No, I don’t think it’s all been positive. The problem, which has really affected the industry for producers especially, is that people buy a camera that’s user-friendly and then call themselves producers and they’re not. They don’t have the experience or the background. There are certain rules for a story–a beginning, middle, and an end–and you can experiment with different formulas, but rules are there for a reason. [For example], the Rule of Thirds—you want to see the person you’re talking to. A lot of amateurs don’t know these rules and their stuff is not good. YouTube has brought the standards and prices down for everybody because people don’t realize there’s a skill involved here that takes many years to develop and hone. You can’t just say, “Oh, I’ve got a camera. Now I can go make a documentary.”
Do you feel this is a problem that is particular to America or to other parts of the world?
Well, I come from Wales and in Wales, for instance, production is huge. If you have a production company you have a reputation and a past usually. You’re not somebody right off the street. I think there’s a lot of that in America because people think, “I can do whatever I want, so I’m going to do this,” and they advertise themselves, but they’re not very good. Just buying art equipment doesn’t make you a good artist. Anybody can buy the equipment, but can you draw a picture?
Is there a solution?
I think people are starting to see that a lot of YouTube stuff is crap. They can see the difference between something that’s well-produced and something that’s amateur. It’s vastly different, like night and day. You have to learn about shots and how different shots edit together. It takes experience and practice. It’s not an innate skill. It’s learned.
You asked about positive aspects of social media. I have a love-hate relationship with Facebook. I’ve gotten clients through Facebook. I’m able to talk with people in Wales who I would probably never have spoken to otherwise, just by connecting with them on Facebook. It’s been good in a lot of ways. I don’t know if it’s going to change the world, though. YouTube gives people a voice, but how many cute cats can you watch? But there are a lot of things on there that, if you look for them, are useful.
9) Has working in media impacted your personal life in any way? When you travel will your husband go with you?
I don’t travel much anymore, but when I was an investigative journalist it required a lot of travel, but not far afield. It did kind of impact our lives when I was undercover [investigating an alleged cult] because the church minister and his wife kept calling the house because I had to give them my real number. They kept bugging my husband, so it did impact us and we moved. There was one person in the alleged cult who actually worked with [my husband].
And she knew you were part of the cult?
Yes, well, after the story came out she put two and two together. She asked him, “Is that your wife?” So that put him on the spot.
Do you have difficulty finding the time to pursue your personal interests?
I have plenty of time actually. Well, I have spurts of being really busy and then not. I think that’s the nature of freelancing. It’s feast or famine sometimes.
I read voraciously. I read about writing and I write about writing. I read horror because I write horror. I love horror and crime novels and I watch a lot of movies—horror movies, psychological thrillers, that kind of stuff. My favorite show right now is actually Breaking Bad and I love Locked Up Abroad. I would love to interview some of those people.
10) What three pieces of advice would you give to someone who wants a career in traditional media, broadcast journalism, or online media?
1) When you’re watching something, study what works and what doesn’t. Be critical. Have an analytical eye.
2) Learn from the best, the good journalists. Watch how they do things. Take advice. Some people think they know everything. You don’t know anything when you’re first starting out. Learn from the people who have been there before you. Technology may be changing some things, but how to tell a story never changes. You need to learn that basic skill of how to put a story together. That’s what makes you good. Don’t think just because you have the latest gadgets that you know everything and the ones who came before you are just old people who don’t know anything. They know how to tell stories and you don’t yet.
3) Research, especially if you want to get into writing. Read up on it. If you want to get into television, watch it to see what works and what’s awful.
Do you have a favorite book on writing?
On Writing by Stephen King.
Oh, and another thing…
4) Don’t be the careful journalist. Think outside the box. Tell the truth. Don’t kowtow or kiss ass. I saw a lot of that in television. Be your own person.
Even if you might get in trouble for it?
I think so, yes. I worked in an office where there were three people who had been to jail for civil disobedience, for protesting. That was the norm for a lot of journalists. We wouldn’t have had Watergate without real journalism. Could that happen today? I don’t know. People are not asking the tough questions.
11) If you had the chance to start your career over again, is there anything you would do differently?
I don’t know. Maybe I should have stayed in Wales in my job. (laughs) It’s been really difficult in America finding work.
And why is that, do you think?
I have no idea. I think in America you have to have specific skills or they won’t look at you. In Wales a lot of people go from newspaper to radio or from TV to radio. They understand that you’ll learn when you’re there. It’s the same principal. It’s still journalism. Here it’s, “Oh, you haven’t worked in radio. Sorry, we can’t take you on,” or if you haven’t worked in news specifically. I haven’t worked in news. I’ve worked in current affairs, but it’s still storytelling. It’s still journalism. Unfortunately they don’t see it that way. It’s very rigid, it seems to me. That’s why I’ve had to stay in freelance.
Do you feel like you have more flexibility this way? Or would you prefer a 9 to 5 thing where you know you’re assigned something?
I like the flexibility, actually, but I don’t like not knowing how much money I’m going to make. That’s the drawback. It’s really hard.
12) Do you feel successful? How do you define success? To what do you attribute your success?
I think success is being happy with where you are and what you’re doing. I want my novels to get published. I think then I would feel successful.
You know, there are different levels of success. I feel like I’ve done and experienced a lot and I’m really grateful for that. I’ve been a private investigator, as well, so I’ve done a lot of stuff, but if I had stayed in Wales I probably wouldn’t have done that. I probably wouldn’t be freelancing right now and I probably wouldn’t have written my book. I’m trying to move away from regret. You are where you are. Make the most of it.
Do I feel successful? I’m not rich and that’s the definition of success in many people’s eyes. I’m rich in experience. As a human being I feel successful. I’ve been married for twenty years to the same person. I’m kind to animals, seriously. I do what I can, quietly. I’m a vegetarian. I feel that’s a huge thing I’ve done in my life.
I don’t know. Success. I don’t like that word anymore because what does it mean?
13) Do you have one particularly satisfying or memorable event in your career that made you realize this is your calling in life?
I think getting to meet Paul Rusesabagina from Hotel Rwanda, because I had seen that movie and it moved me.
14) Tell me more about the books you’re working on now.
Media Ready, Media Savvy is a workbook that helps authors prepare for media engagements—to prepare themselves and their materials: knowing how to present themselves, knowing how to talk about their book in an interesting and succinct manner, how to contact media professionals to get on their shows, and how to write a pitch to the media and make yourself irresistible, if you will, so they will call you up and have you on their shows and write about you.
And what about the two horror novels?
One I’m doing a rewrite, omitting some things and parsing it down a bit. The other one that is ready is about a young reporter in Colorado who becomes afflicted with sleep paralysis. In her quest to find out what’s going on she finds a lot more than she bargained for about herself, her family, and her friends. Her journey takes her to north Wales where her family is from. Her dreams are haunting her and there’s a demonic entity involved. It’s creepy more than horror. I call it supernatural horror.
15) If you were conducting this interview, what question would you ask?
Q: What do you want to do next?
A: A movie – or a feature documentary. Probably a documentary film first and then either a horror movie or a social commentary movie.
This was a really interesting and fun interview, Alison. Thank you so much! Follow Alison on Twitter (@AlisonMHill) or online at Alison Hill Media.
