They Let a 13-Year-Old Run a TV Camera (And It Changed Everything)
photos of young me taken while working on different productions in the 90s
My first experience with TV production started when I was 13 years old. I tell you this not to brag but only because now it seems crazy to me that they even let me near any equipment at that age. I was a volunteer1 at our local community Rogers TV station and pretty much spent most of my teenage years (and early 20s) doing this kind of work. Most of it wasn't work at all, as in, I didn't get paid. There were times when local businesses would generously pay for ad space on some of these programs and we'd get paid.
As I got older and gained more experience, I would produce and direct my own shows. I even got to work on a weekly motorsports program that aired on the local CTV affiliate - a proper broadcast TV show.
I'm not sure what caused me to stop in all honesty, the details are a bit foggy. I often attribute it to just being a teenager and wanting to spend more time having fun than working. I had a good number of productions behind me by the time I finished high school but for some reason, I chose a different path. I have no regrets but often wonder where I'd be now if I had taken the TV path.
For the next 20 years I didn't do any video production work at all. More recently, I decided that I needed that creative outlet again, so, one day, on a whim, I filled out the application to start volunteering at another local Rogers TV station. That was over a year ago.
The one major hurdle to restarting this work wasn't so much the techniques or the skills (I had retained a lot) but rather the equipment, which had changed a lot. Mostly compared to the almost-broadcast-quality gear that I used in the early 90s.
The work has really energized me in ways I hadn't expected. I've met some amazing people who are so talented and are eager to share what they know and help you grow. I may be 30 years older but doing this work makes me feel like a kid again.