Community performances, projects, & presentations
Resume: Matthew D. Wittmer
2019
26th Annual April 19th, 1993 Waco Survivors’ Memorial presenter and documentarian. Waco, Texas
See 2019 photos
2018
25th Annual April 19th, 1993 Waco Survivors’ Memorial presenter and documentarian. Waco, Texas
See 2018 photos
2017
24th Annual April 19th, 1993 Waco Survivors’ Memorial presenter and documentarian. Waco, Texas
See 2017 photos
2016
Branch Davidian history consultant. Provided and exchanged FBI audio negotiation recordings with both CBS 48 Hours producer Taigi B. Smith and Emily Wichick who produced an 1-hour long special “The Secrets of Waco” about the 1993 fire at Mt. Carmel that aired in Dec 2017. Also consulted by ABC producer Muriel Pearson for that network’s special, “Truth and Lies” about the same incident and supplied audio visual content. That special aired in Jan 2018.
23rd Annual April 19th, 1993 Waco Survivors’ Memorial documentarian. Waco, Texas
See 2016 photos
2015
KCET Cinema Series Premiere of The Walk, Aero Theater, Santa Monica, California – Sep 29, 2015
Exhibited cable and rigging equipment identical to the types Philippe used in his 1974 WTC crossing, which is the subject of the film.
22nd Annual April 19th, 1993 Waco Survivors’ Memorial documentarian. Waco, Texas
See 2015 photos
2014
Back to School Picnic Tightrope Performance, The Buckley School, Sherman Oaks, California – Sep 7, 2014
Tightwire performance for lower school students and faculty: 189′ long walk cable, tensioned at 10.5′ high over a field. Balance pole.
Red Carpet Videographer, Downtown Independent, Los Angeles, California – August 23, 2014
Shot and edited footage of all cast and crew interviews for a promo video documenting the screening of Khazana, directed by Rahul Nath.
Tour guide for Branch Davidian property, Institute for Studies of Religion, Baylor University, Waco, Texas – June 7, 2014
Toured an international group of scholars to and from the Branch Davidian property for the annual CESNUR conference. Program for the conference is here: http://www.cesnur.org/2014/waco-programme.htm
Wire Walking Consultant. Consulted by Jimmy Skodras of Image Movers in Universal City & Philip Solomon of Way 2 Much Entertainment regarding training an actor in the skills of tightwire walking for a major motion picture.
21st Annual April 19th, 1993 Waco Survivors’ Memorial documentarian. Waco, Texas
See 2014 photos
2013
A Pictorial Introduction the Mount Carmel Property, Reflecting on an American Tragedy: The Branch Davidians 20 Years Later. Baylor University, Institute for Studies of Religion, Waco, Texas, April 18, 2013. Presented a pictorial history of the property where the 1993 FBI siege and fire occurred on the Branch Davidian property.
Back to School Picnic Tightrope Performance, The Buckley School, Sherman Oaks, California – Sep 2013
20th Annual April 19th, 1993 Waco Survivors’ Memorial composite photo presenter and documentarian. Waco, Texas
See 2013 photos
2012
Back to School Picnic Tightrope Performance, The Buckley School, Sherman Oaks, California – Sep 9, 2012
Tightwire performance for lower school students and faculty: 189′ long walk cable, tensioned at 10.5′ high over a field. Balance pole.
19th Annual April 19th, 1993 Waco Survivors’ Memorial docuementarian. Waco, Texas
See 2012 photos
2011
Back to School Picnic Tightrope Performance, The Buckley School, Sherman Oaks, California – Sep 18, 2011
Tightwire performance for lower school students and faculty: 130′ long walk cable, tensioned at 10.5′ high over a field. Balance pole.
Wire Walking consultant. Consulted by Rick Ladomade at Twentieth Century Fox Studios about how to rig a tightwire for an episode of the television series “Modern Family” in which one of the characters tries to wire walk like Philippe Petit
Cirque School Tightrope Equipment, Hollywood, California August 2011 – December 2012
Created two twelve-foot long wire walking simulators for Tim Guinee’s tightrope workshop at this school. Later created 14″ high steel simulator, 11′ long for classes I instructed there.
18th Annual April 19th, 1993 Waco Survivors’ Memorial documentarian. Waco, Texas
See 2011 photos
2010
Branch Davidian history consultant. Provided and exchanged materials with CNN producer Andy Segal who produced an hour long special that aired in 2011 called “Waco: Faith, Fear, & Fire” about the 1993 fire at Mt. Carmel and the aftermath that survivors Sheila Martin and Clive Doyle have endured.
Founder’s Day Tightrope Performance, The Buckley School, Sherman Oaks, California – October 1, 2010
Low-wire tightrope performance for over 800 students and faculty at the culmination of the school’s annual founder’s day parade: 43′ long wire cable, tensioned at 8′ high over the street. Balance pole.
Tightrope Exploration & Performance, Craft & Folk Art Museum, Los Angeles, California
Low-wire tightrope walking performance for summer camp program at the museum: 43′ long wire cable, tensioned at 6′ high above the patio courtyard. No balance pole. See tightrope page on this site for video and photo. (29 July 2010).
17th Annual April 19th, 1993 Waco Survivors’ Memorial documentarian. Waco, Texas
See 2010 photos
2009
16th Annual April 19th, 1993 Waco Survivors’ Memorial speaker and documentarian. Waco, Texas
See 2009 photos
2005
“Illuminating Change”, Los Angeles, California
Produced, shot, and edited all video footage into a 27-minute DVD documentary chronicling a homeless outreach program in downtown Los Angeles for Telecare Corporation. Used as a training and communication tool with interfacing community agencies. This DVD reveals the perspectives of an outpatient mental health agency through the voices of clients diagnosed with severe and persistent mental disease.
2003
Visiting Artist Lecture, University of Gainesville, Florida
Invited to speak to the University’s Art & Art History faculty and student body about my approach to creating artwork about locale investigations of where aberrant behavior or activity has occurred. Presented to the faculty and student body of the Art Department as well as to three undergraduate studio classes. Conducted individual studio critiques for graduate students.
2001-06
“Mount Carmel Memorial Model” Mount Carmel Visitor’s Center, East of Waco, Texas
Created and installed a memorial model of the residential complex east of Waco, Texas that was destroyed in 1993 following an ATF raid and 51 day FBI siege. The model was exhibited for five years in a Visitor’s Center’s that was built where the actual residential complex once stood as a memorial for the 76 people who perished on April 19, 1993 (20 of whom were under the age of 18). The model was accessioned by the archival repository at the Alkek Library at Texas State University San Marcos in October of 2009, the same place where writer Dick Reavis has his materials stored (Reavis connected me with the survivors). See the Mt. Carmel Research page on this site for images and details.