Los Angeles is known for its many seasons: fire season, storm season and of course the most coveted award season. Although all the other seasons might sound charming, (and believe me, nothing is more exciting than “storm watch -insert year here-”), when it comes down to it, it’s all about award season.

Iʼve mentioned before that living in the shadow of the iconic sign, I wasnʼt too shocked when I was asked to work during this yearʼs award season.

What is award season? In a nut shell its all the award shows (Grammyʼs, SAG, Emmyʼs, Golden Globes and the mother of them all: The Oscars) that usually happens early in the year. Now, Iʼm sure most of you are probably thinking: “Oh, so you were on the red carpet doing interviews?” The answer is: No, not exactly. My primary role as a freelance production assistant lies behind the scenes, a few blocks away at the bureau. And this being my first exposure to award season, I wasnʼt sure what exactly I was in for.

My day began (or in this case afternoon) with a quick rundown of everyoneʼs assignments ranging from logging fashion cameras, different correspondentʼs interview cameras and of course the actual show. This takes place to better assist producers and correspondents in locating specific sound bites, fashion trends (good or bad) and the overall theme which will contribute to the next dayʼs hot topics.

After the show is aired and the rental trucks arrive to break down the set, the real work begins. I begin to proofread my logs and take note of anything interesting SOTs, look through Twitter for celeb reactions and file them in an email addressed to the whole unit.

This is done as I wait for producers, reporters and photographers to return with footage needing to be fed to anyone who requests it and then archived into the library. The process can continue into the early morning, depending on how long it all takes to arrive.

Personally, I think this is much more fun than being out on the red carpet since you get an opportunity to see the big picture of the event from both sides. From coaxing a celeb for an interview to watching a parade of a stylists hard work, it’s amazing how much work and energy is involved to cover these types of events. The day is long, but what do you expect? Its Hollywood, babe!

Claudia Amezcua is a freelance multi-plaform reporter and production assistant based inf Los Angeles, CA. She is a graduate of California State University, Fullerton with a Bachelors in Communications, and is currently pursuing an Associates Degree in On-Air Radio Broadcasting from Mt. San Antonio College. Ms. Amezcua’s work experience includes anchor, reporter, and DJ at 90.1 KSAK in Walnut, CA, and as a freelance production and library assistant for CNN. You can follow Claudia on twitter by @ClaudiaAmezcua, or visit claudiaamezcua.com.

A week ago I was given the privilege to cover my first concert featuring one of my absolute favorite So Cal bands. Not only was I excited about the assignment, but also a ball full of nerves. Sure, being a California native living steps away from the glitz and glamour of the entertainment world; this would be a piece of cake right? Well I soon found out, its much more than just a few pictures and a few

paragraphs about the band.

Like many journalists seeking a career in entertainment journalism, you really don’t know what you are getting yourself into when it comes to covering concerts. This is why I wanted to provide you all some tips and a few tricks I help when covering your first big show.

Do Your Research! That’s right, the first mistake you can do is show up to the venue and have no idea what songs are being played in the set, let alone what bands are playing. Sure, you are there primarily to cover the headliners, but give some tender love to the little guys! Hey you never know, you might be the first to stumble upon the next big thing. Also, listen to the music and identify what style (pop, rock, alternative, etc.) and their major influences. If you are confirmed an interview, read up on past interviews with the band to aid you on developing new questions. Trust me, these musicians have been asked about their influences many times, asking something new would make your article stand out.
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