Growing up in the 90’s and 00’s, I was part of a generation that was able to be one of the first to truly grow up in a fully digital environment. I remember, in high school, learning how to use Google effectively, and hearing about how to be safe with my MySpace account. My generation is now truly a digital generation; our lives are built around and with technology. Finding a person today who does not have a cell phone and at least two to three social media profiles is hard. It was that love of social media, and technology that drove me to my desire to be in media. However, growing up in Prince George, my feelings were that if I stayed in Prince George I would never be able to do what I really wanted to do. Boy was I wrong.
Opportunities to work in media
In this community, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved in what you are passionate about. I am a long way from anchoring CBC’s The National but my journey has begun. When I speak with peers in places like Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal, I hear about all the challenges they are having just trying to get an internship in the media industry. Not in Prince George. You can volunteer at one of our two local community radio stations and maybe even get your own radio show. If radio is not your cup of tea, you can always go to one of our community television stations and volunteer. To date, I have been able to work with a professional industry standard camera, learn how to professionally edit video, and even produce my own news stories. Media and video are so important in today’s world that the video production industry is now starting to bubble up and word on the street is they are busier than ever.
You can work in theatre too
If you are someone who wants to be an actor or actress then the Prince George theatre community is also a perfect place to start. Prince George has everything from large theatrical production companies to small acting troops so there is no shortage of places to learn the craft. I have been to three plays this winter and spring and none have been a disappointment. Who knows, with all this acting talent and professional capacity to shoot video, maybe the next step is to one day have a local TV sitcom, just saying.
The opportunities grow as they are seized and that is no less true here in Prince George. If you are someone who wants to work in media and you think Prince George is simply an industry town, then think again. Prince George is a great community that has tones of opportunities to learn and grow. You can always go to the big city and start with hundreds of other people all clamoring to get into the same industry as you, or you can start in Prince George and be exposed to things you would never see in a big city. With the Internet, your audience is the world.
