The Things I Wish I Had Known
Being a producer has easily been my favorite experience at ATVN thus far. However, it didn't start out that way. This class is extremely intimidating and can seem overwhelming and at times impossible. I remember during run through week seriously considering whether or not I would be able to handle it. Nonetheless, as time went on this soon turned around and I ended up actually looking forward to my producing day.
If I could give any advice to future producers it would be this: know everyone's name, be personable, trust everyone in the newsroom, and be confident in your skills and knowledge of the newsroom. I have found that if you truly take the time to get to know the people who are working on your day, they will feel more comfortable asking for help, be more open to learning, and want to do their best work for the show.
At the end of the day, without the assignment editors, MJs, reporters and anchors, your show does not exist. And knowing these people makes ATVN so much more fun! In addition to that, the other most important advice I can give is to know and LOVE your teammates. If it had not been for Christen, Olivia, and our EP shadow Emily I could not have gotten through this semester!
Working under the type of extreme pressure that we dealt with on our producing days is something that is truly unique to newsroom. Each and everyday that I worried whether or not we would be able to pull off the show I always remembered to keep calm, carry on, and push through.
Panicking is NOT something you have the luxury to do. It is always the wrong answer because it prevents you from thinking clearly and resolving problems. And as a producer, you are the person everyone looks up to and goes to to solve their problems. While that is intimidating at first it is such an amazing feeling by the end to know that you most likely have all the answers to their questions.
I am so happy that I was able to be a producer this semester and get this experience for my last semester of college. It is one of the most valuable learning experiences ATVN has to offer, and I highly recommend everyone to take it if they have the chance!
My college experience would not have been the same without this experience and I will miss it dearly. To team Thursday, I could not have gotten through this without you all so thank you for all your dedicated and hard work. You made my job so much easier.
Love you, ATVN!
