Rob Hammersley, a 1990 graduate of the Walter Cronkite School and current reality producer for Discovery Studios, shared some industry wisdom with a crowd of approximately 60 people in the First Amendment Forum Monday evening.
The former writer of “Saved by the Bell” and “The Simpsons” spoke about how to be successful in the television production business.
“You bust ass, you have a smile on your face and you make yourself known,” Hammersley said.
Before reality television exploded and became widely profitable, getting an idea to the production stage was incredibly difficult without major personal credentials, Hammersley said. He described how recent network proliferation has made that process much easier.
The field of reality TV is booming and continually evolving to serve a wider audience, Hammersley said. An example he gave was the Golf Channel, a niche network that has run spinoffs of more popular shows such as “Pimp My Golf Cart” and “Real Golf Wives”.
Hammersley said when pitching a show, knowledge of the intended audience is key. He said in order for a show to run successfully on more than one network, the production team has to be aware of exactly who the show appeals to and the writers have to frame the content accordingly.
“The most vital things to a good show are concept and characters,” Hammersley said.
A good story concept will attract viewers, but strong characters and drama will keep the viewers engaged, Hammersley said. Reality shows that have been on TV for awhile operate like soap operas, with continuing seasons of explosive interpersonal action for viewers to enjoy.
Despite acknowledging the arguable impact that these types of shows might be having on more traditional forms of journalism, Hammersley also said they weren’t going away any time soon. He pointed out that this made the reality TV industry a fertile job market for soon-to-be-graduates who desired experience in script writing or other areas of television production.
Journalism graduate student Sophia Solis said she found Hammersley’s message to be both inspirational and accurate.
“He said that if you have an idea, you just have to go find a way to get a job, and that’s true,” Solis said.
During the question-and-answer session following the presentation, Hammersley was asked about his thoughts on students doing professional work for free while developing connections and resume experience. He emphasized the importance of those factors in attaining eventual professional success, implying that students should weigh their options and take as many opportunities as they could.
Journalism senior Katie Owen said Hammersley’s advice about cheerfully working as hard as possible to develop experience and network connections was the best thing he had to say. She was struck by how well Hammersley embodied his message.
“He’s a Sun Devil in Hollywood,” Owen said. “What’s not to love about a Sun Devil in Hollywood?”
Contact the reporter at marianna.hauglie@asu.edu
