The OICB Radio & TV Career Tips Blog

A Dream is A Wish Your Heart Makes

I have to tell you, Emily Riedy was one of my absolute favorite students. She worked like a machine, and as you can see, she's living like a rockstar. She continues to stand out as one of the many true success stories of our program. We're so proud of her, and we love peeking at her Facebook page to find out what new adventure she's part of now.

Walking into OCB for the first time, I had no certain expectations. I was at a point in my life where my path had to be changed, and I knew that I was the only one capable of making that happen.  Problem was, "What do I want to be when I grow up?". This was a hard question for me to answer.  I thought long and hard about my hobbies, the interests I had, and what I filled my time with.  Music and movies were at the top of my list. I'd always been artistic and creative. I love building from scratch, recycling old 'trash' and turning it into treasure, but I'd never really thought of music and movies as my career path. I knew about OCB from radio advertisments, but I'd never paid attention.  One particular day, I did. After the commercial finished, I called to make an appointment.

I was nervous when I walked in, having no clue about anything to do with this field. I did, however, have a passion for the finished products of so many great artists, directors, and actors. Throughout the tour, my nerves eased and by the end, it just felt right.

Each week, new teachers would ask "What do you want to do?" "Who do you want to be in this Industry?"  I hated that question, because, to tell you the truth, I never really had a clue. I thought that many aspects of the industry were interesting, but I just didn't know enough about production to answer. So I could just say something, I'd say production.

I interned in news radio and broadcast televison. My internship at ICRC finally gave me some insight into what I wanted to do. I was shooting, directing, and editing a weekly show. Editing became my new passion, and soon, took up all my free time.  I was working full time, attending class three days each week, and interning at least 4-5 days. Sadly, I felt I didn't have time to develop my skills and focus on my new passion. So, I made time. That is what  OCB is about. That is what this whole industry is about.  Doing what you love for a living; and all must pay their dues. So I never let myself be too busy to edit. I always found time for it.

For ten months, I said goodbye to the world, and my former life. I was determined to win that prize at the end of the road. I didn't know where OCB would lead me, but I did know that hard work would pay off and that the end result would alway be positive if I just kept pushing.

Just as Mr. Shook would say, "You get out of it, what you put in to it." This was truth, not only at OCB, but in life. OCB gave me the necessary tools and the knowledge I needed to get my foot in the door. The rest was up to me. What an incredible gift that OCB offers. A golden ticket to meet people, network, become involved, learn and grow, and a staff that is truly dedicated to helping each student live their dream, as teachers, leaders, mentors, motivators, and friends.

I live in LA now, and I can't even describe how exciting it was to see the billboards for George Clooney's 'Ides of March,' every day when it was released. What an unbelievable feeling to live in such an amazing city and to see what I had been a part of advertised every where! 

My journey took me from news radio to sports broadcasting. From audio engineering, to video editing. From filmmaking to producing and directing. OCB offered the door. I had to be the one to kick the door open.

It took me awhile, even after graduation, to really know how to answer that annoying question, "What do I want to do in this industry?"  Never once did I think that any job or gig wasn't worth it. I kept at it, worked hard, and explored all types of production. I did set and office work for feature films.  Casting and handling talent for reality shows and commercials. I've done editing, camera work, and news.  None have been more important than the others. They've all provided knowledge, experience, and solid networking opportunities. A good attitude, hardwork,  and sometimes, putting yourself in uncomfortable situations where I've only known one person. My short year with The Ohio Center for Broadcasting is all it took to work on a feature with Mr. Janusz Kaminski, the incredible cinematographer of Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan.  That's all it took to get an internship working for George Clooney, and, a post production gig for a Comedy Central pilot. That's all it took for me to start living my dreams.  

Most recently, I worked as a coordinator for the 'Green Festival,' a celebration of green living with a whole stage dedicated to the greening of television, film, and the media industry. Working in production and on set, I've found it impossible not to notice about how wasteful it can be. This was a very exciting time for my future, in tv/film.  I will not only get to work in this field, but help it as well. I have my foot in the door, through the Regional Director of 'Green Festival,' whom I worked for, with 'The Green Committee of the West,' a branch of the 'Producer's Guild of America'. This is a dream opportunity for me to not only work in the business of filmmaking, I can also combine quality and artistic entertainment with purpose, lessons, and meaning on the screen, help revolutionize the industry, and save the planet as well!

Opportunities are around every corner. Don't wait for anything, find them yourselves!  Take these twelve months more seriously than anything else! This is your future we're talkin about!! Whether you know what you want to do or not, get involved in every event, intern for more than one place, get your hands dirty in radio and tv, and never think that your dream job is out of reach. If you can dream it, you can do it!  Talk to everyone, and ask a million questions. OCB and the staff are there for you to use them.  They want you to succeed, so take advantage of all the time and effort they put in for you! Take advantage of all the knowledge they have, and the people they connect you with. Someone in radio might know someone at a tv station, and that could lead to a bigger station, where you meet a director who is working on a documentary all over the nation, where you'll meet hundreds of people, all from just introducing yourself to the guest speakers, teachers, and everyone at your internships. Take on one more event, or one more shift, or one more internship. Now is the time to go harder than ever before. I'm speaking from experience.  Working in LA with notorious directors, producers, editors, and actors is not out of reach.  It can be your reality too.

Create your own opportunities and one day, opportunity will find you!  The Ohio Center for Broadcasting is the perfect start to a lifelong fun and fulfilling career. You get what you give.  So give 110% all the time. You'll get paid back, and it works...I swear!

So Thank You OCB for always motivating, caring, and believing in me. I've always worked hard to make myself, my family, and my friends proud...and now...the OCB peeps as well. 

If you're ready to take that first step toward making your dream of working in broadcasting a reality, we're ready to help you get started.

Click here to apply or contact us to schedule a tour.

The Ohio Center for Broadcasting. Where Broadcasting Careers Begin!

We Can Rebuild You. We Have the Technology.

As new broadcasting students, it can be pretty difficult to process how quickly your life is changing. There's no reason to panic. You are simply transitioning from the world of being a broadcasting spectator in to a broadcasting professional.

You may not notice it right away, but slowly your friends and family don't want to watch television with you any longer. Perhaps it's because you seem to constantly comment on camera angles, or point out tiny production errors that the "average" viewer doesn't see. You suddenly start to pay more attention to the production value of the commercials you hear on the radio, or how that morning show set up the perfect "bit", instead of the actual music that the station plays.

Probably the most significant change you'll experience is how you'll start to view the world around you. It becomes more about how you can gather a seemingly never-ending stream of information and translate it into engaging content to share with your viewers or listeners. 

In the not too distant past, it seemed as if there were an unlimited amount of time to discuss whatever you wanted to during your airshift. Today breaks are short, concise, and over in about 90 seconds. How can you connect and engage your community in 90 seconds or less?

It's all about embracing Social Media. Mastering the new media is crucial to your success as a next generation talent. I just came across this great piece by Loyd Ford via RadioInk Magazine. In it, Loyd covers four areas that On-Air talent should consider when using social media.

You, as a new broadcaster, have the advantage of being able to build your social media skills as you complete your technical training with The Ohio Center for Broadcasting. The more skills you acquire as a student makes you an extremely attractive hire for an employer who is looking for someone who can "hit the ground running". Not only are you in a better position to land your first job, you'll be ahead of the curve and ready to lend a hand training the "vets" in the language of the new media. You are the new breed of broadcaster. Social Media is the answer to the 6 Million Dollar question. Ok...so I watched an old episode of the 6 Million Dollar Man and I got carried away, but you get where I'm coming from. 

The best advice I ever received was this: "Never let the technology get ahead of you".

If you're ready to embrace the new media and pursue your dream of working in broadcasting, it's as easy as connecting with us and scheduling a tour to visit the campus closest to you.

The Ohio Center for Broadcasting. Where Broadcasting Careers Begin!