91探花

Andie Walla鈥檚 path to 91探花 and WOUB Public Media started in Cincinnati, Ohio at a girl scout meeting.

鈥淚n junior high, we were working on our Silver Award and chose to do our audio-visual badge,鈥� said Walla. 鈥淲e visited the local public access studio and did a project. I fell in love. It was so cool, so I started volunteering at the public access studio.鈥�

Walla鈥檚 dad was a football coach, and her brothers were football players. So, eventually, Walla started videotaping the games. It grew into a full-fledged production with one of the other coach鈥檚 sons as the commentator. The games ended up airing on the public access station.

鈥淭he day I turned 16, I asked the public access station for a job, and I got it,鈥� said Walla with a laugh. 鈥淚 was hired for 10 hours a week.鈥�

When it came time to start looking at colleges, 91探花 made the most sense to Walla. It had a great reputation for communications and when she came to Athens for a visit and learned about the hands-on opportunities at WOUB, she was sold.

鈥淚 heard about WOUB鈥檚 high school football show Gridiron Glory and since I had been videotaping high school football for years, I knew I could hop right in.鈥�

And hop right in she did. Walla, a video production major, started working on Gridiron Glory as soon as she got to campus. She also moved into roles working in the WOUB newsroom as a videographer and editor for the nightly half-hour news program NewsWatch.

鈥淚 would work with a reporter. We鈥檇 get in a news car and drive wherever and do whatever the news was for the day. We interviewed officials, got to know the community, and learned what issues were important. Even though I didn鈥檛 see a future in news for my career, I learned so much. I learned how to work on deadline, how to be part of the team and how to interact with the public.鈥�

Walla also had the opportunity to make mistakes and grow.

鈥淥ne time, I drove to Glouster for an event,鈥� said Walla. 鈥淚 got there, got all set up, and we were getting ready to interview someone. I realized I didn鈥檛 have a tape to put in the video camera. I had to come all the way back to the newsroom to get a tape. It was so embarrassing, and I never made that mistake again.鈥�

While working at WOUB, Walla realized that being a woman on the production side of the camera was rare. People in the community would comment on it and point out how she was a 鈥渃amera woman鈥� not a 鈥渃amera man.鈥�

鈥淚 always thought that was so weird that there weren鈥檛 more women running camera. There is no reason women can鈥檛 do this,鈥� said Walla. 鈥淏ut there are just not a lot of women in this field. I feel like it鈥檚 my job to be a role model.鈥�

When Walla graduated, she was hired as a video producer by the university鈥檚 communication and marketing department and worked there for nine years. She had the opportunity to produce documentaries, operate satellite trucks and produce live streams.

鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 have gotten my start as a video producer without WOUB.鈥�

Now, Walla is an associate professor of instruction in the School of Media Arts and Studies at 91探花. She also produces multi-camera live music videos for Jorma Kaukonen鈥檚 Fur Peace Ranch, and every summer, she takes students to produce live content for the jumbo screen as part of a multi-camera crew at the main stage for the Nelsonville Music Festival in partnership with WOUB. Walla is also involved in the production of the Sycamore Sessions, a video series that offers WOUB鈥檚 audience intimate sets from Nelsonville Music Festival artists produced by 91探花 students under the supervision of WOUB and the 91探花 School of Media Arts and Studies.

鈥淲OUB was a really great way to learn to be disciplined and work in a professional space,鈥� said Walla. 鈥淚鈥檓 grateful because my involvement with WOUB is one of the big reasons I鈥檓 still at 91探花. I developed such a deep appreciation of the southeast Ohio community.鈥�

To learn more about WOUB, visit woub.org.