My name is Martin Konveleski. I'm a Television Producer at
Access Communications [formerly Cable Regina]. I basically
came here with very little experience - not quite out of school,
but
pretty
close.
I found
out that
there was a position for Producer (actually called the Production
Co-ordinator at the time) at Cable Regina so I applied.
I took the fellow who had left to dinner and I had found out
all the
information about what the job entailed. Then I applied, had
my interview and now I'm in my twelfth year at this job.
[Job Description:]
I see my position as one of Animateur, Animator
or Co-ordinator, where a client will come in
and it is my job to give that person as much
information as he or she desires to help co-ordinate
and see that their dream or production comes
true. In other words, I take an idea or series
of ideas and together we develop it into a
concept, a format, a treatment as it were.
We go from there to script and all the other
production elements around that as well and
we end up producing and promoting that particular
program or series of programs, or whatever
it might end up being.
[Problem Solving Activities Involved:]
The sort of problem solving activities that
I end up doing actually start at my desk. The
first step is to start with paperwork, start
with the actual planning and by projecting
what sort of things can go wrong (and this
is based on experience a lot of the time but
it is also based on some strong organizational
principals).
Now after that, it's the ability to go and
to compromise and negotiate with individuals
based on what's happening. I believe in setting
strong boundaries. Boundaries being that although
you're aiming for a creative picture or whole,
there's a dream in your head and you're aiming
and moving towards it (you have to be realistic).
You only have so much time, so much resources
to do that. So keeping that in mind, always
going back to that and seeing what can go and
what can be set aside, what can be taken up
and continued with new ideas - that's also
a very important aspect.
[Most Satisfying Aspect:]
The most satisfying part of my job is the
twinkle in the eyes of my clients at the end
of production when they've seen the work and
they've accomplished it. As a Television Producer
for a cable company, my job is very unique
in that I'm dealing with clients who are not
familiar with television at all. In fact, they
are awed by it. They are very self-conscious
and don't know what the heck it is that they're
gonna be experiencing when they come in. So
when they come in and we walk through the procedure
and they learn about television and they end
up doing things and they see their dreams,
their creative blurb on the screen and they
walk away happy with that (sometimes ecstatic
with that) - that's the most satisfying thing
in the world. That's where Animateur, the word
Animateur comes up for me. I've been able to
follow through with them and give them that
experience, that delight of creating television,
communicating their message in that medium
and satisfying their needs and that.
[One Thing That You Would Change In This Occupation:]
The one thing that I would change about my
job, if I could change it about my job as a
Television Producer, would be the constant
need to educate people on the worth of the
process. We have individuals who come in and
first of all assume that we can do what we
do effortlessly and quickly. That in an ever-changing
world, time of course is money and that is
true, but we can't change the laws of physics.
The more time you put in, the more resources
you put in, ultimately provide a better product.
I'm constantly having to deal with the rush
or the inability to understand this particular
principle that somehow a project comes in and
at the end comes this beautiful product out
the other side. There's a long intense process
that happens in between and there's not a respect
for that process to the degree that I'd like
to see. So, that's what I would change.
[Personal Attributes:]
I think I had a really good baseline for my
particular area of Television Production in
that I had some experience in dealing with
people and co-ordination. Yes, I had to develop
that a lot further, but as an even-tempered
person that wasn't so hard to do.
[Teamwork Skills:]
Teamwork is very, very important. You have
to allow each member of the team to contribute
freely and to provide an atmosphere where creativity
can come forward in its best and strongest;
I guess flower, for lack of a better word (and
that takes practice). It also takes a lot of
knowing individuals and a lot of give and take
compromise - negotiation. Being aware that
your answers are not the only answers, the
only way of doing it. Knowing that we're all
working towards the same goal - that it’s
the best television product that we can produce
with the resources we have available.
[Change & Adaptability:]
It is very important to be able to adapt in
my job and my profession. First of all, there
is the technology. The technology is always
changing whether it's graphics, whether it's
the use of particular hardware (cameras, studio)
or whether it's techniques or production tools
that come across. So we have to always constantly
be aware of what's coming up and trying to
reach for that.
[Advice For Someone Entering This Field Of
Work:]
It helps:
