INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEW

Ryan Nathaniel Daw

8 November 2014

COM 400

Instructor: David Bollinger

PREVIEW OF MAIN POINTS

1. Career Description

2. Interview with David Pernell

3. Essential classes in my academic career at UNCW.

4. People who inspired me to be a producer/director

5. The wrap-up (yes or no)

CAREER DESCRIPTION

• “Producers are the main players in the television, film and video industries. A producer will oversee each project from conception to completion and may also be involved in the marketing and distribution processes. Work closely with directors and other production staff on the shoot.”

Tasks include:

• raising funding

• reading, researching and assessing ideas and finished scripts

• commissioning writers or securing the rights to novels, plays or screenplays

• building and developing a network of contacts

If it is a good movie, the sound could go off and the

audience would still have a perfectly clear idea of

what was going on.

~ Alfred Hitchcock

INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEW WITH DAVID PERNELL

• What are two pieces of advice you would give to someone pursuing a career in the field of production?

“My first piece of advice would be to get as much hands on training as you possibly can. Any type of studio environment. The setting may be different, but the equipment (cameras, switchers, audio boards, etc.) are all basically the same. Learning how to frame shots and make smooth camera movements. This will put you ahead of the curve…”

• “Second, be patient. You will not always get director on your first job. Most likely entry level job, such as quality control. A lot of turn over, directing within two years.”

INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEW WITH DAVID PERNELL

Do you foresee any changes within the next five to ten years?

• “[Regarding studio production], the trend is already going there. Doing more with less, we see more productions being produced digitally. A lot of stations are now using SD cards. I feel this is a good advance. On the other hand, there is a certain art to the traditional production crew. As director, you are conducting a symphony, because you have to make sure everything is working properly. I am however, concerned with the decreasing number of positions for in studio people.

•“Today, News 14 Carolina only has a two person production crew…new software takes the human element out of production.”

INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEW WITH DAVID PERNELL

What are the major rewards of this job (besides money, fringe benefits, travel, etc.)?

• “The adrenaline rush of live breaking news. The sense of accomplishment when you pull off a tricky show. It did not matter how many times I directed a live show, when I sat down in that chair at ten ‘til the hour – the adrenaline was pumping.”

• “If you have a particularly hard show, you sometimes have to go off script. When something breaks you have to compensate for it.”

ESSENTIAL CLASSES

• COM 382 – This provides me with basic fundamental knowledge of studio equipment.

• COM 272 - I am able to understand the structures of different organizations, and which one will best suit me as a career.

• COM 200 - After having taken this class twice, I understand the importance of good teamwork.

LUCILLE BALL

• Lucy is my biggest influence, because

she was the first woman president in

the entertainment industry.

• She was head of Desilu Studios from

1962 to 1968.

• Responsible for many classic television

shows, including: • That Girl

• The Andy Griffith Show

• The Dick Van Dyke Show

• And many more…

I am not funny, what I am is brave. ~ Lucille Ball

THE WRAP-UP

So, am I still in this field as

a career? The answer is yes!

• I understand that it will

take a while, and a great

amount of discipline

• Patience is a key

attribute, but if I really

work for it, this will be

worth it in the long run!