Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1521715
members than planned or elements to capture, be ready to act. Carry around lots of gadgets to help with these tasks. Have you ever had a big, heroic moment on set where it's like, "I saved the day!"? On occasion. For example, I was on one shoot once where something went wrong with the media and they lost a ton of footage, so they were able to use the audio to cut the story together without having all the video and salvage the day with that. That was a bit excessive, so they truly needed the audio record from my bag that was not part of the camera's onboard audio. How do you feel about all of the changes in gear and equipment? Is that something that really impacts you in your fields? Oh, absolutely. I enjoy learning something new, new tech, new gear. I spend a lot of time keeping up to date. I always look forward to new technology and gear that can make our jobs easier to manage, higher quality recordings, open doors of possibility, etc. Of course, how will AI (artificial intelligence) change things? I'm not focusing right now on AI robots taking my job in television production. Audio folks that are younger may have to deal with all those changes if they change job positions. I'm trying to focus on using AI as a tool instead of it replacing a human being. How do you feel a job in this career has impacted your family life? Well, I'm married now and we do have a family, even though they have four legs. I think it's really important that everybody finds their threshold for what works for them and the balancing act of work and how much time they can spend with their family. As much as I love doing this, my family means a lot to me. I also like being available for my parents as they get older and certainly being freelance has allowed for that. But it can be a challenge. Last question. You mostly work under the Videotape Agreement and we have our major contract negotiations coming up later this year. Is there anything you'd like to see change or develop as we go into negotiations? I would. I would like to see our wage increases tied more closely to the increased cost of living (COLA) and using metrics such as the consumer price index (CPI), adjusting for inflation, etc. It would make our wage increases more logical. I would like to thank Jenn for taking the time to sit down and speak with me about her job, her career, and her family. I'd also like to thank her and all those who work in her field for producing the amazing content that makes all of our lives just a little bit more musical. 34 PRODUCTION SOUND & VIDEO – Summer 2024