Monday, September 11, 2006 | by nathan

It Bears Repeating

I have said this before, but I’m-a say it again:

I will never. Ever. Evereverevereverevereverever. Ever. Work. In. Live. Television.

The sad thing is, I have the requisite skill set, and then some. I’d be damn good at it. I’m calm under pressure. I’m good at the switcher, the camera, the graphics, and the audio. And who knows - if I’m desperate for a job one day, I might be forced to put this skill set to use.

But I hope I’m never that desperate.

Because television professionals - they’re a special kind of crazy. The ones who do live broadcasts - your local news, say - are crazier than anyone I’ve ever met, and this includes drug addicts and Wake Forest pre-med freshmen.

I’ve been the teaching assistant for the introduction to broadcast class for over a year now. Which means, for several hours a day (last year it was 5 - this year it’s nearer to 8.) on Mondays and Wednesdays I lead a bunch of students through creating their own productions. Sometimes up to 15 of them a day - short commercial spots at the moment, though it will be getting longer and more complicated shortly.

All that to say, TV is a stressful-ass industry wherein people are unclear about their expectations and you have about one minute to figure those expectations out and fulfill them perfectly or your ass is in trouble.

Give me print journalism. Give me radio. Hell, give me non-live TV like what we did for the History Channel. Give me PR, the bastard son of journalism. 

Or - if I had my way - give me a five-book deal worth seven figures or so. 

I think I’m just pissed off that I’ve spent the past year of my life perfecting a skill set that I never want to have to use.