Tag Archives: advice

Producing Prowess – Jobs in Television Production

Beyond the Classroom, BU Comgrad, Inside COM Classrooms, , , , , ,

By Keiko Talley
MS Journalism ’16
BU College of Communication

NFL—if you don’t watch the games, you know what the letters mean: National Football League.  This year at COM, we were graced with the presence of two amazing producers who work with the NFL at an event called Producing Prowess. The two were guest speakers invited by Professor Andrea Kremer who teaches a class on the Art of the Interview.

Hilary Guy from the NFL Network, also a COM alumni, and Jordan Kronick from HBO Real Sports flew in from Los Angeles and New York respectively to give us an inside look as on their jobs as producers on various projects. When Guy started out at COM, she thought she wanted to be an on-camera reporter, but it wasn’t until her internship at the assignment desk at NBC that Guy started to fall in love with the jobs behind the camera. It was then that she decided to become a producer. Guy told students that the best thing a newcomer could do is to ask to learn a new job, or to observe a job they aren’t familiar with. Guy and Kronick both agreed that they remember those who offer to help out in other areas more than their designated jobs. She told students that was how she got to become a producer, showing her interests and making it her job to learn everyone else’s job.

Kremer

Kronick discussed his newer project Death on Everest where he spent two ski seasons in Nepal to uncover the dangers of climbing Mt. Everest. He explained the process of finding the right characters for his story and discussed how as a documentarian, he has the freedom to take his time on some of his projects.

Guy works at a much faster pace, with quick turn-around on stories and covering breaking news. She later showed some of the interviews she produced with Andrea Kremer and the New England Patriots. She discussed with students the creative production that went into turning boring locker rooms into a magically lit set, and how she used metal cylinders and different lighting to change the scene to add more depth to interviews.

Producing Prowess introduced students to various other job opportunities that are available besides the on-camera talent. As a producer, it is important to keep your crew ready at all times. You almost act as a parent to the camera crew, talent, audio crew, and anyone else contributing to the project. It is important for students to know that there are various jobs available, and even though they won’t be in front of camera, the process could eventually lead them to that placement if their interest still holds. Andrea Kremer insists that learning how to produce and work behind the camera will be of tremendous help for when you’re in front of the camera because it gives you a better idea as to what the crew wants; learning behind the camera jobs will allow you to be one step ahead of the game as on-camera talent.

 

Picture Credit: Susan Walker

COM Career Fair: Networking for Grads and Undergrads

Beyond the Classroom, BU Comgrad, Graduate Events, , , , ,

By Ali Parisi
MS Public Relations '16
BU College of Communication

Whenever I ask people for advice on job searching, all I hear is: network.  How am I supposed to have time to network while in grad school? How can I go to employers and just strike up a conversation about me and what I want to do with my life?

Actually, I can, and I did!  COM’s Career Fair (Feb 24 and 25) gave me that exact opportunity.  Over 20 employers from all three communication disciplines came to BU specifically to chat with more than 340 COM students about potential employment opportunities.  Among the attendees were Arnold Worldwide, Big Block Productions, Communispace, Gupta Media, Ketchum PR, SHIFT Communications, NESN and WCVB-TV-ABC.

The career fair was held over two days, with representatives from each company set up at tables.  Students could talk to any company that was there, giving them the chance to both learn more about the companies and share about themselves.

“We try to get a mix so that all three departments are covered,” says Kelly Forde, Assistant Director of COM Career Services.  “We’re looking for employers that have both internship and full time opportunities.”

Career Fair

Alexis Feinberg, a graduate PR student, was particularly excited to meet with Ketchum PR regarding a potential summer internship.  “I wanted to find out more about the program, if they indeed had an internship program, and what it means for a graduate-level student,” she said.  More specifically, Feinberg was interested in Ketchum’s subsidiary, Harrison &Shriftman – a fashion PR firm and showroom based in Miami.  “Serena, the Talent Acquisition Manager for Ketchum was more than happy to answer my questions and was open to connecting my information with Harrison &Shriftman.”

Forde describes making connections as just one part of the overall goal at the career fair.  “Obviously jobs or internships are really the end goals,” said Forde. “It’s also to practice: to get more comfortable talking to employers, to get more comfortable talking about themselves and selling themselves, and just to kind of up their professionalism.”

COM Career Services also opened up more resume hours and sent out lists of the companies weeks in advance to give students time to prepare.  Ultimately, Forde explains that it is up to the students to come prepared.  “Showing that you do your research sometimes is the best way to set yourself apart,” she said.

Whether it’s finding a job, internship, or just introducing yourself to employers, the career fair is a great way to get your name out there and practice.  I have to admit, I was a little intimidated since I had never been to one before, but I’m so glad I went.  According to Forde,“Every connection is a good connection.” So why not start connecting?  Lord knows I’m going to need a job soon!

Alumni Spotlight: Megan Turchi and Life after Grad School

Alumni Spotlight, BU Comgrad, COM Spotlight, Living in Boston, , , , , , ,

By Ali Parisi
MS Public Relations '16
BU College of Communication

Alumni Spotlight: Megan Turchi and Life after Grad School

Correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t it feel like getting a job is constantly on the mind?  It’s only the second of my three semester program, but all I can think about is finding a good job or internship this summer and then where that will lead for employment after graduation in December.  And yet, just my school work keeps me from finding time to write a decent cover letter.

What if I can’t find a job at all?  Or if I find one but hate it?  I think it’s safe to say that most grad students are feeling this way (and even undergrads for that matter).  If you’re a part of this group, let me tell you that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Megan Turchi (COM ’14) finished her Masters in Journalism this past December.  Now, this BU alum works as a staff writer for Boston.com covering jobs, cars, and real estate.  And she enjoys it!

What’s a day at your job like?

Every single day is different, which I love! A typical day involves phone interviews for articles I am working on and sometimes getting out to do an in-person story. I did a profile on a dog walker a few weeks ago and tagged along while she walked dogs.  It was great! This job entails constantly learning new things and becoming an expert on a variety of interesting subjects.

MTurchi1

Megan Turchi at the Boston Auto Show. Her Instagram caption: "Sitting in a $620,000 Rolls-Royce that is the only one in the US, one out of 20 in the world, for work, obviously. #bostonautoshow"

What was your major at BU and why?

I got my masters in print journalism, but it was very multimedia focused and I took a variety of audio and video classes as well.  I chose it because I thought it would be an interesting way to use my undergraduate degree in American Studies. I knew I loved to write and I knew I had an interest in telling stories about fascinating people and topics.

Looking back, how did BU prepare you for your job?

BU prepared me a lot! Not only did I have fabulous professors with a lot of journalism experience, but I was thrown in to the real world from day one.  We reported from the ground right from our first class and that made my internship and job now so much easier.

Your advice for current COM grad students looking for jobs?

My advice would be to respect and learn as much from your professors as you can. Not only do they have lots of connections to jobs and internships, also a lot of experiences they can share with you. Be open to all kinds of jobs - you may not do exactly what you want to do at the beginning, but any experience is a learning experience!

MTurchi2Megan Turchi reporting on the “sleepwalker” statue at Wellesley College for a BU News Service report. Here's the link to the report, done by her and one of her classmates from COM.

 

 

Journalism grad students showcase all they’ve learned from BU’s College of Communication

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By Michelle Marino
MS Journalism '15
BU College of Communication

On the last day of classes for the Fall 2014 semester, 13 of BU’s College of Communication (COM) journalism graduate students presented their professional projects at the Journalism Graduate Showcase.  Students, faculty, friends and family filled the room on COM’s second floor to support those who were presenting.

Print, photo and broadcast were just few of the many journalism mediums showcased at the event. The projects were diverse in content, offering a wide-range of stories that have never been told, such as an interactive multimedia website that take readers on a storytelling journey along Boston’s Mass. Ave. and a five-part video and article series about BU’s archeology research around the world (see video excerpt below).


Graduate student Amy Laskowski (COM '15) uncovers the sercrets of the Three Cranes Tavern as part of her BU archeology research series. Video by Bill Politis.

Katie Tamola (COM '15), a Print Journalism grad student who presented on her written self-harm project, says she took a great deal from the experience of her professional project and offers advice for those yet to begin the process: "I took so much from it," she says. "This was a topic that affected me and I was curious and passionate about it. Pick something that means something to you, something that makes you think. This is your baby, and it becomes your life. Choose a professor who will challenge you but who really gets you, one you've had a class with or formed a good relationship with. The experience is demanding but makes you such a better journalist." Check out experts from Tamola’s project here.

Saba Aziz (COM '15), also in the Print Journalism grad program, wrote a piece on the history of the Longwood Cricket Club and maintenance of their grass tennis courts. Tennis is something that is close to Aziz's heart, as she was Pakistan's number one women's player and a Federation Cup team member. She comments on the importance of solid reporting when completing the project: "For me personally, this was the longest piece I'd ever done at BU. When you're doing something that's written with not a lot of visual, the more reporting you can do to get the narrative and details the better." View the photo slideshow here.

Along with reflections on the experience and advice on completing the project, Samantha Mellman (COM '15), creator of "The Never Forget Project", an interactive multimedia site documenting Holocaust survival stories, stresses the critical role of journalism in bringing stories to life. "As a journalist I think we're playing a part in helping the world," says Mellman. "It takes one great story to create a domino effect. Even talking about the Holocaust, which seems very removed from us now, seeing those people on screen, it makes it that much more real.


Lucy Jacobs is a Auschwitz Holocaust survivor who re-tells the horrors she struggled to live through as part of Mellman's "The Never Forget Project."

 For those of us who have yet to complete the project, it will surely be an intensive but rewarding process. Andre Khatchaturian (COM '16), a Broadcast Journalism grad student, says although he knows what he will do his professional project on, he’s still marveled at the presentations. "A lot of people have put a lot of work into this," says Khatchaturian. "The one I was most involved with was Ashley Davis [COM '15]'s project on the 2014 midterm election coverage. I was a national desk reporter for that. To see the final product was awesome. They're all very interesting topics. I learned a lot about a variety of things. Journalism is cool in that sense - you don't have to specialize in a specific topic. You can tell all kinds of stories."

According to Associate Professor Susan Walker, this is the second year of the Graduate Showcase, and will be an annual event the last week of classes in December. "Students gain from presenting, succinctly, a topic into which they've done a deep dive," says Walker. "It is an opportunity to seed ideas for other students pursuing a project as well as a chance to demonstrate the craft they've learned here at COM." Since graduate students finish mid-year and often can't return for graduation ceremonies, it's also a chance for them to get together and celebrate their hard work. In the future, Professor Walker's hope is to invite more people, including potential employers and prospective grad students. "Nothing sells our graduate journalist program better than our students and their work," says Walker.

Be sure to check out some of the other professional projects here.

Interested in learning more about BU's College of Communication Journalism graduate program? Make sure to visit our website here. You can also find more information about all graduate programs offered through COM here.

 

Advertising grad students win poster competition and trip to San Francisco

Beyond the Classroom, BU Comgrad, COM Spotlight, , , , , , , , , , , ,

By Ali Parisi
MS Public Relations ’16
BU College of Communication

“The rate at which women are amassing wealth and exerting influence is unprecedented. Yet the work that is supposed to motivate them springs almost entirely from a male perspective. The advertising business is a $33 billion industry. Misunderstanding female consumers, from a business perspective, is sheer lunacy.” - Kat Gordon

As an advertising copywriter and creative director, Kat Gordon was tired of being a part of an industry lead by males.  She discovered that only 3% of creative directors within the advertising industry are women. So, she set out to create the 3% Conference in order to teach men and women in agencies and on the client side how to address these issues in new ways and offer something that has been sorely lacking for female creatives: a sense of community.  Today, two years after its first conference in 2012, the 3% Conference has expanded into a “2-day, 400 person event in San Francisco, multi-city road shows throughout the year, a vibrant online community on multiple social platforms, a student scholarship fund, a creative award, and a business blog to support the crusade,” according to its website.

Cindy Gallop, closing keynote speaker at the 2014 conference.
Cindy Gallop, closing keynote speaker at the 2014 conference.

This year, two of BU’s College of Communication advertising graduate students earned a trip to this year’s conference in San Francisco after winning the 3% student competition.   This year's creative challenge was to imagine that the ratio of female-to-male Creative Directors has increased 300%. Working in teams of two, students had to create a poster to announce this news to the industry to motivate folks to attend the conference and keep the movement going.  Iona Holloway (COM ’16) and Annie Papadellis (COM ’16) were one of the top 10 winners (20 students total since they worked in pairs) to win the competition.

Holloway and Papadellis’s winning submission.
Holloway and Papadellis’s winning submission.

“I think it’s great,” explains Holloway and Papadellis’ professor at COM, Pegeen Ryan. “It’s very real life.  You’re going to be entering award shows and competitions when you’re in agencies. It gives you real and fairly tight deadlines; it gives you stipulations on what you’re working on. Kudos to them for taking on the extra work.”

Ryan worked with both of her students throughout the entire process, helping them to edit and perfect their ideas for submission.  The two were ultimately declared one of 10 pairs of winners from distinguished schools around the country, Brown University, Miami Ad School NY, University of Texas, Miami Ad School SF, Missouri School of Journalism and City College of New York. Besides tickets to The 3% Conference in San Francisco, winners also received a travel stipend, a gift bag from their sponsor Adobe and attendance at a portfolio review lunch during the conference.

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Sarah Granger, author of The Digital Mystique, speaks at conference. Photo credit 3% Conference.

“The conference was great,” says Holloway.  “It reinforced how I'm really going to have to kick my own ass if I want to really succeed as a woman in the industry, which I don't see as a bad thing.”

Prof. Ryan was particularly excited about the networking opportunities for the young women.  The students were able to network with people from across the country, giving them contacts to potentially use in their job search after graduation.

Though the numbers have risen, there is still inequality in the advertising industry.  "It's amazing to me that the majority of consumer are women, and more men are creating the advertising that these women see," explains Papadellis. "It baffles me they still haven't changed their approach," she says.

However Holloway is excited for the future, as she believes “Women are brilliant, as are men. There's no reason why the advertising industry can't reflect the society it serves. It might take a while, but it will happen.”