The Art of Having Fun at Work

When you work in communications in an arts/entertainement environment, having fun at work is a skill. I have been so lucky as to have a number of fun positions over the years, but personally having fun and showing an experience that looks like fun are two completely different things. I am of the firm belief that the more fun a shoot is, the more effective the final product is. And this doesn't just mean fun for the reporter, interviewer, or interviewee - everyone should be having a good time, including your producers, camerapeople, and crew.

About six months ago, I was excited to host a few players from the Cleveland Monsters at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ahead of their Cleveland Rocks night, which happened on January 3rd. The players had a great time, but I believe the staff shooting the piece did too. We all spent the good part of the day together, and when the in-game segment aired at the first intermission, I felt it got a great reception from the crowd (of course, I am a bit biased! But how could you not absolutely love watching a few guys walk around a place as fun as the Rock Hall?).

For me, it is a vital piece of what I do to make the museum not only a space where these types of shoots can happen but also create a space where truly fun shoots can happen. Not many people get to work in spaces as fun as the Rock Hall; we might as well show of to our audiences the fun that they stand to have if and when they decide to visit us!

Another great example of this was 2024's 'N Yo' City with Marshawn Lynch that aired on Amazon Prime ahead of the Browns/Steelers game. We had such an incredible time hosting them, and I think they had a lot of fun being in our space, playing instruments, and seeing some behind-the-scenes artifact. Of course, Marshawn Lynch would be a prime candidate for this philosophy, being so incredibly fun himself, but this was the first time someone had come up to me and talk about one of my shoots when they didn't know who I was or where I worked. It was a truly surreal moment, and goes to show that it isn't just what ends up on camera that counts. If you are interested in checking this out, it should still be on Amazon Prime in their TNF preshow playback!

A screenshot of Marshawn jamming out in the Rock Hall's Garage

We live in a world that has enough sadness and hardship. If you're lucky like me and ever get to work in communications in a place that encourages fun times and good memories, I hope you remember that having a good time is not just a vital component for your visitors but for your media guests as well.