Elizabeth Bardsley & Associates, Inc.

REFERENCES

"Elizabeth: First and foremost: Thank you, again... Your work on the production of INTO THE WILD exceeded everyone's expectations. Not only did you provide your standard, incredibly thorough, script annotation; you also located individuals that even the author of our optioned source had long lost track of. When you went out, armed with only a first name and literally drove into the desert and found someone whose whereabouts had been unknown for ten years, I was amazed! And, as if that wasn't enough, getting several of the individuals you located to sign rights agreements at no cost to the production was very much appreciated. To put it in your words, you truly 'pulled the bunny out of the hat.' Thank you."... David Blocker, Executive Producer, "Into the Wild"

"Your Standards Review is a great service! The very thorough and thought provoking document allowed our producer and director to quickly understand which changes needed to be made and why. Providing a variety of solutions allowed us to make creative choices, potentially saving tens of thousands of dollars and allowing a wide range of flexibility for the world wide market. This service is now a standard part of our operations."... Robert Katz, President of Production, The Film Department

"I have been clearing docudramas, documentaries and the like for over 30 years. Only in the last few years has a resource such as Elizabeth Bardsley & Associates, Inc. been available. Elizabeth is an invaluable tool in finding and putting into intelligible form background materials on just about any subject, any character, and any series of events that have occurred. Further, she is a great time saver for lawyers clearing shows partially or totally based upon real events and real people. Elizabeth is thorough, accurate, and most of all, presents in readable form the background materials which are available so that a lawyer can then make intelligent decisions in the clearance process."...
A. Frederic Leopold, Leopold, Petrich & Smith, PC

"As an investigative journalist and author for some 40 years, I know the importance of documentation and fact-checking. And as a producer of motion pictures, I learned the importance of a company that I now value as a trusted professional - Elizabeth Bardsley & Associates. During the preproduction stages of three network mini-series, Elizabeth and her associates have enthusiastically delved into immense files of research material and assembled extraordinarily thorough, yet concise annotations that satisfied the needs of the most fastidious entertainment laywers, executives and E&O Insurance companies."... Lawrence Schiller, Producer

"After having annotated a number of my fact-based screenplays myself, I was thrilled to discover that somebody like Elizabeth Bardsley existed. I've just finished the third project in which Elizabeth 's services were once again invaluable. She's thorough, fast, reliable -- and though I never dreamed I'd say this, she makes the process pleasurable. Her careful attention to detail, facts, and every imaginable legal concern saves me countless hours and the producers countless worries. Elizabeth has been doing this long enough that she knows where the red flags are. I look forward to working with her again on future projects."... Alan Hines, Screenwriter

"In a world of blogs and blurred reality, accuracy and honesty have even higher value. Those of us who cherish non-fiction writing can find an ally in a surprising place -- the film industry. For years Elizabeth Bardsley has provided fact-checking and documentation to support major Hollywood productions, saving producers and distributors - not to mention their lawyers - from countless headaches and untold numbers of public conflicts. In my work with Elizabeth on a based-on-a-true-story film I found her and her staff to be resourceful, accurate and scrupulous. Her services may be the solution for editors, publishers and agents who are determined to give readers reliable non-fiction. As someone who shares her devotion to the highest values of the genre I certainly welcomed her help, back-up, and quality assurance." ...
Michael D'Antonio, Author

"Your work on the Adelson Entertainment/Tracey AlexanderProduction of the fx original movie, GLIMPSE OF HELL was truly extraordinary given the complicated technical material we were working with. You distilled the rhetoric of naval operations on a battleship in a period of hours and then conducted an interview with our central "real-life" character as if you'd been sailing the seven seas your entire life. At all times you handled the legal delicacies of the story with aplomb and communicated your analysis in the most thorough series of annotation memos I have ever seen. I always felt that in you I had a safety net! God bless Fox for sending you my way. I can't imagine working with anyone else in the future." ... Tracey Alexander, Producer

"Thank you for your incredibly thorough research on GOTTI and BREAST MEN. These were both very complicated projects, which required careful review of an enormous amount of material. While HBO was very excited about these films, the high profile subject matter mandated extremely careful consideration of our facts. As a producer, I have to make sure to cross all the T's and dot the I's, but at the same time I want to deliver an entertaining and compelling product. You provided us with the concise reports which made both myself and HBO feel very comfortable with the legal parameters and which allowed us to create exciting films of which we can all be proud of. I am very glad you were part of my team and look forward to working with you again. Thank you again for all your help."... Gary Lucchesi , Gary Lucchesi Productions

"Elizabeth Bardsley is quite simply, the very best script researcher / consultant that I have encountered in twenty years of docudrama writing and producing - and by now, I have worked with most of the people in that particular trade. Not only is her work complete, detailed, and supported by up to five subsidiary sources, but her approach is also respectful of the material submitted. She is at once both very diligent in identifying possible problem areas yet also very concerned to protect the integrity and point-of-view of the writer's work. She is that rare example of the very best consultant - a trusted ally in getting the job done. I can say with confidence that her efforts have made the film itself possible."... Lionel Chetwynd, Screenwriter

"I can only express total admiration for the quality and efficiency of your work. Your annotations were extraordinarily thorough as well as concise and to the point. I was also impressed by your persistence in addressing the many issues in those movies. Finally, I want to express my thanks for your dedication that allowed you to meet the deadlines for those projects. As you know, annotations are an important part of any fact-based work and your ability to work within the overall schedule was critical to your successful use of the annotations."... Daniel Waggoner , Davis Wright Tremaine Law Offices

"I want to express my gratitude to you for your amazing work on the script annotation for RUBY RIDGE. While I know that the network thinks your work is mainly for the benefit of the legal department and the writer, I'm much more delighted with how the diligence and depth of your research and the clarity of your annotation pays off on the look and the feel of the picture. The director, production designer, set decorator, prop master and costume designer have all told many times that your work gave them penetrating and accurate insights into the details the Weavers' life and the lives of those who acted toward them. This is much more than we are used to getting from mere "research reports." RUBY RIDGE is the third project on which we have worked together. I look forward to many more such projects and to seeing how your investigations and research give me and my creative staff and information to truly lift the story off the page with a verisimilitude which makes audiences better enjoy and understand the picture."... Robert F. Phillips , Producer

"I'm proud to say that I was one of Elizabeth Bardsley's first customers, so to speak, when she fact checked my "Elvis and the Colonel" script on behalf of Dick Clark Productions. I had to read eleven biographies to write the piece but I was amazed that Elizabeth plunged in and did the same. Great work ethic! Skeptical at first about the kind of annotations she'd produce, when I got the script length annotation report I was blown away. Not only was she thorough, her presentation had real style. As with any job done superbly, it was an aesthetic experience. And from then on, every time I wrote a docudrama I insisted that Elizabeth and her associates did the annotations. I was never disappointed. So, when a producer tells you that in order to save moeny he'll have your script anntotation done by his production assistant or his wife's second cousin, just say "No: Elizabeth Bardsley." Believe me, when the script is done and in the hands of the lawyers and the E&O guys, you'll be a hero." ... Phil Penningroth, Screenwriter

"Thank you for the stellar services you have performed over the years for NBC Studios and NBC. Time and time again you have gone beyond expectations, providing the entire universe of factual information necessary to understand and evaluate the legal issues in each production in a highly organized and usable fashion. Whenever we work on a project together, I proceed with the confidence that we will find out everything we need to know about a subject, and we will keep track of it all. In addition, your dedication and abilities make it possible for you to accomplish these results under very tight deadlines. You remain able to work through problems thoroughly and professionally despite the pressures of production schedules. Finally, you approach your work every day with an intelligence and good humor that make it a joy to work with you. I sincerely thank you and look forward to the next project we will have together."... Colleen M. Hanlon, Legal Counsel, NBC, West Coast

"Elizabeth Bardsley and Associates are an invaluable resourse for the writer and producer concerned with historical and dramatic accuracy. They find reasons why your movie should be made instead of throwing up trivial roadblocks in the path to production. In my case, they were asked to do everything from finding the proper name for a surgical retractor used in the first breast implant surgery to documenting who in Hollywood had been 'enhanced.' Whatever they were called upon to do, they delivered in exemplary fashion." ... John Stockwell, Screenwriter

"Elizabeth Bardsley was an invaluable part of the art department and its success on the HBO film DON KING: ONLY IN AMERICA . She was responsible for procuring research I never thought obtainable. She was fast, reliable and a pleasure to work with. I don't think there is anything she can't find. I would highly recommend Elizabeth and her research capabilities. All departments involved in production can benefit from Elizabeth and her skills."...
Mayne Berke , Production Designer

"Thank you so much for your help with our upcoming novel "Literacy and Longing in L.A." Your meticulous attention to detail helped us to navigate through the daunting chores of permissions and a voluminous book club list." ... Karen Mack and Jennifer Kaufman, Authors

"The unique range of services provided by Elizabeth Bardsley and her incredible wealth of research contacts make her an invaluable resource for any production. In our project alone [DICK], Elizabeth provided period research, circa 1970s magazines and TV commercials for props and video playback, and located aerial stock footage - all of which made it into the movie. More importantly, however, Elizabeth 's support did not end with the delivery of these elements. Contract negotiations, clearance releases and product returns were all part of Elizabeth's services as she undertook the necessary follow-up procedures to ensure that anything she delivered had no legal strings attached. In addition, if anything she presented did not stand up to this legal scrutiny, Elizabeth was always ready with alternative suggestions to ensure that the director received the material he needed before it was time to roll the camera. It is my pleasure to recommend Elizabeth to any production considering the use of her services and I will not hesitate to engage her for any of my future projects."... David Coatsworth , Producer

"I want to let you know how invaluable you were to the production of my script for HBO, THE POSITIVELY TRUE ADVENTURES OF THE ALLEGED TEXAS CHEERLEADER-MURDERING MOM. The tile is long and so was our list of legal worries. Your annotation service relieved me of hours of tedious, awful work and you helped my producers to relax with the knowledge that their butts wouldn't be sued off by all the crazy people I put into my script. You were a pleasure to work with and I hope to use you again on my next Positively-True script."... Jane Anderson , Screenwriter