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| Chris Cuilao |
From making sure “The Tonight Show” cameras are
properly set up for filming a performance by Adele to arranging the sound for a
Coldplay concert on “The Today Show,” Chris Cuilao is taking a bite out of the Big
Apple as a result of the audiovisual skills he learned at Grossmont College’s
Media Communications Department.
“Grossmont College and the Media Communications
Department allowed me to test my skills, focus on my future and find a new
career,” said Cuilao, 33, who works as an audio and camera technician on “The
Today Show” but who also moonlights on “The Tonight Show.” “Before I enrolled
in the program, I really didn’t know much about what I’m doing now.”
The Grossmont College Media Communications
Department enjoys a statewide and national reputation for excellence in
preparing students with the skills to succeed in journalism and audio/visual
production. It’s also home to Grossmont College’s award-winning student news
media, including Griffin Radio and The Summit news magazine.
“We’re second to none,” said Evan Wirig, who chairs the Media Communications Department. “We’re staffed by professors who are working in the industry, who bring real-world experience to the classroom, and I think that’s what sets us apart from other programs.”
Cuilao, who grew up in New York and New Jersey,
enrolled at Grossmont College in 2008 after his family moved to San Diego. Before
heading out West, he had interned at a couple studios in New York, including
Island Def Jam, but wanted to learn more about television and film production.
“The Grossmont program came highly recommended,”
said Cuilao, who worked with Griffin Radio before finding an internship with
KUSI in San Diego.
While at Grossmont College, Cuilao won two
national production awards from the Broadcast Education Association. Upon
earning his associate degree in media communications in 2011, he was quickly hired by the San Diego station,
primarily as an audio technician for “Good Morning San Diego.” Duties included
setting up the miniature microphones on the anchors, arranging the background
music leading into different news segments, and communicating with reporters
out on assignment.
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| Today Show host Hoda Ktob, Chris Cuilao, Today Show host Al Roker |
“It’s definitely not like your regular job,”
Cuilao said.
Take, for example, the hours. Cuilao’s workday
typically starts a little after 3 a.m., following a half-hour commute to
Rockefeller Center from his home in New Jersey. But during the summer concert
series on the program, he arrives at 1 a.m. to set up the outdoor sound system.
“The hours definitely take a toll on my social
life,” he said.
There are perks, such as mingling with the rich
and famous. He has worked with guests ranging from actors Dwayne (The Rock)
Johnson and Keanu Reeves to Secretary of State John Kerry and former Defense
Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
“You don’t really think about it,” Cuilao said.
“You look at the schedule and you’ll notice that Keanu Reeves is coming, but
you have a job to do and you have to stay on task and get your job done.
Wirig said Cuilao’s success is not an aberration.
“We’ve had a lot of success with a lot of our
students finding work right out of Grossmont College in television, in radio,
in film, in gaming,” Wirig said. “They’re working in these industries because
of the skills they learned through the Media Communications Department.”
