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With ten years of experience in communication and audio-visual production under his belt Douglas Lyon created EXCELMAN Productions in 1995.

In just a few years, after many prestigious shoots all over France, Europe and two dozen African nations (a total of more than 50 different countries), EXCELMAN Productions has become a privileged partner of all of the major Japanese television networks and production companies as well as the most prominent advertising agencies.The primary vocation of Excelman Productions ranges from the complete production or simply the logistic management and co-ordination, of a wide spectrum of primarily audio-visual projects in video or film : hard news, documentaries, live satellite broadcasts, variety shows, reality shows, sports events, TV films, commercials, etc.

In the world of Japanese television we have come to be known as "Africa specialists", but actually we began with Fashion and News, then Variety shows and Reality Shows, and although we love it all, but we must confess a particular passion for Broadcast News, Documentaries, and... well, you guessed it : Africa !

We are Producers, Production Managers, Line Producers, Field Producers, Journalists and Directors !

We produced some of the very first Reality Shows in the History of Television. We can proudly say we do it better than anyone else ! Why ? Because we have been doing it for so long.

Need a crew to tell your story ? A Producer ? Director ? A Journalist ? Contact Us ! We work extensively throughout Europe and Africa and we would be delighted to suggest cost effective solutions in order to achieve results above and beyond your hopes and expectations !

A department of Internet and Multimedia Services was added in the beginning of 1999, and we inaugurated this new activity by signing an important contract with the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

NEWS FLASH ! : To facilitate FTP footage feeds we have recently installed Optic Fiber !

A few examples of our past projects :
 

- World Ranking : Nigeria : The Town with the Most Twins in the World ! ( and other stories )
( Variety, Comedy )
based on an idea by Douglas Lyon ( Excelman Productions ) broadcast by Nippon Television, February 2012

- Future Era : Jipangu
The Economic Developement of Nigeria, and : Lagos or Nollywood ? The Hollywood of Africa ! ( News Magazine )
based on an idea by Douglas Lyon ( Excelman Productions ) broadcast by TV Tokyo, Broadcast February 20, 2012
( the name of the program is a reference to an old name for "Japan" see : This ! )

- Beaujolais Nouveau 2011 ( Commercial : Publicity )
promotional shoot for the agency Dentsu : footage made available to all the Japanese television networks.
(September 2011) Director : Douglas Lyon

- World Ranking (Premier) : The Newest Country in the World ! : South Sudan ! ( Variety, Comedy )
( broadcast by Nippon Television) August 2011 Starring : TKO

- World Business Satellite Special : The Success of Japanese Sake Marketing in Europe ( Business News)
( broadcast by TV Tokyo) May, June, 2011

- The World Impact Image Company (Images of the Extreme ) : The Dogon People of Mali ! ( Variety, Comedy ) based on an idea by Douglas Lyon ( Excelman Productions ) broadcast by Fuji Television April 2011 starring Heisei Nobushi-Kobushi : the stars participated in the extraordinary Fish Festival of Bamba ! ( see this wonderful footage filmed by the BBC : Click Here ! (this is NOT our footage, but it gives a good idea of the adventure ...)

- Overseas Monthly : Travel Salads !
(Travel Info, Magazine ) Paris, Mt. Saint Michel, Milan, Venise : broadcast by Asahi Broadcasting Corporation : March 2011

- World Cultural Heritage : The Dogon People of Bandiagara ( Republic of Mali )
( Documentary ) broadcast by TBS (Tokyo Broadcasting System ) Mali, Mauritania : January 2011

- Extraordinary Japanese ( according to the newspaper Le Monde )
broadcast by TV Tokyo ( France ) November 2010 ( Documentary )

- The World Impact Image Company (Images of the Extreme ) :
Stick Fighting and the Beautiful Surma People of Ethiopia ( Variety, Comedy )
based on an idea by Douglas Lyon ( Excelman Productions ) broadcast by Fuji Television, September 2010
( this is NOT our footage, but it gives a good idea of the adventure : Click Here ! )

- Contemporary Close Up : The Cheetah Generation
( Documentary : Africa's Economic Developement ) for the NHK : Nigeria, Ghana (with live satelite broadcast from Ghana produced by Douglas Lyon ( Excelman Productions ) March, April, 2010

- 2010 World Cup (News Coverage )
For NTV ( Nippon Television ) : Cameroon, South Africa : May, June 2010

- News 2,3 : China's Economic Conquest of Africa !
( News Magazine ) for TBS : Zimbabwe : March 2010

- World Business Satellite Special : VINEXPO and The Impact of China on the French Wine Industry
( Business News) for TV Tokyo June, 2009, Directed by Douglas Lyon

- The Potato that will Save the World !
( Documentary ) for NHK : Nigeria, Uganda : March 2009

- The Historic Inauguration of the Prime Minister of Integrity !
( Inauguration of Morgan Tsvangirayi ),
- The Economic Crisis, and Cholera Crisis of Zimbabwe !
( News Coverage, and News Magazine ) for Yomiuri Television : February 2009 : Zimbabwe

- 100 Japanese Who Change the World ! : Mr. Yoshifumi Yamashita and French Cuisine
( Documentary ) broadcast by TV Tokyo : France : October 2008

- Cambria Palace : The Car of the Future :
A Day in the Life of Carlos Ghosn : CEO of Renault and Nissan Motor Company
( Documentary style News Magazine ) for TV Tokyo : October 2008 : France

- 100 Japanese Who Change the World ! : Ms. Fumiko Kono and French Cuisine
( Documentary ) broadcast by TV Tokyo : France : September 2008

- World Crisis 2008 : Part 2 : China's Economic Conquest of Africa !
( Special Documentary ) for TV Asahi : Gabon ( West Africa ) June 2008

- Princess Diana : 10 Years Since the Crash : The Reality of Love, Discord and Death
( Documentary ) for TBS ( United Kingdom, France )
Starring Hitomi Kuroki July 2007

- World Reporter : Victory over Declining Birth Rates : A Study of Social Demography
( Documentary ) for NHK : April 2007 ( France )

- Homestay in the World : 102 Countries, 620 Voyages Special
( Reality Show / Documentary ) for TBS March 2007 : Ethiopia

- Monday Night Special : Alain Passard the King of Contemporary French Cuisine
( Documentary ) broadcast by NTV : November 2006 : France

- The World Cultural Heritage : Mother Africa : Niger, Chad, Niger, Mali
The Magnificent Sahara, Enedi : the Jewel of Chad, Mali : The Dogon People, Djenné : The Sacred City
( Documentary ) broadcast by TBS September to November 2006

- -FBI Extrasensory Perception Investigator John Oliver Investigates
the Death of Princess Diana : An X-Ray of the Tragic Accident
( Documentary ) broadcast by NTV February 2006 : France

- Square Enix : Final Fantasy : at the Venise Film Festival, the Sitgès Film Festival,
in France, and in Czech Film Festivals
(News / PR Coverage for the agency Dentsu, and for Square Enix )
Director : Douglas Lyon : Excelman Productions 2004, 2005 :
Italy, Spain, France, and the Czech Republic

- The Continent of Passion : Dr. Yoshihiro Kawaoka :
( World Renowned Virologist ) : Aviary Influenza and the Ebola Virus !
(Documentary ) broadcast by TBS, November 2005, Gabon

- JICA in Niger Special : The Smile of a Continent !
( JICA = Japan International Cooperation Agency )
( Documentary ) broadcast by TV Tokyo, August, September, 2005 : Niger

- The Wide : Spring Vacation Special :
The Truth Behind the Death of Theresa Teng ! : 10 Years Later...
( Documentary ) for Yomiuri Television : March 2005

- Yomiuri Newspaper : 130th Anniversary Special ! :
Ototake's : The Funnest Schools in the World !
starring : Hirotada Ototake
( Documentary ) for NTV, February 2005, London

- The Fountain of Trivia !
( Variety ) broadcast by Fuji Television, Chad, Cameroon, France : 2004

- Paradise Embraced by Water !
starring : Kimiko Date
( Documentary ) broadcast by NTV, May 2004

- Virus Hunter ! In Search of the Ebola Virus !
starring : Dr. Yoshihiro Kawaoka
( Special Documentary ) for ChuKyo TV's 35th Anniversary : Gabon : October, 2004

- Takeshi Kitano's Truth Probe :
The Enigma of Princess Diana's Death :In Pursuit of the Culprit !
( Documentary ) broadcast by TV Asahi : September 2004

- UNESCO : Nature's World Heritage : Bulgaria, Spain, France, Italy, Switzerland, and Croatia
( DVD Series Documentaries ) : 2004

- Beautiful Spaceship Earth : Transforming Deserts to Gardens :
New Agricultural Technics for Nomads !
( Documentary ) broadcast by TV Asahi : Djibouti October, December, 2003

- Homestay in The World ! Ethiopia : The Koegu People
( Documentary / Reality Show ) for TBS October, 2002

- Homestay in The World ! Ethiopia : The Konso People
( Documentary / Reality Show ) broadcast by TBS March, 2002

- NTV Sports : News Coverage of the Korea vs. Tunisia Match ( Soccer, Football)
February, 2002 : Tunisia

- Homestay in The World ! : The Incredible Coffins of Ghana !
( Documentary / Reality Show ) broadcast by TBS February, 2002

- Homestay in The World ! : Ganvié : the Venise of Africa !
( Documentary / Reality Show ) broadcast by TBS December, 2000

- News Coverage : Hostage Crisis in Greece
for Fuji Television : November 2000

- Homestay in The World ! : Culinary Adventures in Zambia !
( Documentary / Reality Show ) broadcast by TBS October, 2000

- Homestay in The World ! : Djibouti : The Salt Caravan of the Afar People !
( Documentary / Reality Show ) broadcast by TBS July, 2000

- Riding Together : Adventures in the Love Wagon !
( Reality Show ) for Fuji Television May, 2000 : Turkey, Bulgaria, Greece

- World Cultural Heritage : Great Africa! : Mali, Niger, Senegal, Benin
( Documentary ) for TBS, December 1999 to February 2000

The Baobabs of Senegal, the Niger River, The Sahara, The Tuareg People, Mysterious Timbuktu !
( Millenium New Year's in Timbuktu ! )

- See It And Believe It ! : Super Madame !
( Documentary ) for TBS : July 1999

- Broadcaster : Who is Philippe Troussier ?
( Documentary Style News Magazine ) for TBS, Directed by Douglas Lyon: Excelman Productions : June, 1999

- Homestay in The World ! : Dog Grooming in the Suburbs of London !
( Documentary / Reality Show ) broadcast by TBS October 1999, U.K

- Homestay in The World ! Stained Glass
( Documentary / Reality Show ) broadcast by TBS, April 1999

- Homestay in The World ! Cooking with Garlic in Southern France !
The Cuisine of Southern France !
( Documentary / Reality Show ) broadcast by TBS, April 1999

- Millenium Special :
Tonight the Bell will Toll ! : Tracking the Killer : The Death of Princess Diana !
( Documentary ) broadcast by Fuji Television, November 1998

- World Cup 1998
( News Coverage ) for NHK - June 1998

- World Cup 1998
( News Coverage ) for Fuji Television

- Susume Denpa Shonen !
This was one of the most popular variety shows in the history of Japanese television : see this : Denpa Shonen : Panyao !
( Reality Show ) for NTV : Panyao ! : Two boys hitchhiking from Cape Hope in South Africa to the northern most point of Norway.
This was for us a six month long project and it was for many years one of the biggest secrets in the world of Japanese television ( the secret is now out, we can now admit the truth ) : that we were in fact there, organizing the adventures and misadventures without the knowledge of the travelers ( our victims ) We were getting an audience of up to 27 million ! We handled Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, Greece, Bulgaria, Roumania, Ukraine, Russia, Finland, and Norway. 1998

- The World Cultural Heritage : The Jewel of West Africa : The Republic of Mali :
The Sacred City of Djenné, The Dogon People and the Cliffs of Bandiagara
( Documentary ) for TBS : December 1997 : Mali

- See It And Believe It ! : The Truth Behind the Death of Princess Diana
( Documentary ) for TBS : September 1997

- The Wide ! : The Death of Princess Diana : The Investgation, The Funeral
( Documentary style News Magazine ) for NTV : September 1997 ( France, England )

- The Death of Princess Diana !
( Live News Coverage ) for Fuji Television : September 1997

- The World Cultural Heritage : The Jewel of West Africa : The Republic of Mali :
The Sacred City of Djenné, The Dogon People and the Cliffs of Bandiagara
( Documentary ) for TBS : December 1997 : Mali

- News Station : Hermès and the Refugee Artist Children from the Sudan !
( Documentary ) for Asahi Television , April, 1997 : Uganda

- NamaDara - David Ito Tour -
( Variety ) for NTV (France; Belgium, Germany, Holland, The Czech Republic, Italy, Spain, Turkey, and Egypt ) July 1997

- Super Morning -
( News Magazine ) for TV Asahi - diverse stories

- Broadcaster -
( Documentary Style News Magazine ) for TBS - diverse stories

- Naruhodo! The World Special : The Lake Flies of Lake Victoria
( Variety Style Documentary ) broadcast by Fuji Television : February 1997, Kenya

- The Land of Light ! The Land of Drums ! : Sakata Akira in Africa !
( Documentary : 2 hour special ) for TV Tokyo, December 1996 to January 1997 : Senegal, Mali, Gambia

- Interview with the President of Niger : A Week After the Coup d'Etat that brought him to power !
News Coverage for Fuji Television, February 1996 ( director, interviewer : Douglas Lyon )

- Susume Denpa Shonen ! Saruganseki !
This is one of the most popular variety shows in the history of Japanese television : see this : Denpa Shonen :
( Reality Show ) Two boys hitchhiking from Hong Kong to London.
It was one of the biggest secrets in the world of Japanese television at the time : that we were in fact there, organizing the adventures without the knowledge of the travelers ( our victims ) This was perhaps the very first Reality Show in the History of Television... : We handled Turkey and France and delivered them to their goal in London. 1996

- Naruhodo! The World : The Touareg People of the Sahara !
(Variety Style Documentary ) broadcast by Fuji Television : February 1996 :
This project was done during the civil war : our local staff were the Touareg rebels ! Niger

- Sunday Project : France's Nuclear Testing
( Documentary Style News Magazine ) for TV Asahi, May 1995

- Rwanda Refugee Crisis : News Station / News Coverage for TV Asahi
3 Months spent in the Republic of Congo ( then Zaire ) 1994
( Strangely, This was our begining of our love affair with Africa ! )

- Rwanda Refugee Crisis :
Coordination for the Japanese Media Press Pool : News : Satellite Broadcasts / Satellite feeds
in collaboration with Reuters Television, 1994, Goma, Zaire

- The Van Gogh Affaire ( UNESCO AWARD) :
A Documentary directed by Hervé Dresen
A co-production : Transparences Productions for Fuji Television et France 2, 1993, France, England, Holland

- World Uplink - Fuji Television - over 250 news stories conceived and produced : 1991 to 1993

TV Films :

- Private Eye & Stewardess
for Fuji Television : November 1996 audience : 26 million

- Oishii Kankei ( Delicious Relations )
for Fuji Television, December - 1996 audience : 23 million

- With Love
for Fuji Television, June 1998 audience : 23 million
Commercials :

Stay Gold - agency : Nakahata Kokoku - directed by Masahiro Honda

Parco - agency : Dentsu -directed by Ellen von Unwerth

Matsuda Sentia - for Cox Project - directed by Kimi Takeshi

etc. etc

The Landscape of Our Experience
(countries we have worked in ) :
Europe :

- Belgium

- Belarus

- Bulgaria

- Denmark

- Finland

- France

- Germany

- Great Britain

- Greece

- Holland

- Ireland

- Italy

- Luxembourg

- Norway

- Poland

- Portugal

- Romania

- Russia

- Spain

- Switzerland

- Turkey

- The Czech Republic

- The Ukraine

Africa :

- Benin

- Burkina Faso

- Chad

- Cameroon

- Djibouti

- Egypt

- Ethiopia

- Gabon

- Gambia

- Ghana

- Kenya

- Madagascar

- Malawi

- Mali

- Niger

- Nigeria

- Senegal

- South Africa

- South Sudan

- Sudan

- Tanzania
(including Zanzibar)

- Togo

- Tunisia

- The Republic of Congo
(ex-Zaire)

- Uganda

- Zambia

- Zimbabwe