When Cineflix called me to work on their reality show I never knew it would become one of my absolute favourite projects to work on, not to mention among the most successful campaigns. I was brought on to direct PR for their reality show Conviction Kitchen for their second season. Renowned chef Marc Thuet and his business partner and wife Biana Zorich wanted to bring their show to Vancouver after starting it in Toronto in their own restaurant for season one. Yes- it was a reality show but the people behind this show had a big impact on my life. It really was a fantastic lesson in paying it forward.

Not only did Chef Marc make me some of the most best meals of my life (and I have had some great meals by great chefs in my lifetime) but he and Biana taught me about second chances in the most personal way.

Conviction Kitchen is about taking ex-cons and training them to run a restaurant- front and back. In its first season there wasn’t much press on the series until after it aired. There was relatively no interest in covering the story during its filming days. But it was a different story in Vancouver. The media was very interested in covering the story. From the news angles of the lives of these local ex-convicts to the incredible food that came out of Chef Thuet’s kitchen the story was covered on TV, newspaper and magazines in the city.

It was more than just pitching a story to the press. What Biana and Marc were doing for these trainees was inspirational. They gave second chances to people who never get a break. I enjoyed working with them just as much as I know Marc and Biana did. The show producer, Philip Whelan, was brilliant to work with as well. Their genuine care for these people translated well with the media that I connected with them. It was not just a reality show for them.

The show aired its first run in November and has now been picked up by Discovery Channel in the United States. Conviction Kitchen 2 re-runs on January 13, 2011 on Citytv.

If you’re looking for a great cookbook Chef Marc’s new book is on the book shelves now!

Conviction Kitchen 2 was featured in the following media:

The Vancouver Sun

24 Hours

Western Living

Georgia Straight

Westender

Breakfast Television

Urban Rush

Metro Vancouver

CTV BC

Calgary Herald

Bill Good Show

CKNW Weekend

Toronto Life

Here are some photos Janis took during the campaign: