Behind the Vision: Katie Pressler
Meet Katie Pressler, Associate Producer and recent Emmy® award winner! Katie accidentally stumbled upon her passion for video production through a childhood sport - cheerleading. In middle school, she enjoyed recording clips of team stunts and tumbling during practice. She would edit the clips at home and then post the videos to Facebook to share with her teammates, friends and family.
In high school, when Katie discovered an elective in digital production, she knew she had to take the class. A fond memory was working on her school's commercials that aired during Friday morning announcements. Katie and her classmates thought of ways to make the commercials silly and entertaining. The whole school looked forward to watching the engaging skits each week.
Katie attended Kutztown University to pursue her B.S. in Electronic Media. While in school, she was involved in KUTV-Newsbreak as on-air talent and a member of the National Broadcasting Society. Katie was also a member of the sorority Alpha Sigma Tau where she produced their recruitment video her senior year. Check it out:
At Kutztown, Katie focused on the production of sports and news. After completing an internship with ASR, Katie officially joined the team in the fall of 2017. Her background in news production was an integral part of her moving into the role of associate producer in the production of The PEAK TV.
As a producer, Katie guides a video from start to finish. She works closely with client, St. Luke’s University Health Network to create the two collaborative television productions, St. Luke’s HealthNow and The PEAK TV. She begins by brainstorming topics, determining the best content to support the stories, planning each video, and coordinating the production process. Even though Katie didn’t go to school specifically for production, she learned quickly on the job. Her skills and techniques have improved over the years and she is always eager to learn!
Katie’s passion for video took root in her ability to capture images on camera and transform them through editing. Her favorite part of producing is taking charge of a project. It instills a sense of responsibility and makes her proud to see it through. Katie enjoys producing overview videos for companies, businesses and also loves working on segments for The PEAK TV!
In addition to producing, Katie really enjoys shooting and editing. Experience in all three offers many ways to express her creativity and gives her an adaptability on shoots. Katie’s favorite stories to produce are success stories that begin with hardship or challenges. She enjoys navigating subjects through their interviews so they can explain their journey and experiences in meaningful, emotional ways. Katie stresses organization and communication as the keys to a successful production.
I love that The PEAK is a compilation of stories woven together through scriptwriting and creativity to capture the viewer’s attention.
Katie’s number one interview tip? Take time to banter with the interviewee while the crew sets up. It is a great opportunity to explain the filming process, ease their stress, and let them know it’s okay to make a mistake! Simple conversation relaxes most people. By the end, Katie’s always made a new friend!