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A Winning Shot « Academy Art U News
1. A Winning Shot
Three COM students share their experience working as
production assistants for NBA Entertainment during
this year’s NBA Finals
Courtesy of Mytia R. Zavala.
BY CELESTE SUNDERLAND
When the Golden State Warriors clinched the win in Game 6 of the NBA Finals last
month, they brought home a big shiny trophy. But they weren’t the only ones with a
reason to feel proud of themselves. Three students from Academy of Art University’s
2. School of Multimedia Communications had just capped off two weeks of hard work as
production assistants for NBA Entertainment (NBAE)—the NBA’s video and film
production and broadcasting department.
Mytia Zavala (M.A. ‘15), Tommy Liu (M.A. ‘15), and Molly O’Brien (B.F.A. ‘16) were
among 10 production assistants hired to work with the NBAE during the 2015 NBA
Finals. Their “top-notch” academic work and professionalism got them shortlisted
for the job by department directors Jan Yanehiro and Steve Kotton and instructor
Dave Stoelk. Stoelk, a freelance writer and producer who also worked on the
championship series as a producer for NBA TV, found out about the open positions
from a colleague.
“It’s a great opportunity,” Stoelk said. “Yes, some of the job entailed ‘grunt work,’
but that’s how you start. You gain people’s trust. Those students were working on a
national stage in a bright light for all to see. And they rocked it! I got feedback from
NBA TV network producers – AAU students represented the Academy very well!”
The PAs reported each morning to the NBAE’s temporary headquarters at the
InterContinental Hotel in San Francisco. Non-game days had them overseeing a
variety of tasks, from replenishing drinks to picking up lunch—but game days got
their adrenaline pumping. First, each PA was assigned to a media crew, then, after
lunch they headed over to the Oracle Arena.
“It was great to get a glimpse of what it’s like to work for the NBAE,” Liu said.
“During the games, I got to see the big picture of how all the different crews work
together to create their content.”
3. Courtesy of Mytia R. Zavala.
Each media crew focused on a different aspect of the event, like capturing game
footage, or filming the fans in the stadium or the team getting off the bus, or
conducting pre and post-game interviews. The content they created was used in
sports packages, “mini-movies,” or as clips on social media, like one Liu helped
initiate, that went viral on Instagram.
One night after the game, Liu was working with a crew capturing footage of the
Cleveland Cavaliers leaving the arena after Game 5, but when he spotted star player
Stephen Curry he knew it was a winning opportunity. “When I saw Stephen Curry
walking down the hall I pointed it out to my cameraman, so we went over and walked
with him and interviewed him and got some great footage,” he explained. “The NBA
liked it so much they immediately posted it on their social media sites.”
The fast-paced environment of live sports coverage gave Liu and his fellow PAs
invaluable experience. Since their tasks varied so much on a day to day basis, they
learned how to juggle multiple types of work, with many different parts, all at once.
