Kent State continues to excel in hands-on learning, as shown by the ESPN+ livestream broadcast of the Kent State Men’s Basketball team’s victory over the Eastern Michigan Eagles. Produced entirely by digital media production undergraduates in the School of Media and Journalism, what could have been a chaotic, high-profile evening was business as usual.
The student crew was able to put on a successful and high-profile live broadcast, thanks to their training at TeleProductions, Kent State’s full-service video production center, where students gain professional and technical experience working behind the scenes on podcasts, in-studio productions and live broadcasts.
Austin Monte, a senior digital media production major, has been working at TeleProductions for four years. He directed that night’s game and was responsible for the visuals. He told Kent State Today that after working on his first few games at TeleProductions, he fell in love with what he was doing and plans to continue pursuing a career in sports broadcasting.
“It is the perfect environment to learn because you can make mistakes and it's not the end of the world,” Monte said. “TeleProductions has really honed my skills and I feel prepared to continue doing this when I graduate.”
Kyle O’Leary, a senior digital media production major, produced the game and was responsible for crafting the storyline and working with announcers and the director. In his past four years at TeleProductions, O’Leary has learned how to adapt to the busy nature of a professional sports scene.
“I have learned you could prepare the best you can but in sports broadcasting, you don’t know what is going to happen,” O’Leary said. “Communication goes a long way and when everyone is on the right page, you’re going to have a successful broadcast.”
Lillian Glaze, a first-year digital media production major, is marking a major milestone for her inaugural year at Kent State. She created a seamless presentation for viewers and operated the video switcher.
“Our producer said you wouldn’t be able to know the livestream was produced by students,” Glaze said. “We were all able to clearly communicate and have fun while putting together a great show.”
Mark Warzinski, production manager for TeleProductions, said some of the most important skills taught there are communication and teamwork.
“We like to say that we give them the opportunity to make mistakes and correct those before they enter the workplace,” Warzinski said. “I think it shows that TeleProductions strives to provide students with hands-on experiences so they can start to understand what the work world is like.”
Communication is key in this field and is a skill Glaze honed during her first year of college because of the opportunities at TeleProductions.
“Glaze has certainly evolved in her short time with us,” Warzinski said. “She’s been able to adapt her skills to new equipment and processes, which has prepared her for the new experiences she’s had with us.”
Putting together a show completely run by students takes determination and skill. Graduating seniors passing the torch to underclass students is an important part of the process. This new cohort is ready.
“I think it’s important to get as much experience as I can and because TeleProductions offers amazing experiences,” Glaze said. “I definitely plan to stay with TeleProductions until my senior year, so I can grow and continue to learn.”
Josh Tanner, producer and director for TeleProductions, trains and prepares students for every production position while finding ways to get students experiences like this one. For Tanner, watching the crew grow has been rewarding for both the managers and students.
“Working with them for the past four years, I can’t wait to see what they do out in the real world,” Tanner said. “Even though they’re leaving, it’s going to be cool to see them work in capacities outside of Kent State.”
Students at every level have opportunities to excel at Kent State as long as they put their minds to it, Tanner shared.
“The best thing I can recommend is just show up and be eager to learn. The more they show us interest, the more we’re able to put them in these unique roles," Tanner said. “The more experience they get, the more trust we can give them in these key positions.”