Every so often, we’ll be spotlighting alumni and what they are up to these days. These Q&A sessions will give you a bit of insight into where the world has taken them since graduation.

This week, the spotlight is on Mitch McIntire (BFA/Film Production ’08).

DODGE: Share your career path with us – how did you get where you are now?

MITCH:
While at Chapman, I interned for Magical Elves Inc., who at the time produced 
Project Runway 
and 
Top Chef
.  There, I was an mainly an office PA, I got lunch orders, picked up any production rentals, made runs all over town, research projects, built shelves. Basically anything that was needed, I did.

I was hired full-time after graduation and eventually left after 2 years to produce a documentary with fellow alumni director Kent Bassett and DP Jeff Dolen called 
Beyond Limits
.  The doc was a life-changing experience for me personally.  The film documented Bonner Paddock becoming the first person with cerebral palsy to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro unassisted.  The doc sold to a small distribution agent with assistance from fellow alumni Michael Anderson.

Upon completion, I took a part-time job as a tape vault librarian at Fox.  My duties included shelving, cataloguing and moving massive amount of physical tapes.  The transition to production at Fox Sports happened by chance and favors, but in 2010 I began down a path involving every aspect in sports broadcasting for a major network.  My roles started with prop runs for 
FOX NFL Sunday 
to ultimately producing features, segments and live hits from Super Bowls, NASCAR races, World Series’, and World Cup remotes and studio shows.  After a brief stint in Post Production management at Fox to expand my skills, I joined DLP Media Group as their Head of Production.

DODGE:  Did you face any challenges in your transition from being a student at Dodge to entering the professional world?

MITCH:
Being able to curb my expectations for pay and initial creative opportunity was initially a challenge.  Having a skill set to produce, edit and sound design were only proven with the opportunity to actually showcase…that opportunity may not happen right away.

mitch-mcintire
DODGE: What have you taken from the classroom and applied to your career?

MITCH:
Budgeting, editing, sound design, producing, directing a set, dealing with talent, storytelling….it’s a laundry list.

DODGE: What skills do you believe have been essential to your profession?

MITCH:
Be calm and focused when everyone else is not.  If you don’t know how do to “something”, be friends with the people who are masters at that “something”.  Just because you have a particular title doesn’t entitle you to be an asshole, we aren’t saving lives here, this is entertainment.

DODGE: What is the best advice you have received and/or what advice would you give current students? 

MITCH:
Anytime you hear a phrase involving “they” (e.g. “they will take care of it”)…realize there is no “they”.

Thanks so much for sharing, Mitch!