Facing the World of Entertainment

Author: Lanford Beard

As Midd-kids of all years seek jobs in this devastated job market, it has become clear that nothing beats practical experience when trying to break into any job market. And no one realizes this fact more than senior Jack Thurston.

A film major, peer writing tutor and president of the American Movie Club, Thurston has been working in the field of television journalism since the summer after his sophomore year, and he currently plans to pursue a career as an on-air reporter after graduation.

Thurston, however, did not always intend to work on camera. He initially wanted to work as a script intern for Paramount Pictures' television department during the summer of 2000. As timing would have it, there was an actors strike, and Paramount decided to cut back its interns on a large scale so the unions would not be offended.

Finding himself without an internship just weeks before the end of his sophomore year, Thurston was rightfully worried. Luckily, a family friend had a connection with Fox 25 News in Boston.

At Fox 25, Thurston gained experience not only writing and producing segments behind the scenes, but also assisting the Lifestyles/Entertainment reporter. Another perk of the job included interviewing stars such as Christina Aguilera.

"I fell in love with TV journalism that summer — the pace, the wide variety of assignments and taking part in putting together a show for thousands of viewers," Thurston commented.

He returned to Fox 25 last summer and was awarded with additional responsibilities. The station even asked Thurston to conduct satellite interviews with celebrities such as Rob Schneider, Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman, one of his favorite actresses, who even called Thurston "sweet."

After two summers as an intern with a major affiliate like Fox 25, Thurston moved into even more practical, hands-on experience this past Winter Term at Burlington's CBS affiliate, WCAX-TV 3.

"Frequently during this internship I would go out, gather stories and conduct interviews. I'd bring the raw tapes back to the station and write the news anchors' voice overs to accompany the video that I edited myself," he explained.

As the internship continued and Thurston accrued experience, the station gave him more opportunities in front of the camera until he finally got to put together several "packages" — two-minute out-of-studio segments — at the end of the month.

Among the "packages" that Thurston put together were pieces on a handicapped performance artist nicknamed "The Crutchmaster," who dances with crutches, and a piece on local hunters' protests against Vermont's Green Up-Day.

The latter piece's topical nature created quite a stir from both sides as the hunters believed that the event planners wrongly depicting unsafe hunting practices.

Thurston believes that his film major at Middlebury has prepared him well for the demands of a job as a TV anchor.

"The experience with non-linear digital editing that I developed in Sight and Sound II definitely helped me pick up Channel 3's editing system. Also, Middlebury's emphasis on writing has been important as the key to success in local news is the ability to write quickly and lucidly," he remarked.

So, as Thurston enters the less-than-booming job market, the overall education that Middlebury has offered him as well as his first-hand experiencing in writing, editing, producing and on-air delivery will be invaluable in his ongoing job search.

In a ways more important than technical experience, though, Thurston emphasized, "Channel 3 has a real family atmosphere that has been conducive to my growth as a reporter. The photographers, reporters and anchors Marselis Parsons (father of Susan Parsons '01) and Roger Garrity have all made invaluable contributions to my professional development, a process that will undoubtedly continue for years to come."

Thurston's job search is still inconclusive, as he is hoping for a full-time position in one of the Burlington network affiliates. If nothing opens up, Thurston will have a solid, professional-level resume tape that he will send out to local and medium-sized stations throughout New England.

For anyone interested in Thurston's work, he can currently be seen as a live, part-time reporter in the Friday night 11 p.m. newscast on WCAX-TV, channel three.