Alessia Porcari, class of 2017, is working in morning network television in New York as an Associate Producer. She is well on her way to making her mark on the multi-platform television industry, as seen by the accomplishments she has already made. Alessia just began what she refers to as her “dream job”, at Good Morning America. She is excited about this opportunity to live and work in New York, and we cannot wait to hear where this takes her.
Intern, Good Day Philadelphia on FOX29
- Planned and produced segments, from conceptualization through delivery of end-product
- Wrote and produced news stories for Morning Show “Good Day Philadelphia” and 6PM Newscast
- Worked with anchors during breaking news, providing live-updates from sister stations
- Assisted producer in control room during satellite interviews and remote shots
Intern, The Q Show on FOX
- Identified, pitched and booked talent for the show; established connections with PR agencies
- Shot, produced and co-edited 15 second promos for “The Q on FOX”, aired on FOX29
- Developed graphics for social media promotion and templates to manage team daily activities
- Handled audience relations and communications, managed ticket-request and check-in process
We recently caught up with Alessia to ask her a few questions:
What have you been doing since graduation?
Since graduation, I completed my second internship at FOX29 for their morning show “Good Day Philadelphia” and I have been working on completing my thesis on the intricate relationship between the availability of content from late-night television on YouTube and its influence of live-TV performance. Meanwhile, I used the professional experience I gained during my time at FOX to make the next step in the TV industry, applying for an internship at my dream TV job: Good Morning America. And I’m so excited to say I will join the GMA team in January.
What has been your best professional experience?
My best professional experience so far has been my time on Good Day Philadelphia where I got a tangible proof of how hard-work pays off. By giving the job my 100% on a daily basis, I earned the trust of the shows' producers who gave me me the honor to produce segments for Good Day Philadelphia and write news stories for the weekend edition of the show, as well as for the 6PM newscast.
What are your professional goals?
I aspire to join the production team of one of the national morning shows as a segment and/or entertainment producer.
What experiences at Drexel best prepared you for the industry?
Each class I took at Drexel allowed me to have a 360 degree knowledge of the TV industry. Being able to work in production while also knowing everything there is to know about programming, sales, audience measurement, technology as well as the legal, ethical and financial aspects of television really set me apart from the competition. It’s fantastic to be extremely good at something, but knowing something about a lot can take you even further.
What advice would you give our current students?
What I can say from personal experience is to make sure you build great professional and human relationships with the people you will meet during your time at Drexel. Whether it’s your classmates or your professors: build a network. TV is a “who-you-know” business and an extremely competitive one. If you have a great passion for the industry and are willing to work very hard, having a good circle of people who can attest to your talent and determination can open many doors for you. Just try to have fun and keep smiling while you do what you love. As one of our great professors, Mr. Phil Salas, once told me: “they can teach you the job, but they can’t teach you to be a good person!”