Interview | Liz Clifford | Northstar Alumni
By Rachel Ruch and Louis Pasculli
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We interviewed former Nottingham student Liz Clifford, who graduated from Montclair State University and works as as a temporary media engineer at her Alma Mater. Liz also works full time for the production staff with the New York Yankees minor league affliate, the Trenton Thunder.
What does your job consist of?
Right now I work on the production staff with the Trenton Thunder. I am a camera operator, director, producer, video board specialist, & replay specialist. I have been with the staff for four seasons now, and plan to continue helping each year. I am also a freelance TelePrompTer operator for the Fox News Channel & Fox Business News Channel. I rotate between a variety of shows, & roll the script for anchors to read on the camera. I have been with them since May 2018. I also work as a temporary media engineer for Montclair State University, my alma mater. There, I assist students and professors with technical issues across the building, as well as act as an overlooker for events that require a full production team that we hold in our communication and media building.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
At the Trenton Thunder, I really enjoy being a camera operator and director, both because I love the adrenaline rush of not knowing what’s going to happen during the game, and then capturing that for others to see. Those who aren’t at the game rely on watching it online or on T.V., & the quickness of trying to get each shot & part of the game do they can view it is so thrilling to me. It’s the reason why I studied sports media for television in college.
Why did you choose the career path you did?
I chose this career path because I always had an interest in television broadcasting, before I even knew what the official words for it were. Haha. I would watch football or baseball games, and be amazed at the shots and angles they show & get. I also always wondered how that all came to be, and what went into a full production for news or sports, so studying that, I was able to figure it out.
How has Nottingham positively impacted your career?
Going into high school, although I was interested in television, I still didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do. I did get the opportunity to take Mr. Ken Klek’s Telecommunications class where I learned basic editing, film-making, and story-making. From there, I took the final Advanced Study in Filmmaking class that Mr. Klek also taught along with Ms. Eileen Walsh, who has since retired. I expanded my learning of editing, filmmaking, & story-making in this course. When it came to looking for colleges, I found a couple schools, including MCCC, that taught television and film. So, all in all, I have telecommunications and advanced study in filmmaking at Nottingham with Mr. Klek, to thank for my love of television, and encouraging the drive that has got me to where I am today.
What is some advice you would give to students going into your field of work?
Give an open mind to everything you are about to learn and do not limit yourself to one position. For example, don’t strive to be a director and ONLY a director. To be a director, you need to know how lighting, cameras, audio, and set design all come together. You will have to learn each position and what they do, but don’t close yourself off from it. Embrace it. Because who knows, you may find a different position you like more. If you limit yourself, you may end up not liking directing... then where would you go? So, keep an open mind, absorb everything there is to offer, & run with it. Also, don’t lose track. College can get stressful, but as long as you have an end goal, you can push through it, & all of a sudden, you’re finished & you’re in the real world. It honestly feels like just last year I had graduated from Nottingham. That’s how quick it’s gone by. Also, if you don’t understand something, I PROMISE you are not the only one. Those who have been in this business for 30+ years are still learning everyday. Television is always changing, & it can be hard to keep up sometimes, so ask questions, do research, & take it with an open mind.
What are your future aspirations in life and in your working career?
In the end, I want to be a director and producer for live sports production. I want to travel, and visit as many stadiums as possible for as many sports as possible. I also want to get married & have children. Haha. I also want to be a spokesperson for those with high anxiety and mental problems, as I do. In the television business, there are so many things that can cause a panic attack, but I love it, so I push through it, and I want to show others that they can too.
What does your job consist of?
Right now I work on the production staff with the Trenton Thunder. I am a camera operator, director, producer, video board specialist, & replay specialist. I have been with the staff for four seasons now, and plan to continue helping each year. I am also a freelance TelePrompTer operator for the Fox News Channel & Fox Business News Channel. I rotate between a variety of shows, & roll the script for anchors to read on the camera. I have been with them since May 2018. I also work as a temporary media engineer for Montclair State University, my alma mater. There, I assist students and professors with technical issues across the building, as well as act as an overlooker for events that require a full production team that we hold in our communication and media building.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
At the Trenton Thunder, I really enjoy being a camera operator and director, both because I love the adrenaline rush of not knowing what’s going to happen during the game, and then capturing that for others to see. Those who aren’t at the game rely on watching it online or on T.V., & the quickness of trying to get each shot & part of the game do they can view it is so thrilling to me. It’s the reason why I studied sports media for television in college.
Why did you choose the career path you did?
I chose this career path because I always had an interest in television broadcasting, before I even knew what the official words for it were. Haha. I would watch football or baseball games, and be amazed at the shots and angles they show & get. I also always wondered how that all came to be, and what went into a full production for news or sports, so studying that, I was able to figure it out.
How has Nottingham positively impacted your career?
Going into high school, although I was interested in television, I still didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do. I did get the opportunity to take Mr. Ken Klek’s Telecommunications class where I learned basic editing, film-making, and story-making. From there, I took the final Advanced Study in Filmmaking class that Mr. Klek also taught along with Ms. Eileen Walsh, who has since retired. I expanded my learning of editing, filmmaking, & story-making in this course. When it came to looking for colleges, I found a couple schools, including MCCC, that taught television and film. So, all in all, I have telecommunications and advanced study in filmmaking at Nottingham with Mr. Klek, to thank for my love of television, and encouraging the drive that has got me to where I am today.
What is some advice you would give to students going into your field of work?
Give an open mind to everything you are about to learn and do not limit yourself to one position. For example, don’t strive to be a director and ONLY a director. To be a director, you need to know how lighting, cameras, audio, and set design all come together. You will have to learn each position and what they do, but don’t close yourself off from it. Embrace it. Because who knows, you may find a different position you like more. If you limit yourself, you may end up not liking directing... then where would you go? So, keep an open mind, absorb everything there is to offer, & run with it. Also, don’t lose track. College can get stressful, but as long as you have an end goal, you can push through it, & all of a sudden, you’re finished & you’re in the real world. It honestly feels like just last year I had graduated from Nottingham. That’s how quick it’s gone by. Also, if you don’t understand something, I PROMISE you are not the only one. Those who have been in this business for 30+ years are still learning everyday. Television is always changing, & it can be hard to keep up sometimes, so ask questions, do research, & take it with an open mind.
What are your future aspirations in life and in your working career?
In the end, I want to be a director and producer for live sports production. I want to travel, and visit as many stadiums as possible for as many sports as possible. I also want to get married & have children. Haha. I also want to be a spokesperson for those with high anxiety and mental problems, as I do. In the television business, there are so many things that can cause a panic attack, but I love it, so I push through it, and I want to show others that they can too.