Communication Arts Alum Is Television Editor for Network Historic Events
It is not surprising to Communication Arts Professor John Yurko that his former student Justin Cece is an editor for network news television productions. Yurko remembers Cece as being very gifted in the edit room and a young person with perseverance and drive. What probably is most surprising is the fact that Cece was able to work on some historic network television productions very early in his career. "I have been very lucky so far. I've had a number of right place, right time moments in my life," Cece said.
Cece, a 1999 Caldwell grad, is currently an editor for Peacock Productions, a division of NBC which produces shows for the network including Dateline NBC and for outside clients including Discovery Channel, History Channel, and A&E. He recently edited three segments for the History Channel special "King", which aired in April. He was also one of four editors who worked on a 2-hour special, 1968 with Tom Brokaw that aired in December 2007 on History Channel HD. "This show was a lot of fun to cut, and I'm really proud of it, " said Cece of the documentary, which explored the significance of that turbulent year and the way it continues to affect the American landscape.
But Cece's list of worthwhile historic projects don't stop there. Cece has had the opportunity to edit packages and shows for several once-in-a-lifetime historic news events.
In 2002, he moved to Rome, Italy to work for the NBC News Bureau. "In Rome I was a soundman and editor for various NBC Nightly News and Today Show spots, as well as coordinating live shots and interviews for MSNBC and NBC during the Beatification of Mother Teresa, as well as coverage for the death of Pope John Paul II and the ensuing conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI in April 2005," Cece said.
He also freelanced for CNN, CBS, BBC and Eurovision. "In 2003, I was hired by Eurovision to be one of their on-site editors for three Papal Voyages to Croatia, Bosnia and Slovakia, where I edited news packages for various European broadcasters. I traveled on the Papal Plane to Lourdes, France in 2004 as a part of the U.S. travel pool, which turned out to be Pope John Paul II's final foreign trip," Cede said.
Cece got in on the ground floor early, which is a good idea for any student wanting to get his or her foot in the door at a television or radio station. "I interned at MSNBC during my junior year and they hired me as a freelance editor in my senior year. Shortly after that I was hired staff to work on MSNBC's primetime long-form programming including MSNBC Investigates, Crime Files and Headliners and Legends with Matt Lauer," Cece said. All this points to the fact that getting an internship early on in television is not only smart, but imperative. It's a competitive, tough business andin the New York media market, the largest in the nation, if not the world, getting a toe in the door early on is important for students hoping to pursue television or radio careers.
Professor Yurko says that in the entertainment industry - or in most any industry - landing the dream job is often the convergence of talent, timing and sheer enthusiasm. "It's just not going to come to you, you have to go out and get it. Justin certainly had the skills. That was clear in the video editing suite here at Caldwell, but he also had the perseverance, so when the timing was right he was ready," Yurko said.
Other projects Cece has worked on include: The Today Show, NBC Nightly News, Dateline NBC, Biography of the Year 2005 (A&E), Conspiracy Files: CIA Mind Control, Conspiracy, Files: The Secret History of Jesus (Discovery), and America's Top Sleuths (Sleuth Network). "Since these shows are often an hour or longer and are under extreme deadlines, there are numerous editors on a show. I was usually one of three or four editors to contribute to a show, " Cece said.