How I Became A Producer

In High school, my musical theater teacher, Renee Bucciarelli said to me during a rehearsal, “Matthew, don’t worry about the details around you-focus on your performance.” But I liked to view the bigger picture. When I performed I wouldn’t feel the same passion as the process it took to produce the actual project. Renee would always tell me, “I can see you have a production company some day.” I didn’t know what a production company was. So I went to college to find out.

I attended Oral Roberts University and studied mass media communications with an emphasis in multimedia production. I was able to study television, web, video, film, audio and music production in the classroom. But I also had real world experience through internships. I worked a summer internship at PBS/WNET13 for two award winning TV Shows in the local Television department; in the fall and throughout the year as a TV camera operator for national TV shows and conferences. My junior year I concentrated on audio and became an audio technician for a large 11,000-seat concert & event center (very similar to Madison Square Garden). I worked my senior year of college at an Oscar-Award winning production company in Hollywood, CA, and as a video editor at Mayo Clinic Hospital in Rochester, MN. My production experience and networking started landing me freelance production jobs at Cox Cable Communications and ESPN. It was a great college experience. But that was work! ☺

In between school and internships I would create (or produce) my own projects:
1) A music video I filmed & co-directed that was featured on the Fuse music channel.
2) Audio engineered, tracked, recorded and mixed over 60 bands and artists in a recording studio in Ohio.
3) Wrote and record music for a talented band in college.
4) Wrote a script that was selected and produced for a Hollywood film festival.
5) Create a behind the scenes concert DVD for a college band-that later got a record deal with Universal Records.
6) For my final project I designed and developed a website which helped land my first client on Wall Street!

I have seen the power of media and art as a tool. It has helped shape my passion by helping people reach their dreams. Although I’m not a musician, I’m still in music. Although, I’m not a pastor, through being a producer I have seen lives change, churches grow, relationships heal and people get to know Jesus!

I’ve been given the opportunity to work with world-renown leaders; companies, celebrities and entrepreneurs who had a great idea grow into a reality. Now, every morning when I wake up and ask myself, “What do I do?” I can look in the mirror and say, “I’m a producer.”

What are some your dreams? I would love to hear about them!