Blog 6 - Second Interview Preparation

1. My mentor is Amanda DiPiazza, who works as a producer at Disney/ABC.

2. Questions:

• Can you describe an average day working at your job? An abnormal day?

• What about Disney is outstanding compared to other companies?

•  What shows have you produced? What made each successful or unsuccessful?

•  What is your favorite work you've produced and why?

•  Can you describe the process of working up from different levels in the industry?

•  How does production change from show to show or film to film?

Interview 1

I conducted my first interview today. My interviewee was Erika McCarden, a producer who has worked at Disney, ABC, and currently works at OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network). She provided me with an abundance of great answers, as well as many sources to read that will help me in my project and beyond. I am happy to report that Erika was able to answer the questions very thoroughly, which led to me asking more questions than the ones listed on the interviewcontract. Even though Erika has worked in TV production, she was still able to speak about the different stages with great detail. Due to this interview, I have found it easier to narrow down specifically what part of production I will be focusing on, as well as what I may want to pursue once I enter the field. All in all, my first interview has been an extremely beneficial experience.

Blog 4: Interview Preparation

1. Who do you plan to interview? Why? 

I plan on interviewing a producer, Erika McCarden. She has previously worked at ESPN, ABC, Disney and now produces at OWN. I have spoken with her regarding production before and I believe she has some interesting insights to share with me that will provide an abundance of information for my project.

2. You have to ask 5 questions. What additional questions do you plan to ask? 

I will probably ask questions regarding Erika's personal experiences, what sorts of influential occurrences she has encountered while working in the entertainment industry, what outside factors impact her work, and what major and minor changes--if any-- she has noticed in the industry during her time in it.