast's story. Thank you again.

God Bless and Good Luck,
Apsa Swisher

______________________________

Customer Reviews From Amazon.com
Average Customer Review: *****

Katrina Diary by Justin Pierce, May 1, 2006
Reviewer: Jennifer Moran "Jennifer" (Ocean Springs, MS) - See all my reviews
The twenty-four year old, Justin Pierce, is full of talent. He has created a memorable dvd of Katrina's Hurricane disaster for people to treasure. This is a great dvd to add to a collection of memories and the turning point of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. I would like to thank Justin for taking the time to create such a wonderful dvd that is worth more than words can express.

This is a MUST BUY!!!, May 1, 2006
Reviewer: Lisa (Mississippi) - See all my reviews
I'm a Biloxi native, and to this day, it is still difficult for me to drive down the beach because of the ghosts that still haunt my memories...of the places I used to frequent...of the trees and grass so green...of all that is dead and gone.

This documentary is like no other made of the areas affected by Hurricane Katrina. It tells a personal story through one man that can be shared by so many others. It's not just before and after shots with sad music. It gives the audience a peek into the state of mind of many Mississippi residents--why so many chose to stay--why none of us will ever stay again.

Thank you to J. Justin Pearce, et. al. for sharing their experience with the rest of the world.

Wow!, April 28, 2006
Reviewer: Joshua E. Rodgers - See all my reviews

This documentary is a raw, first-hand look at the Katrina disaster from a local's perspective. The pre-storm and other previously unseen footage is what makes this film truly unique. Growing up on the Gulf Coast, I have many memories of the Biloxi area and the beauty it once held. Seeing these images from the storm is a very moving experience for me; the coast is almost unrecognizable. Unfortunately, the level of damage was, and still is, ignored by the media. This film definately makes you appreciate the power of nature and makes you think about the things we take for granted every day; especially for those of us still living on the Gulf Coast. I loved the film and would recomend it to anyone interested in learning more about the hardships caused by Hurricane Katrina.

Powerful Film!, April 28, 2006
Reviewer: Anthony L. Herbert "Anthony" (Ocean Springs, MS) - See all my reviews

This Hurricane Katrina documentary is the best I've seen! The mere fact that the pre-Katrina footage was shot with the storm not being taken seriously adds a powerful impact to the film. The post-Katrina footage is heartwrenching. For those who really want to see what occurred on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, this is a must buy!

Best I've seen on this disaster, April 28, 2006
Reviewer: Beau (Ocean Springs, MS USA) - See all my reviews
I have bought all the other videos and books on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina available on the Gulf Coast. This is by far the best I have seen. Both the people and the scenes are real and will touch the hearts of anyone who lived on the Gulf Coast or has who friends and family who were touched by the storm. There are several original songs on the DVD that hammer home the fellings of those of us still here. In addition to the film, there are also tons of special features that are sure to be a treasure for years to come.

From Amazon.com

Editorial Reviews

Coast Nightlife Observer Magazine, April 15, 2006
"True Katrina Reality TV" Katrina’s Diary is much more than just a documentary. It's true life Katrina reality TV.

From the Actor
Only a few months before the storm struck the coast, filmmaker, J. Justin Pearce, completed work for his bachelor’s degree and embarked on a mission to write and direct his own feature film. He spent thousands of dollars on film production equipment and started work on his project, only to have it halted by the wrath of nature. Katrina roared ashore destroying many homes and businesses, including Justin’s family home and his family business which stood on Biloxi Beach for nearly 50 years. Justin is the great-great grandson of George E. Ohr, known around the world as the "Mad Potter of Biloxi," and the grandson of Joe Moran, a nationally recognized painter who once captured on canvas the beauty of the Gulf Coast for all to see at Moran’s Art Studio. Though Justin evacuated before Katrina hit, he knew there were people trapped on the Coast. In efforts to reach his grandmother, he learned the plight of many others and quickly focused all his efforts on providing relief to residents in South Mississippi. He had shot a great deal of video during the relief efforts to show to family members outside the area after he tracked down their loved ones and brought them food, water, gasoline, generators, clothing, diapers and tons of other supplies. At this point it began to dawn on him that all he had ever known was also gone. Searching for a way to rebuild his family’s home and business, he filmed and assembled a detailed application to the television show Home Edition, in hopes they would help him rebuild. It wasn’t until he discovered he still had the video tape he had filmed making fun of the Hurricane before the storm that he began putting together this film, which escalated into a major undertaking. With hours of edited video, a variety of personal interviews, thousands of still photos and many other extras, the film now nears completion in just more than six months after the storm.

About the Actor
Justin Pearce: Director, Voice-Over Artist, Producer, Executive Producer, Digital Effects After earning a Bachelor’s degree from USM in May 2005, he revived his passion to enter the movie business, but one thing had changed. He no longer desired to limit himself to acting - he wanted to learn all facets of the movie industry. Having been introduced to digital film editing and production in college, he chose to invest his entire savings into video production equipment, and embarked on a mission to write, direct, produce and edit his own independent film. Two months later, he was filming his first movie, and had gathered a crew of dedicated friends that believed in his vision. Then one day, instead of filming the independent film, he filmed a sarcastic prediction of Hurricane Katrina's forthcoming and then evacuated. The storm destroyed his life long home, including the 50 year collection of oil paintings, prints and pottery inside his home, also his family’s art business. Left with the clothes on his back and the contents in his truck, which included his video production equipment – he embarked on a passionate quest to make his movie, but not the one he first intended to make. This movie would be his Katrina Diary, a film where he pours his heart and soul out for all to see in hopes to inspire them to appreciate life and the little things, and to put closure on this chapter of his life. Since Katrina, he rapidly trained himself in nearly every aspect of post production. He studied cinematography, directing, producing, and read manuals in Final Cut Pro, Soundtrack Pro, and DVD Studio Pro. He read apple certified training books in Advanced Final Cut, DVD Studio, Advanced Final Cut, and Advanced Final Cut Coloring Techniques. J. Justin Pearce entered the movie business in 1997 when he landed a surprising lead role in a SAG feature film, Bayou Ghost, at 14, on his first acting audition of any kind. He worked side by side with notable actors George Kennedy and Gabriel Damon. After filming, he followed advice from his 2nd director Tommy Tieche and chose to pursue an education before pursuing a risky career in acting. In his hometown in Biloxi, Miss., Justin graduated high school, leaving an imprint as the second person in the school's history to attend the International Science Fair, and the only to attend multiple times. He declined scholarships to study science and chose to study Mass Communication at the University of Southern Mississippi. At 18, Justin chose to serve his country, joining the Air Force Reserve as a photojournalist, assistant magazine editor and public affairs craftsman. He attended several college accredited military schools, including an intense journalism school, an advanced photojournalism school, an advanced editors course, an advanced public affairs course, and other distant learning courses. His eye for photography and knack for story telling led him to being named Best Photojournalist in the Air Force Reserve in 2004 and 2005, Best Sportswriter in the Air Force, and numerous other awards.
OFFICIAL WEBSITE.
Click the link to open an official Website for this project that is sanctioned by the filmmakers.

Product Description
While residents along the Southeastern United States evacuated for Hurricane Katrina, Biloxi, Miss., resident J. Justin Pearce and his friends filmed a sarcastic prediction of the destruction the storm would cause, Although Justin evacuated just before Katrina hit, he knew there were people trapped on the Coast, including his family. In efforts to find his grandmother, he learned the plight of many others. He quickly focused all his efforts on providing relief to residents in South Mississippi. Journey into Justin's diary, and see Biloxi from just before Katrina, never before seen storm footage, before/after montages of Biloxi's historical homes, and testimonies from Katrina victims interlaced with Justin's compelling first-hand account of the changes people undergo when everything they've ever known is stripped away.

See a clip from the DVD Katrina Diary and a new interview with Mary Moran here

Order your copy today. Buy Now.

For information about the fimmaker, check out this brief biographical sketch.