8 questions with...Craig Calsen

8 QUESTIONS WITH....

The reason most of us go to college is to get into a certain line of work.  We want a career in a particular field and usually that requires technical skills, creativity, and foundational knowledge. But it's not enough to just major in something and pass the classes, learning from people working the industry is ESSENTIAL.

Once a month, you have chance to get inside the head of a media professional to give you a little more insight into your future career.

September 2017 - 8 Questions with Craig Carlsen

Brief Career synopsis:

Craig Carlsen

General Manager, CBTV-17

Past work: Sports Director, CBTV-17

Adjunct Instructor, Iowa Western Media Studies

 Freelance videographer, sideline reporter, color commentator, Television Broadcasts both local and regional, along with local arenas.

  

1) What made you want to do this for a living?

            For me, my interest in television came by accident. I have always loved sports, and after a semester in college I realized real estate or insurance weren’t areas I’d be happy long-term. Instead, I decided covering local sports would be a great fit and TV was just an outlet to “scratch the itch”. After some time, however, I fell in love with the process of creating art through video, developing a separate passion.

2) As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

            Like many young jocks, I always dreamt of one day playing professional sports. Every summer I dreamt of winning an NBA title and every fall I dreamt of starring in the NFL. As my age grew and my height did not, those dreams subsided. I mentioned above that becoming an insurance or real estate agent were paths I considered out of high school, but another that I nearly pursued was becoming a sports agent.

3) What is the biggest challenge facing your industry?

            I’d say the biggest challenge is the misconception that creating good video is easy. With the invention of YouTube and other social media outlets, it’s as easy as ever for young people to publish videos online. With that, I think many are surprised to find that there is much more work in getting quality sound, solid lighting, and an excellent picture that meets television broadcast standards.

4)  5 WORDS OR LESS - What is the most brutal part of your job?

            Can’t make everyone happy.

5) 5 WORDS OR LESS - What is the best part of your job?

            Creating professional quality with less.

           

6) What is the biggest misconception about your job?

            A recent misconception has been that since I’m not the person producing or hosting programming that I’m not involved. What’s being covered, how it’s covered, and the tools and equipment that make it all possible are some of the things that fall under my umbrella.

7) Fill in the blank ... “The problem with newbies is they don’t know how to ...

take constructive criticism and improve, instead, they often give up before maximizing the talents others recognize they carry."

8) What industry related skill/software do you wish you knew more about?

            Apple Motion, Adobe After Effects, and 3D animation are areas that require such vast knowledge that it’s hard to be an expert. I would love to become someone that is close to that label.