Hello, my name is Stephen McCurry and I am the Senior Producer for the Parelli Natural Horse Training Media Department. I have only been working with Parelli for about 3 months now and there is a whirlwind of activity in our department with the new TV show we are producing, The Horseman’s Apprentice.
I will be based out of the Pagosa Springs office and I know the area pretty well as I have been living here part time for the past 18 months. I lived in Los Angeles (Burbank) for 10 years and I have worked in entertainment my whole life.
I had been looking to get out LA for a couple years, and it has been great to be able to combine my passion for film & television with my desire to live in the great state of Colorado and the Rocky Mountains.
I have worked for most of the major television networks at some point or another freelancing as a producer, production coordinator and camera operator. I have worked for Warner Bros, NBC, ABC, History Channel, A&E and many other networks.
I really enjoy working with the Parelli team here and I am surprised at the similarities between the dedicated Parelli students and film / TV crew members. For one, we both work long hours. Second, most of the time we don’t mind the long hours because we really enjoy our work. (There are exceptions to this one.) Third, it seems like the best Parelli students are lifelong learners and work constantly to improve their craft, and in my opinion that is also a requirement to have a successful career in film and television.
One of the best things about working here is that I can wear my western shirts and not feel out of place. I love all things western and have even produced and directed one independent western film that was released through Blockbuster. My film had a big stagecoach chase with six horses chasing a mud waggon pulled by a team of four. I wish I had Parelli horses and trainers on set for that scene because things would have gone a lot smoother.
Please check out our new show The Horseman’s Apprentice. It is shot from the perspective of an outsider looking in on the Parelli campus, because that is what I am. My crew and I are really enjoying filming this series and have experienced so many amazing moments. We are working our tails off and hopefully we are capturing what it is really like to be here at Parelli.
Stephen
Stephen McCurry - Senior Producer for Parelli Natural Horse Training
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Welcome aboard Stephen. Your story is an impressive one. You fortunate dog, you. Landing a project with The Parellis. I am enjoying the behind the scenes format of The Apprentice. My favorite spots are any with Pat and Linda in them. Even though you probably think of them as approachable and all, I think of them as rock stars.
Hey Stephen,
Just finished watching the first episode of ‘The Horseman’s Apprentice’ over the internet (which was not easy with our lousy Australian broadband) and it was fantastic! I love the way you’ve delivered this story, and am looking forward to meeting you and the crew when I visit next month. I’ll be bringing my 17 yr old daughter who is keen on a future in film production, so you will probably be plagued with questions when we get there! Cheers, Chris
I loved watching the show on the website. I actually gelt like I was getting ready to start an internship. More please! Do you have a horse to go along with that western gear?
Stephen, I found it very interesting to hear more about your background. I am really enjoyed the “Horseman’s Apprentice”. Great job!
Petra Christensen
1Star Parelli Junior Instructor
Parelli Central
It’s always nice to hear from the person behind the camera. Love your new show. Keep it up!
Hope you’ll post again so we can see more from behind the scenes!
I am so excited about this new show…when will we be able to view any of the episodes on the Savvy Website?
I really got the feeling of what Parelli is watching the Horseman’s Apprentice. I ‘ve been in the program since 2005, passed level 2 and would like to say that you’ve done a great job sharing what Parelli is really about with this show.
Very nice Stephen, I really enjoyed reading this and learning more about you.
Thanks for the post!