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| Photo Courtesy: Debbie Mitchell |
In his guest post this week from our summer series, "Tell Me...How Did You Get Into Television?," David Michaels, Senior Executive Director and Co-Executive Producer of The Daytime Emmy Awards at National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, stated that one of most important lessons he would tell anyone pursuing a career in television would be:
"Don’t do it if you want a 9 to 5 job which you don’t take home with you."
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| Photo Credit: Debbie Mitchell |
David is absolutely right! While television can be glamorous at times, the hours are long, the paycheck does not always cover the hours of work (only union folks receive overtime) and the other "worldly" perks are not for everyone.
The reality is that working in television usually means your life is not your own - so be prepared to work your butt off to get the job done. Television is definitely not a 9 to 5 job!
After 25-plus years in this business I can honestly say I've canceled or missed several hundred holiday meals, special events, and dates because of a deadline due to a breaking news story or was just plain too tired from working. When I worked in news, my family and friends would ask why did I have to work on the holidays. My answer was always the same:
The reality is that working in television usually means your life is not your own - so be prepared to work your butt off to get the job done. Television is definitely not a 9 to 5 job!
After 25-plus years in this business I can honestly say I've canceled or missed several hundred holiday meals, special events, and dates because of a deadline due to a breaking news story or was just plain too tired from working. When I worked in news, my family and friends would ask why did I have to work on the holidays. My answer was always the same:
"Because when you turn on the TV you expect to see something on the other side of the screen."
The work required varies for each television genre and show. When I worked as a producer, in syndication for Geraldo Rivera's daytime talk show (1984-1998), our staff worked 24/7. I was much younger then and adrenaline kept me going and time and sleep were an after thought.
Back in the day, booking those one hour talks shows could be treacherous! I am sure you remember ALL those great triangle stories: imagine a wife, her cheating husband surprised by his mistress and then add their new born baby to the mix and you had quite an exciting and drama-filled show. Some of you may even be guilty of yelling at the television.
As a producer you are committed to spending extremely extensive hours in the studio because you are responsible for keeping the guests comfortable and, most importantly, separated from one another so not to spoil the surprise on show day.
A booked love triangle story had the potential to fall apart in a matter of moments, leaving you with a few extra chairs to fill before tape day. So it was always back to the drawing board to re-book the show when that happened.
While the hours of work needed to produce a national talk show is indeed ungodly demanding, we were always ecstatic for our 5-6 week paid summer hiatus. In addition we always had two weeks of paid holiday vacation and one or two weeks of down time during the year.
Back in the day, booking those one hour talks shows could be treacherous! I am sure you remember ALL those great triangle stories: imagine a wife, her cheating husband surprised by his mistress and then add their new born baby to the mix and you had quite an exciting and drama-filled show. Some of you may even be guilty of yelling at the television.
As a producer you are committed to spending extremely extensive hours in the studio because you are responsible for keeping the guests comfortable and, most importantly, separated from one another so not to spoil the surprise on show day.
A booked love triangle story had the potential to fall apart in a matter of moments, leaving you with a few extra chairs to fill before tape day. So it was always back to the drawing board to re-book the show when that happened.
While the hours of work needed to produce a national talk show is indeed ungodly demanding, we were always ecstatic for our 5-6 week paid summer hiatus. In addition we always had two weeks of paid holiday vacation and one or two weeks of down time during the year.
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| Photo Credit: Debbie Mitchell |
When I was working for newsman turned talk show host Geraldo Rivera, the team worked hard. Geraldo always found ways to make our production team feel like everyday was a party (anyone remember "Lucifer" from our Christmas and wrap parties? ) LOL!
I keep hearing that producing for talk shows today is very different. The hours are still long and guests are unpredictable, but the days of paid time off are long gone. The show hiatus is much shorter (3-4 weeks) and you just may have to find another job during your time off since breaks are now unpaid.
I keep hearing that producing for talk shows today is very different. The hours are still long and guests are unpredictable, but the days of paid time off are long gone. The show hiatus is much shorter (3-4 weeks) and you just may have to find another job during your time off since breaks are now unpaid.
When I made the transition over to network morning news television my work and life pace took on a different form of crazy. The chances of there being a breaking story was always a looming factor and kept you on your toes all the time. If there is a breaking news story, all bets are off and all hands are on deck to get the story on as soon as possible.
While the morning show segments, like the former CBS News "The Early Show," are only 3-5 minutes, producers are responsible for booking anywhere from 3-6 of them a week. It all depended on what news hour your segment fell into.
Producers had, and still do, a long list of responsibilities. They book guests, arrange for guest travel, research stories, coordinate segment videos, photos, write segment background notes, intros and questions and other details not detailed here. PHEW!
My first week at CBS News they told me I had to wear a pager (remember those?), so they could reach me anytime during day or night. REALLY? It was quite an adjustment. The pager was eventually replaced by the blackberry and I HAD to be available at any given time.
The morning shows would go live at 7 AM and producers and the crew had to be in super early (3AM- 5AM) to get the show line-up in order. Most of the time there was always a last minute change. People would still ask if I got to go home early since I got to work early. The answer was always, "Not necessarily." It all depends on what else needed to be produced for the week and if there was a breaking news story that you had to help cover.
While the morning show segments, like the former CBS News "The Early Show," are only 3-5 minutes, producers are responsible for booking anywhere from 3-6 of them a week. It all depended on what news hour your segment fell into.
Producers had, and still do, a long list of responsibilities. They book guests, arrange for guest travel, research stories, coordinate segment videos, photos, write segment background notes, intros and questions and other details not detailed here. PHEW!
My first week at CBS News they told me I had to wear a pager (remember those?), so they could reach me anytime during day or night. REALLY? It was quite an adjustment. The pager was eventually replaced by the blackberry and I HAD to be available at any given time.
Trust me, I really wanted to lose those things I called "tracking devices."
The morning shows would go live at 7 AM and producers and the crew had to be in super early (3AM- 5AM) to get the show line-up in order. Most of the time there was always a last minute change. People would still ask if I got to go home early since I got to work early. The answer was always, "Not necessarily." It all depends on what else needed to be produced for the week and if there was a breaking news story that you had to help cover.
As the anniversary of September 11, 2001 approaches, I am reminded of the long days, nights and weeks we spent covering the tragedy over a dozen years ago. Stressed and working days without sleep to cover the news story that would change our lives forever. It was one of the few times I thought about changing my career choice.
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| Photo Credit: Debbie Mitchell |
Most television folks I meet love what they do. Yes, we understand that working in television is definitely not a 9 to 5 job and giving up our time and energy would be all in a days work. Because, as everyone knows, whenever viewers turn on the TV, day or night, they expect to see something on the other side of the screen and we have to deliver it.
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| Photo Credit: Debbie Mitchell |
TV/Social Media Producer Debbie Mitchell is an Emmy nominated producer who is a member of the Producers Guild of America (PGA). She is currently a member of the James Beard Broadcast and New Media Awards Committee. If you have a story idea for "Our Take" or are a brand interested in Social TV, blogger outreach campaigns, or a blogger or personality interested in television placement follow Debbie Mitchell @SocialTVDeb and/or email SocialTVDeb@gmail.com
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Well said Deborah! You really gotta love it or the hours will kill you!
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