Professor Ross brown sits down with recent TV/BJ grad Anne Portwood (’11) and gets down to the nitty-gritty on how she’s faring in the business.

Where do you work now?

Reading scripts of shows that won’t be on air until a year from now is a fun perk. Currently development season is wrapping up and it has been so fun learning about what is being pitched and bought by networks for next fall’s line-ups. But what I enjoy most is seeing the collaboration, politics, and networking that exists in order to put the right people together to create the right show in hopes of being the next big thing.

It’s difficult to say but as of late I’d love to be a scripted TV comedy executive at either a network or studio. The idea of sitting in on pitches and discovering new material to be developed is especially interesting to me.

 

What classes and learning experiences at Chapman were the most valuable in building toward your current job?

Being an assistant is something you can only learn by experience. Each boss and situation is unique and can’t be taught in school. I do wish, however, that I had spent more time learning and memorizing the key players (networks, studios, and media conglomerates) in school so that I wasn’t playing catch-up now. It would have been smart to read Variety, Hollywood Reporter, Deadline Hollywood etc. to stay current with who’s who and what’s what in the industry.

Would you recommend the Television program at Chapman to others who want to work in the field?

 Without a doubt.