CineMoms: Tell us about your background...
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Nicole Sellars, founder of
TV Hosting Academy |
Sellars:
I have an extensive background in TV News and Production. I started out as a Production Assistant at MTV in New York City where I learned a lot about myself, and my passion for storytelling. I was given the opportunity to work with celebrities behind the scenes, which was a huge turning point for me. It was then I realized I wanted to learn more about interesting people and tell their stories for a living.
Following my production experience, I broke into TV news as a General Assignment Reporter and worked my way up to Anchor a couple years later. I was fortunate enough to work for fantastic news stations covering New York, New Jersey and Cleveland including News 12 Networks, FiOS1 News, Voom HDNews and NBC affiliate WKYC-TV in Cleveland.
As wonderful as those experiences were, I wanted more. I started TV hosting for a variety of multimedia platforms. I was a Host for AOL Live, a pilot online news program based in NYC, I was a spokesperson for several companies and I even covered red carpet events. All of these fantastic opportunities led me to where I am today, a corporate media consultant and coach for aspiring Reporters and TV Hosts.
CineMoms: How did you start helping others break into broadcasting?
Sellars:
I absolutely love helping those walking in the same shoes I did. I totally get it! Breaking into this business is brutal, and without the proper guidance and skills you need to succeed, many hopefuls will throw in the towel after a year or two.
Many of my private clients went on to work for a variety of stations across the country. I assist my clients with a long-term strategic plan, discuss their career goals, measure their skill level, and discuss what they'll need to be taken seriously as a broadcasting professional. I customize a plan of action and work with my students until we're both comfortable with their progress.
CineMoms: When a teen finishes your camp, what skills will they leave with?
Sellars:
In a group setting, such as Broadcasting Bootcamp, each student will leave with a firm grasp on what the TV news and hosting industry is about. We cover all aspects of the newsroom, key players, necessary skills, how to perfect your on air presence, interviewing skills, how to brand yourself and more! It's a great introduction to the industry to see if this is something students will want to pursue in later years or how to hit the ground running to land a job!
CineMoms: What advice do you have for someone who wants to get into broadcasting?
Sellars:
Get tough skin! This business has a ton of competition so you need to stand out and be the full package. Not only do you have to look the part, you need to have the talent, be creative, hardworking and never give up.
CineMoms: What about those who may want to start their own web-based TV Channel?
Sellars:
I say that's awesome! Now is the time to do it. There's so much opportunity for talent now to put their personality and creativity online and build a following. That makes you more marketable, which is when talent agents and multimedia news outlets take notice. I strongly suggest though before jumping into that, to seek professional on camera training. You only get one shot at a first impression, and those videos unfortunately never go away!
*No other program in Atlanta offers this type of comprehensive training for aspiring broadcasters and TV hosts!
Click
here for info and registration!
