Film and Video Production: Alumni Stories
Jillian McCafferty - '15
How did you end up working in New York and working for Comedy Central?
I moved to New York City in May 2015, a month after graduating
from Grand Valley. I arranged an internship at a post-production
visual effects studio in the West Village prior to graduation and
worked there until late July. I was then offered an office PA position
on an indie film, and although that job didn’t pan out (commute/wages
etc.) it gave me the freedom to pursue other opportunities.
I worked in the Art Department for NBC’s new crime drama Shades of Blue and also worked as a production assistant for Reuters News during New York Fashion Week. After Fashion Week I returned to the post studio where I had interned and freelanced as a production assistant for a month before I was hired by Comedy Central.
I applied for about 115 positions over the course of three months in the city. Despite numerous follow up calls/emails and thank you notes I heard back on less than 10 applications. As summer wound down I resorted to telling anybody and everybody I met that I was looking for a job in T.V.
The accountant at my uncle’s guitar showroom mentioned he knew someone who worked at Comedy Central and could possibly pass along his contact information, provided he met me and thought I was a solid candidate. That week I came by the showroom and spoke with him about my career goals, qualifications, and the Rolling Stones, after which he declared that he liked my vibe and felt good about recommending me to his friend.
As it turns out, his friend works in the Brand Creative department at Comedy Central. Brand Creative handles all network promotion On and Off-Air. After I reached out to my future boss over the phone, he invited me to stop by and tour the office and learn about the department. Shortly after we spoke a PA position opened up and I was told that I was being considered for the position. I interviewed with the Senior VP of the department in late September and after several thank you notes, some politely persistent email inquiries, and a couple of weeks, I was hired.
What does your title,
Production Assistant to Brand Creative mean? Can you
describe your job? What is your average day like?
As a Production Assistant for Brand Creative I am one of three
PA’s who work for the whole department (to provide some scope of the
department’s size, Brand Creative contains: Social Media strategy
teams, graphic design, marketing, and countless writers, producers,
editors, and project managers.) Each PA has unique roles and
responsibilities, but our main objective is to make life easier for
the producers, editors, project managers, coordinators, writers, and
designers on our floor. We fulfill lots of requests (typically for
digital assets from the Viacom Digital Library), send electronic paths
to footage on our server, capture footage from tape, deliver promos to
network air, run errands for the department, and help complete projects.
On a daily basis I send countless emails, manage email threads between editors, writers, and producers, digitize footage, gather clips that have been requested, send electronic paths to footage on our server, create links, watch a lot of South Park episodes (we’re about to launch season 20), and work closely with the Daily Show and Nightly Show team. I deliver promos to network air 5 nights a week, including Daily Show promos, stand up promos, non-sponsored movie promos, and special network event promos and sponsored content promos from third-party vendors. I also sub for our scheduler a few times each month and coordinate Voice Over sessions with talent and producers and book freelance editors and designers.
What do you like most about your work?
Watching our shows (sometimes full seasons) before they air on
T.V. It’s great to have access to the Viacom digital library. I love
being a few clicks away from all of the content ever aired on Comedy
Central, VH1, MTV, Spike, TV Land, Nickelodeon, and Logo. Also, I
really enjoy attending pitch meetings. It’s very cool to be in a
meeting and hear an idea get pitched and two months later see that
idea on a subway billboard. Sometimes I get to correspond with/meet
our talent and attend special events. I am truly lucky to work in my
specific department at Comedy Central, it sounds cliché but everyone
here is genuinely kind and supportive and that isn’t the norm in this
industry. Plus, about 70% of the employees are women, many of whom
hold the highest-ranking positions at the network.
What do you see as your most rewarding accomplishment?
My most rewarding accomplishment has been moving to New York by
myself and securing my job at Comedy Central. In only a few short
months I have managed to become an integral part of the Brand Creative
team and look forward to my future with the company. I was recently
promoted to staff with full benefits before celebrating my one-year
anniversary with Comedy Central in October.
Life in the first year after graduating
What was the most valuable advice you received? What insights
did you gain?
Don’t go into an empty subway car during rush hour. It’s empty
for a reason. As for work-related advice, networking is important
above all else. It is more important to know someone who knows someone
than it is to have tons of relevant experience. Don’t let people walk
all over you, be willing to go the extra mile but never let someone
take advantage of you. Unpaid internships aren’t a thing. Don’t take
any job for “the experience.” When applying for out of state jobs, put
an address on your resume from the city/state where the job is. Most
employers won’t look at your application if they think you will have
to move (even if you’re totally willing to relocate) there are plenty
of qualified candidates who are local.
What software or skills would you suggest that they learn?
Make the Adobe Suite a priority, specifically Premiere Pro and
After Effects. Premiere Pro is now the industry standard. Any editing
skills you are able to hone and perfect will absolutely be an asset
when finding work. Pick one thing and get really good at it. Really
talented After Effects artists, great editors, and people who can work
fast and efficiently are always in high demand. A talented freelance
AE artist or someone who is great at rotoscoping or matte painting
will always have work in NYC. If you know Flame you will be indispensable.
What is one of the most useful things that you have learned in
your work?
File formats, file compression, video codecs. Quick editing
fixes. Multitasking efficiently. Time management.
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