On December 18th, Chandler alumni returned to this school to help inform our Newspaper staff and Yearbook staff of their experiences and provide advice for future issues and publications. Chris Livesay is a journalist for CBS News in Rome, Italy. He was also joined by Stephen Buchanan, who is a film/video producer and founder of More Media located in Los Angeles, California.
One of Stephen’s biggest parts of his work includes shooting music videos and advertisements. He has worked with big names such as 5 Seconds of Summer, Blink-182, Cage The Elephant, Katie Perry, Lana del Rey, and Old Spice commercials. When asked what his favorite experience while working in his profession was, he said there isn’t a certain experience but rather each time the beginning of a project is started. He says, “Getting lots of people together to create a piece of work is great. Once the first shot gets off, I feel good that we have started something.” From time to time, Stephen states he has gone through some struggles. He says, “Owning a media production business is very hard and the Hollywood strike really affected my business earlier this year. I didn’t want to be in the same process of creating quick advertisements. The strike made me rethink what I do and focus on what really matters to me.” A friend, Chris Livesay says how he has also had to overcome similar obstacles. He states, “Journalism and broadcast are two fields that are suffering. It is hard to see lots of great people go out of jobs and it turns into a competitive market and anxious environment. There is a great reward for being persistent and consistent.” The persistence certainly has paid off for Chris as he has reported on some touching international topics.
Chris currently works for CBS News but has previously worked for NBC, PBS, and NPR news channels. Chris has covered the war on the Gaza strip where Hamas has abducted hundreds of Israeli people. He also recently traveled to Tbilisi, Georgia, where Russians are fleeing to avoid being drafted into the Russian army against Ukraine. Chris does lots of interviews and creates many memories and connections through traveling. He often remembers tragic or touching stories. When asked what his favorite experience was when working in his profession, he responded saying it is hard to say but one stood out in particular. Chris says, “there was a story I did a couple of years ago that I interviewed a World War 2 veteran in his 90’s. He was fighting in Italy during the war and came across a couple of baskets moving which he assumed would be enemy soldiers. At the last minute, a woman jumped up and told him they were kids playing under the baskets. Many years later when the kids were grandparents themselves, the veteran had flown from Florida to Italy to meet them. The reunion was just great to see and a good story to cover.” Chris mentions how he loves to travel and cover these amazing stories but after a while it gets taxing and may be time to focus on family. He does suggest though if would like to pursue a journalism career that is important to study abroad and create a reputation for yourself.
