Zsolt Luka | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Zsolt Luka June 10, 1969 Cluj, Romania |
| Occupation(s) | Television director, editor, Videographer, Producer |
| Years active | 1997 – present |
Zsolt Luka (born June 10, 1969 [1] in Cluj, Romania) is a television director, editor, videographer and producer. He is best known for his role in the reality show Around the World For Free . [2]
His TV career began in the mid-1990s working as an editor on Canadian children's shows like Popular Mechanics for Kids and Mystery Hunters . He started directing in 2002 on Mystery Hunters and continued with children's shows such as Prank Patrol , usually editing his own work. He also edited Great Hotels , Passport to Europe and other travel-oriented shows for the Travel Channel in the early 2000s.
In 2007, together with partners Alex Boylan and Burton Roberts, Luka launched Around the World For Free [3] and set off on a trip around the globe, from September 18 to February 23, 2008. Luka directed, filmed and edited the online series on the fly [4] (once, in a butcher shop with newly slaughtered pigs hanging behind him), producing eight hours of edited content for the online audience. [5] The program had a loyal following that even included schoolchildren, [6] who welcomed the travelers back at the end of the journey during a visit to their school. The online project was re-packaged for television by Luka and sold to WGN America who began broadcasting in spring 2009.
Luka undertook a smaller online/broadcast hybrid project mirrored on the same model for Rachael Ray in the summer of 2008 called [7] Rach to the Rescue . [8]
On July 26, 2010, Luka reprised his role of producing, directing and editing the second season of Around the World For Free , this time for CBS.com, [9] with new host Jeff Schroeder of Big Brother 11 and The Amazing Race 16 fame, [10] and major sponsors AT&T and American Airlines attached. [11] They set off from The Early Show on a 105-day journey around the world, with Luka filing popular webisodes (over 7 million video streams and 4 million page views [12] ) from thirteen countries visited. [13] [14] Only one week after wrapping the show on November 4, 2010, Around the World For Free won both "Best Video Series/Show" and also "Best of Show" at the inaugural Diva Awards in New York City. [15] [16]
Luka's charity efforts include in-kind donated videos for organizations such as the Cambodian Red Cross. [17]
Luka was nominated for the Canadian Gemini Award in editing a few times for various works. [18] He received an Emmy nomination for his work in Great Hotels [19]
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