Multimedia whiz taking on the media industry

Nick Scott shooting in Patagonia.

 

Name: Nick Scott
Age: 22
Occupation: Videographer/Multimedia Producer
Place of Residence: Atlanta, GA
Employer: The Mother Nature Network (www.mnn.com)
Interests: Music, concerts, documentaries, sports, anything outdoors, reading, techie/nerdie stuff
Favourite Quote: "A revolution without dancing is a revolution not worth having." - From V for Vendetta

What training was useful in getting your job?

The current media environment can seem like a shrinking one. But there are new opportunities arising in the altered landscape that combine new media with old school journalism. Nick Scott took note of the changes to the media industry, and has managed to find a niche for his skill set.

 

With a father who worked as a newspaper reporter for 30 years, Scott knew that he wanted to be in media. Sensing that newspapers were a dying breed, he found his calling when a multimedia professor recruited him in his sophomore year of college. “He talked about going on these incredible international trips,” says Scott. “And he talked about doing geeky stuff.  Sold and sold.”

 

As a result, Scott started training for his role as part director, part techie and part Edward R. Murrow style green reporter while in school at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. “I had a chance to learn skills that most journalists simply do not have, high video shooting and editing, as well as advanced Flash programming,” says Scott. “Through this program, I travelled internationally, to Costa Rica, China, Chile and Argentina, while working with top multimedia professionals from the likes of the Washington Post, the New York Times and Media Storm.  Needless to say, these experiences did more than any classroom setting in terms of getting me ready for professional life.”

Scott is now the videographer and multimedia producer at the start-up Mother Nature Network, described as “environmental news and information that makes sense.” The website aims to make science, earth and climate news accessible to a wide audience in articles, blogs, videos, how-to guides and programs.

 

What is your typical workday?
Scott often spends days shooting in Atlanta, where he is based. He also sets off to other locations in Georgia like Savannah or Athens, and takes trips to New York City, Milwaukee, Denver, or wherever the news takes him. “If I'm not shooting, I am in the office editing video on my awesome dual screen HD MAC or doing other various multimedia tasks, such as designing in Photoshop or programming in Flash,” he says. “And of course, keeping up with geeky, techy, multimedia blogs, trying to stay up with the times.”

What is your job?

Being the in-house techie for a small staff, Scott often has a lot of questions and tasks thrown his way including website design. But shooting and editing video is his main responsibility. And, like a true techie, he taught himself how to create animated intros and extros to videos on the site. He works mainly under a managing editor, but the CEO is also closely involved in the process which creates an open work environment. “The great thing about working here, is that if I have an idea, it will at least be heard, if not green-lit,” says Scott.

 

What is the best part of your job?
“The fact that I am right out of school and doing almost exactly what I want to be doing, and using all of the skills I learned in school to their fullest,” says Scott. Not to mention that he gets to talk with some of the celebrities who have made their way over to the green movement, like Jane Fonda, Ted Turner, Ludacris, and Chevy Chase. Now, there’s the making of a great dinner party (minus the awkward tension between Fonda and Turner).

 

Is there something that makes you stand out in your position? What does it take to be good at what you do?
“It takes incredible attention to detail and patience to both work with video and be a programmer,” says Scott. “Since I'm a little of both, I guess I have a lot of each.  And I work my butt off.” His advice for prospective multimedia whizzes is to network as much as possible. “In school, I was able to work with professionals and show them what I could do, something that helped me get my job now, and will continue to help me,” he says.

 

Any more advice?

“Work hard. Really hard.”

 

Where would you like to go from here?
Scott is still closely watching trends in the industry and sees a market for “short form, meaningful” documentary making for online audiences. This is something that he worked with in school and would like to continue to pursue.

For more information on multimedia journalism and job listings, check out:
Innovative Interactivity
Interactive Narratives
Multimedia Shooter

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