The Paris Olympics and Paralympics may be over, but the debate continues about whether the Olympic rings should stay up on the Eiffel Tower as a reminder of just how good we all felt during one moment in time. Whether it’s recognizing the iconic logo, spotting graphics of the mascot “phryge” peeking out in random places, or noticing the faded Olympics signage still up in the Métro, the spirit of the Games hasn’t quite left Paris yet.
As someone relatively new to the city (I moved to Paris from the U.S. a little over a year ago), I was very excited to experience the Games in my new home. Unlike many of my Parisian friends, I embraced the Games, and I began searching for ways to work during them. Since the Olympics and Paralympics are a huge international event, there was a massive call for volunteers and employees to work across all sectors of the Games, such as crowd control, food services, and, of course, TV coverage.
I was fortunate to have the amazing opportunity to work as a “runner” for NBC News during the Olympics. While I’ve had other media experiences in the past, this was my first time working with such a major company and in television production. There were many aspects I didn’t expect, and I learned much—both good and bad—about working in the field of media.
Officially known as a Junior Production Assistant, the runner position involved helping NBC with their various news shows and channels. The crew built four TV sets on an office rooftop that had a magnificent view of the Arc de Triomphe and Eiffel Tower. I worked the night shift and therefore got to experience seeing anchors Lester Holt and Tom Llamas host Nightly News and Top Story, respectively.
Part of the runner’s job was to assist on set, such as by escorting guests to and from news segments and making sure the rooftop stage remained clean and orderly. In addition, we stocked snacks, drinks and equipment, went on runs to stores around the city, recorded receipts, and translated documents from French to English.
We runners ran to whoever needed assistance and to whatever needed done…fast.
For advice to young people on how American Jill Amari found work in Paris, click here.
As much fun as working during the Olympics was, it was also enlightening: it made me realize that I wouldn’t want to work full-time in the media industry. The days (or, in my case, nights) were long, and though I’m an energetic person and a night owl, I could tell that other members of the team felt strained and tired. 24-hour news coverage of the world’s largest international sports event requires non-stop reporting in the field and back on the sets.
And the coverage is so much more than the people we see on TV—there are dozens of faces behind the scenes, too. From my experience working on my university’s newspaper and being part of my high school theater program, I was already aware of the behind-the-scenes talent that’s necessary for any show or piece to be successful. However, I was surprised by just how many different people and roles there are in TV production. From camerapeople to makeup artists to “fixers” who search and confirm story ideas for pitches, NBC’s news shows wouldn’t exist without them, and they work tirelessly to put together quality, accurate shows every day.
If I worked full-time for a huge media company like NBC, I think the fast-paced environment would cause too much stress for me to truly enjoy myself, even though there were many positive sides to my Olympics experience. I met some lovely people who have become friends and got to see a side of media production that I’d never experienced before.
I had free access to the various Olympic venues and competitions with my media accreditation and got to see my favorite sport, breakdancing (also known as breaking). Once the Olympics were over, I got to relax and enjoy the Paralympics as a spectator. I attended the Paralympics Opening Ceremony (which was a lot less rainy than the Olympics one!) and went to the Bercy Arena to see wheelchair basketball.
Now, I’m back to my usual work, and the excitement of the summer is fading—though it isn’t fully gone yet. As the school year kicks into full swing, I’m growing my auto-entrepreneur business in France. I’ll keep writing articles for magazines like INSPIRELLE, as well as continue to teach English to children and adults. I’ll also keep working on my creative writing as I query my debut YA fantasy novel. I’m happy to have the freedom and flexibility to continue doing the things I’m passionate about in the place I now call home. While I learned that working full-time in the media industry wouldn’t be a good fit for me, I truly enjoyed my time with NBC and will not soon forget this.
