Neal Bennett Ed.M.’19, assistant professor of professional practice, Journalism and Media Studies, is a Telly Award-winning video producer, editor, and director. A New Jersey native and Rutgers alumnus, Neal is a production veteran with over 25 years of experience in the media industry. He has struck a balance between teaching and staying active in the field, allowing him to share with his students the latest updates in technology and production workflows. By continuing to work in the industry, he provides unique opportunities for his students to connect one-on-one with working professionals, opening doors for internships and future work. We recently asked him to share the details about some of his most recent projects and offer advice to students.

SC&I: You’re involved with the fantastic storytelling series, “Faces & Voices of Rutgers.” How did you become involved? 

NB: Right after helping with production and editing the Rutgers virtual commencement for 2021, I was asked to help with the development and editing of “Faces & Voices.” The series features President Holloway in conversation with individual students, faculty, staff, and alumni; these one-on-one talks serve to highlight the university's diversity, scope, and impact in a casual yet meaningful way. The series is a collaborative effort among University Communications and Marketing (UCM), Rutgers Continuing Studies iTV Studio, Rutgers Communications and Marketing (R-Comm), and the Office of the President, along with independent video specialists.

After the completion of the first ten-episode season, President Holloway invited the “Faces & Voices” crew to, what I believe was, the first official dinner of his presidency at Rutgers. In addition, he also invited us to his inauguration. I quite enjoyed witnessing this event and was touched to receive a personal thank you. We are now going into our second season and producing the next round of videos. Season one’s first episode featuring Eric LeGrande ‘14 was picked up by the B1G™ Network and aired on January 30, 2022. Eric was a defensive tackle for the Scarlet Knights before he received a paralyzing spinal cord injury in an October 2010 game. An inspirational young man, Eric is a motivational speaker and entrepreneur who gives back to the community. If you haven’t watched this episode, be sure to tune in.

SC&I: Congratulations on winning your fourth Telly Award for your role in the production of “What If” for the Rutgers 2020 Virtual Commencement. What it was like to work on a virtual commencement?

NB: It’s always great to be recognized for your work. The Telly Awards honor the best work in video or television across all screens. I’m proud to be recognized by the organization and am happy to report that I’ve just been invited to become a member of the Telly Awards Judging Council.

As for the production of “What If,” written and directed by Hébert Peck and featured in the Rutgers 2020 Virtual Commencement, I played a few roles, but primarily worked as the post-production manager. We also recruited a former student of mine, Phillip Shvarstman SAS’17, a freelance cinematographer, to work as the director of photography with our iTV team. One of the major challenges of this production was working during the pandemic in April and May of 2020. Production relies on groups of people physically working closely together. In this instance, we needed to figure out the best way for everyone to move around without crossing paths. We had lots of Zoom meetings and developed new workflows for capturing content, sharing footage, and editing as a team. We even had the Rutgers Makerspace help with creating plexiglass attachments for our stands. These attachments acted as barriers for when we recorded the commencement speakers in the studio. Looking back, this commencement was the first of its kind for Rutgers. The entire team did some groundbreaking work despite a global health emergency, and I was honored to work with such amazing talent.

SC&I: What other projects are you working on?

NB: I have a few things I’m working on, but one that I’d like to mention is “Forgotten Champions: How an Underdog Rutgers Squad Made Women's Sports History” documentary. This documentary features the 1981-82 Scarlet Knights Women’s AIAW National Championship team along with a few other special guests. I’m working on this documentary with a group of Rutgers alumni: Geoff Sadow ‘84, Jon Newman ’82, Dom Savino JMS ’18, and Carli Lloyd ’05 as the narrator. My initial role was a camera operator, but soon after we wrapped, Geoff, the executive producer, asked if I would be interested in taking the lead role as editor for this feature documentary. We’re currently in post-production and scheduled to premiere the film at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center on Saturday, October 8.

SC&I: What advice do you have for students interested in video production and editing?

NB: My advice would be to look for courses that provide experiential learning. At SC&I we have quite a few classes being offered in the Journalism and Media Studies department that provide students the opportunity to record and edit video and audio. I teach three of these classes: Digital Media Production, Media Field Production, and Editing for Multimedia. Assistant Professor of Journalism and Media Studies Chenjerai Kumanyika teaches Podcasting, Richard D. Heffner Professor of Communications and Public Policy and Professor of Professional Practice, Journalism and Media Studies, Juan D. González teaches Investigative Reporting, WRSU Broadcast Administrator and part-time faculty member Mike Pavlichko teaches Broadcast News Writing and Reporting, and Professor of Professional Practice and Director of Undergraduate Studies, Journalism and Media Studies, Steven Miller teaches Television Reporting. All these classes provide students with the opportunity to record and edit.

Another opportunity for students would be to apply for a job at Scarlet Media. Staffed by undergraduates, this group specializes in video production services to the Rutgers–New Brunswick campus.

I’d also recommend getting involved with the Campus Movie Fest this year at Rutgers. Anyone at any level of experience can get involved. Registration is open now and the competition starts on April 5.

Learn more about the Journalism and Media Studies Department at the Rutgers School of Communication and Information on the website. 

Photo: Courtesy of Neal Bennett