{"id":51651,"date":"2025-10-14T13:05:35","date_gmt":"2025-10-14T18:05:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/students.austincc.edu\/infohub\/?p=51651"},"modified":"2025-10-14T13:05:37","modified_gmt":"2025-10-14T18:05:37","slug":"lights-camera-career-edward-fotinos-journey-from-acc-to-austin-pbs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/students.austincc.edu\/infohub\/2025\/10\/14\/lights-camera-career-edward-fotinos-journey-from-acc-to-austin-pbs\/","title":{"rendered":"Lights, Camera, Career: Edward Fotinos\u2019 Journey from ACC to Austin PBS"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Edward Fotinos, the journey from student to professional began behind the cameras at <a href=\"https:\/\/acctv.austincc.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ACCTV<\/a>, Austin Community College District\u2019s (ACC) television station. What started as hands-on training soon opened the door to his current role at Austin PBS, where he now helps produce some of the city\u2019s most well-known shows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cACCTV was a significant reason why I chose to attend ACC in the first place,\u201d Edward says. \u201cThe state-of-the-art facilities and hands-on training were invaluable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He joined ACCTV in 2021 to study <a href=\"https:\/\/admc.austincc.edu\/rtf\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Radio, Television, and Film <\/a>with plans to work in traditional film and television, but quickly found a new passion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhen I began at ACCTV, my main goal was to work within the traditional TV or film environment. However, it gave me an entirely new perspective. I discovered how much I loved live production and broadcasting. There\u2019s a sense of instant gratification in seeing everything come together without editing, especially when you have an audience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That experience became the foundation for his success at Austin PBS.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe facilities are very similar, if not identical, which gave me a lot of practical experience without having to start from scratch. While we always had fun at ACC, there was always an air of professionalism that prepared me for a career in the real business. From setting up to studio etiquette and general organization, ACC provided me with the tools I use every day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now, Edward works on some of Austin PBS\u2019s most iconic programs, including Austin City Limits and Austin Insight.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMy favorite parts are the ACL Live tapings. Helping to shoot music is another interesting facet of my job\u2014it\u2019s such a long-running show in Austin\u2019s history, and it\u2019s an honor to be part of that continued legacy. I\u2019ve also loved being part of the Austin Insight crew. From stories about BBQ at Leroy and Lewis, rocket ships at Firefly Aerospace, and firefighting at a fire station, it\u2019s always interesting to show up at any location and figure out how best to make it work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"block-8104f0d1-8ace-4d4a-bdd8-d03553ae8e29\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He credits his professors at ACC for guiding him along the way. \u201cJames Froeschle, Cathy Welch, and Phil Collins\u2014all professors at ACC\u2014helped with my growth,\u201d Edward says. \u201cEspecially James Froeschle, who introduced me to live production and first told me about the internship at PBS.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Looking ahead, Edward is focused on expanding his career.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI plan to continue to work in the industry and find my niche,\u201d he says. \u201cAside from my work at PBS, I have a few freelance projects, including filming a ballet and a church service. I am always seeking new opportunities to gain extra knowledge and edge.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His advice for other students: \u201cGo for it,\u201d Edward says. \u201cIf you are passionate about this field, let that shine through. Include a cover letter with your application and tell about yourself! Especially if you have little experience, that can set you apart. But be yourself\u2014there are so many talented and kind people at PBS who are excited to have you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For more information or to explore internship opportunities at ACC, visit <a href=\"https:\/\/internships.austincc.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">austincc.edu\/internships<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:30% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/81\/2025\/10\/IMG_5809-876x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"student in a studio with red background with painted green face. He wears a white shirt and white hat\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u00a0\u201cWithin ACC, I usually found myself performing comedic skits, but we also recreated movie scenes shot-for-shot. My favorite was a scene recreation of \u201cThe Mask\u201d (1994), where I planned and ultimately ended up acting in as well. From the planning shots to makeup and execution, everything came together perfectly. I always find myself more motivated by projects that I enjoy, so doing something with the intention of making people laugh or smile is always a great advantage for me.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For Edward Fotinos, the journey from student to professional began behind the cameras at ACCTV, Austin Community College District\u2019s (ACC) television station. What started as hands-on training soon opened the door to his current role at Austin PBS, where he now helps produce some of the city\u2019s most well-known shows. \u201cACCTV was a significant reason [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":103,"featured_media":51652,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[131,1130,133],"class_list":["post-51651","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-student-stories","tag-acctv","tag-austin-pbs","tag-radio-television-film","et-has-post-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/students.austincc.edu\/infohub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51651","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/students.austincc.edu\/infohub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/students.austincc.edu\/infohub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/students.austincc.edu\/infohub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/103"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/students.austincc.edu\/infohub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51651"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/students.austincc.edu\/infohub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51651\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/students.austincc.edu\/infohub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/51652"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/students.austincc.edu\/infohub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51651"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/students.austincc.edu\/infohub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51651"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/students.austincc.edu\/infohub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51651"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}