Meet The Judges!

Every time we choose judges for a contest or a pitch day we look for video professionals with high standards. Often we turn to people we have worked with because we know that we respect their opinions and their work. Other times we ask people whose work we have seen and admire. But we definitely do not ask just anyone.

This year we want to introduce you to the judges before Friday's combo of BPA and Skills contest judging. Hopefully you will feel a little more comfortable when you present in front of them, and you will remember that their opinions are based on their experiences.


JOE MAGRINI

Joe Magrini has worked in various areas of media for more than 35 years. Before leaving high school he was the writer/producer of one of Oklahoma’s first community access cable TV shows, the winner of two filmmaking awards and the announcer of a local radio program.

He attended the University of Oklahoma and worked as an assistant TV studio technician while obtaining a degree in Radio TV and Film Journalism. Upon graduation, he joined the faculty as a visiting instructor of television and radio production courses.

Later, he was a video specialist at the Political Commercial Archive and a director at PDC Multimedia Productions while earning a Master’s in Mass Communication from OU. For nearly a decade, he wrote and produced instructional and promotional videos for the University of Oklahoma and directed the nationally distributed documentary, “Jacobson: Creating a Place for Art.”

Joe Magrini has worked for the Oklahoma City FOX affiliate as a news editor and audio operator, and was an assistant professor of Mass Communications at Oklahoma City University. His media experience has also included songwriting, script writing, voice work and some rather bad acting.

-Why did you choose a career in film and/or video production?
The choice of a career in film and video was largely the result of not being able to settle on any one discipline. As a youngster, I enjoyed several endeavors, and I later determined that film and video seemed to allow me to combine many of them; from the creative, to the technical and in my particular case, the academic.

-What part of your job is the most rewarding?
I have always enjoyed storytelling, no matter what form. For me, it is most rewarding when a viewer/reader/listener says that my work has made them think, or has transported them somewhere. Still, as rewarding as those moments have been, I have been most rewarded as a teacher, when my students have accomplished impressive things. In that regard, I have been most fortunate - many of them have.

-What advice would you have for someone starting out in the field?
Look forward less to making a name for oneself than to doing right by the profession. There may be little more important than our ability to share our stories, thoughts, emotions and experiences with one another. Executed properly, this should be the most honorable of professions. Be prepared for setbacks. Nothing worthwhile comes easily.