Lucas Hydock

From as far back as I can remember, I’ve been infatuated by media. When I was a toddler, television was a magical window, peering into the realms of many different worlds. It didn’t matter if I was watching Steve Burns or the characters of “Jo-Jo’s Circus” talk to me, or if my parents were trying to catch up on local weather or the latest guest on last night’s episode of “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” I was enamored by the media. When my parents started using a video-camcorder, I was constantly begging them to play back the footage that was just taken. The idea that my likeness could be projected on a camera, let alone television was marvelous.

Fast forward to school; from elementary through high-school I was constantly consuming all sorts of different content, either through the cinema, the television, or the Internet. I had this great urge to create content of my own, particularly within the genres or styles of my greatest influences. During the early months of the Covid-19 Pandemic I finally realized how to make these aspirations a reality. I wanted to major in film, but through which college I did not know. That’s where the Pennsylvania State University came in.

On January 20th, 2021 I officially enrolled into Penn State University. It wasn’t an easy choice, I had a lot of factors to weigh, but I knew in my heart this was the right decision. Several months later, I stepped foot onto campus, as a student, for the first time. August 2021 marked the beginning of my current journey towards creating the type of media that I grew up with.

Since my first semester, I’ve spent a great ordeal involving myself within the different realms of communication-based activities. Since August I’ve been employed by CommAgency, Penn State’s student-lead media production firm. I am employed under the live production division, and have worked with my colleagues for multiple clients including the Centre County Film Festival, and the PSU College of Health and Human Development, among others. Additionally, since November 2021 I’ve involved myself in the production of an original Penn State Network Television production.

“Nittany Talk” is the newest addition to the catalogue of PSN-TV programming. Created by Simone Skinner, “Nittany Talk” is an entertainment-based talk show centering around relevant pop culture that impacts students of the local community. I’ve not only hosted this show on occasion, but I’ve also written and co-directed a package segment promoting a local coffee shop. This segment played in our show’s fifth episode. When I’m not on-camera, I’m usually working behind the scenes to ensure the best production possible. I’ve operated the audio board, the recording software, multiple cameras, and even kept time. Around the same time I got into Nittany Talk, I also began involving myself with 46LIVE.

By far the greatest honor I’ve had during my time as a student was the participation in the fiftieth annual THON. THON is the largest student-run philanthropic network in the world, annually hosting a dance marathon for forty-six consecutive hours. I was part of 46LIVE, the organization responsible for broadcasting THON into the homes of thousands worldwide. Throughout THON 2022, I operated multiple cameras and worked under the title of technical director. It was a euphoric experience to work on the floor of such an exciting and prestigious event. It was also an incredibly informative experience, being my first large-scale live production event.

As of writing this, I look forward to growing my career opportunities by gaining more experience, and expanding my network.