Red Carpet Experience to KickStart a Career
Competing for jobs is tough enough. Competing in an economic environment where there are fewer and fewer jobs and more and more job applicants is even tougher. For students coming out of college, that challenge is even harder because of their lack of real-world experience.
No field is more competitive than broadcast journalism, especially for those who want to cover the entertainment space. Not only are you competing with the abundant of off and online news outlets, but you're also competing with freelancers and the paparazzi.
Now, imagine being a college student asked by a media conglomerate to cover the Oscars. That type of experience would be invaluable and for the second year in a row, it's attainable.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is teaming up with mtvU, MTV’s 24-hour college network, for their second annual “Oscar Correspondent Contest.” The contest gives college journalists nationwide the chance to win a trip to Los Angeles to cover red carpet festivities and backstage activities at the 82nd Academy Awards.
From October 26 through December 18, college students are invited to submit a video, showcasing their broadcast journalism skills and proving why they deserve to cover the Oscars®. All videos submitted must be from teams made up of one anchor and one videographer. The Academy and mtvU will select the top ten videos to be posted online at mtvU.com, where students and other viewers can watch and vote for their favorite journalists from January 20 through February 10.
The three teams whose videos capture the most votes will advance to the final round of online voting from February 16 through March 2. All three teams will be flown to Los Angeles to cover Academy Awards pre-events, including the Animated Feature Symposium, Foreign Language Film Award press event, the Makeup Artist and Hairstylist Symposium and the Governors Ball preview.
The Grand Prize-winning team will be revealed on Saturday, March 6, at an Academy press conference. The anchor and videographer will be awarded a spot on the red carpet for the 82nd Academy Awards arrivals, as well as credentials for access to backstage press rooms. The winning team’s coverage will be aired on MTV News and mtvU. The two finalist teams will receive bleacher seats along the red carpet and admission to an Oscar viewing party.
If I'm a college student, an aspiring entertainment journalist, I'd jump all over this opportunity. It would look pretty good on the resume and definitely give the winner a leg up during that post graduation job hunt.
