“Five Questions With…” is a series of profiles of recent CJC graduates and the career paths they chose.

Rachel Wang, B.S. Telecommunication 2019

1. Tell us about your current job.

I am currently an Associate Field Producer at The Drew Barrymore Show, a nationally syndicated talk show on CBS. The field team is in charge of all the on-location field shoots from pre- to post-production! We do all kinds of shoots – some recent examples include a Brooklyn food tour with Antoni Porowski and our signature “Drew’s News” segment at The High Line in NYC with Dakota Johnson. On an average day, I am creating production schedules, sending call sheets, doing research on the celebrity guests, and coordinating with other teams in planning our upcoming shoots. And after the shoots, I am working with our post-production team to edit down the final piece for air.

2. How did your time at CJC help prepare you for this current position?

I took some excellent hands-on classes at UF: Narrative Collaborative Filmmaking, After Effects, Design, and Specialized Photography – to name a few! I had a blast in these classes with free reign to be creative and learn the technical skills hands-on. The diversity of classes I got to take enabled me to explore different avenues in media that I was interested in, and while I don’t necessarily shoot or design on a day-to-day basis for my job now, they are still extremely valuable skills to have. As a producer, I am able to easily and clearly communicate to our show’s editors, graphic designers, and camera operators what I need because of these classes that taught me how it all works.

3. Was there a defining moment, personally or professionally, at CJC that set you on your current path?

Every one of my internships helped me immensely in figuring out what want to do (or more truthfully, what I didn’t want to do.) I got my first internship at the CJC Career Fair, and it was with WESH, the local NBC station in Orlando. Then I realized I didn’t want to work in local news. My second was an editing internship at a small production house in LA. Then I realized I didn’t want to be an editor. My third was at Jax Media, a large production company in NYC. And, you guessed it, I realized I didn’t want to work as a set production assistant. It truly took a lot of realizing what I don’t love to get to what I do love now, and I feel like I would have spent a lot longer in that process if not for those internships. And I got all of them through CJC in one way or another!

4. What advice do you have for students interested in pursuing a career in entertainment?

I know this is going to sound so cliche, but network! Entertainment is really a small circle, and it’s all about getting your foot in the door. Reach out to every connection you have, ask people to grab a cup of coffee, or hop on a call with you and chat about their journeys. Be yourself, and make genuine connections. People want to help! The people who see your eyes sparkle when you talk about your passion will make sure you know about the next opening they have on their team, I promise!

5. Where do you hope to be in your career in five years?

Hopefully, I will continue to travel and do fun field shoots, but honestly, who knows? And I want to make the point that it is completely okay to not know! During college, I was so fixated on having “the answer”, but now I’ve realized it’s a path that you discover as you go. Five years ago, I would have never thought that I would be working on a talk show. If I’ve learned anything, it’s that everyone’s journey is different, and we all figure it out along the way. You just have to follow your heart!

Posted: November 11, 2021
Category: Alumni Profiles, Five Questions With..., Profiles
Tagged as: Drew Barrymore Show, Rachel Wang, The Atlantic