Behind the Scenes of "What's Happening LA?"

I've been hosting and producing a 1-2 minute spot called "What's Happening LA?" for the last, oh, three years now and I've gotta say, nothing teaches you to get out there and get something done quite like running your own show. Luckily I got to cut my real-world producing teeth on a short promo spot, and equally luckily, it's something I've been able to do all by myself when need be (although I prefer to collaborate with a team simply because the idea bounce is a little better!) So without further adieu:

Producing Lesson No. 1: If Something Goes Wrong, Guess Who Gets To Fix It?

That's right! That handyman (or handy lady) would be you, the producer. Okay, maybe if you're some big budget blockbuster movie producer who's writing a check (or a celebrity who lends their name and money for the title of "producer") then you won't be getting your hands dirty because seriously? Your manicure was far too expensive. But on the smaller projects that, let's face it, 90% of producers work on at any given time, you will be traipsing through the mud. Whether it's trouble shooting, equipment issues, forces of nature, or no-shows, I guarantee you will see at least one if not all of these issues at some point in time. And you will have to find a creative way to still make it happen, especially if you're doing your program on a weekly basis (or you won't be for long!)

Doesn't this sound utterly glam so far???

In my situation, the "creative fix" is completing the project as a "one woman production team" just about every summer. Because in my mind, having something to show as a finished product is almost always better than not having anything- consistency is key, and the troops will be rallied sooner or later! And then that something that you already have down pat will get even better. (Okay, now back to editing...)