By: Christina Morgana

/ My name is Christina Morgana and I am a junior video/television major. I am involved in the HEAT Network, Hofstra’s television station, working from the control room into the studio. I am also a member of Zeta Phi Eta, the pre-professional communications fraternity, and Phi Eta Sigma, the national honor society, on campus. Over the summer, I studied abroad in Rome, creating short packages in different areas of Italy to bring their culture back to the states. I can’t wait for this next opportunity to unfold!

With Los Angeles on the horizon, I could not be more excited. I had visited LA with my family when I was in high school. We did all of the tourist attractions like Disney World, the Walk of Fame, Rodeo Drive, and the Hollywood Sign. One out-of-the-ordinary activity we did was seeing the taping of a sitcom, the pilot episode of The Carmichaels. After about five hours, we were still seated in the freezing studio, awaiting the director to wrap up. I had no idea all that went into filming a show, involving writers to gaffers. After a scene was filmed, the director would stop and have writers reword the jokes if they did not land with the audience the first time. The crew would start again and repeat until the director was satisfied. Now, at the time, I was no background knowledge of the TV industry. Now, I would be able to understand and even predict what may happen next. This is why I’m so ecstatic to be returning to the beautiful state of California. 

Not only will I understand the basic of the business, but now, I get to engage with the leaders of the field. Currently, I see myself working in a studio as a stage manager or a camera operator for a network, but I have never considered moving to Los Angeles to pursue this career path. I have lived in New York City my whole life, in the comfort of most of my family and friends. From my experiences in NYC, being in the audience of shows such as The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Live! with Kelly and Ryan, I have seen myself working in an environment like that. However, I think it’s time for me to branch out and look at the industry through a new lens. Hopefully, after this trip I will have a clearer idea of what and where I hope to be in the future. This Fallon fan is ready to roll with Kimmel. See you soon, LA!