TV Academy Joins the 'Academy'

When Dr. Lynne Gross (RTVF) took early retirement, she did not abandon her students nor her passion for television program producing. She tackled a project that combines both loves.
Gross, who began the Faculty Early Retirement Program (FERP) in fall 2001, is a member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and serves on education-related committees. She was tapped to serve as the associate producer of a behind-the-scenes package that features the craft and technical jobs available in television.

The producers: Lynne Gross, John Wells, and Heather Marks Zuhlke behind the scenes of "Journeys."

The series, titled “Journeys Below the Line,” is produced by the Academy Foundation. The intent is to provide a realistic picture of many rewarding careers in the television industry. The main target audience is students who wish to work in TV,such as those in the radio-television-film department at CSUF, but the general public also has shown an interest in the series.

The package contains a CD-ROM, produced by Brian Gross, a former part-time instructor in the RTVF department, which provides supplementary curriculum material.

The first DVD, “The Editing Process,” was shot on the set of Fox Broadcasting Company’s “24.” The introduction features the star, Kiefer Sutherland, and the program gives insight into the jobs of scripts, editor, assistant editor, and post-production supervisor.

'24' audio mixers: Dr. Lynne Gross observes Rick Norman of Todd AO, an audio mixing facility, during editing of “24,” the first of the “Journeys Below the Line” series.

The shooting started in spring 2004 and the program was first distributed in early 2005. This first episode was “tested” in Dr. Phillippe Perebinossoff’s (RTVF) Management in RTVF class.
“That was very helpful,” Gross said. “We went back and did some editing, made some changes as a result of focus group input.”

The second episode of “Journeys” is about property masters and features the NBC show “ER,” produced by John Welles’ production company. Maura Tierney, one of the “ER” actresses, introduces this DVD, which is due for release in early 2006.

'ER' production team: Bruce Bilson, Lynne Gross, Maura Tierney, Michael Gallant, and Steve Fisch

The DVDs are distributed through First Light Video Publishing at a list price of $79 each. Gross indicated that so far several hundred copies of the first episode have been sold. The third episode, which will feature an ABC show, is now in negotiation.