January 20, 2017

Meet Torrance Digital Media Designer: Erica Deutsch

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Erica Deutsch.

Erica, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I started out as a Production Artist and became full-time freelance Graphic Designer. I then was offered a Marketing Coordinator position for the Laguna Beach Chamber of Commerce. After 3 years, I was ready for a career change and left my job to become a Segment Video Producer for Buy.com. 3 years later I was offered a full-time Digital Media Designer position at TRENDnet, which is where I currently work. My workload varies from day to day. Sometimes I shoot and edit videos or photograph products. Other days I design packaging or create graphics for web and print media.

Has it been a smooth road?
My road has been tedious because the creative industry demands a lot of time and patience. Dealing with tight deadlines and a heavy workload can be especially challenging, My current positions require me to create various types of work and I have to know how to manage my time responsibly in order to meet all of my deadlines. (Ex: shooting/editing a video from 8am-12pm, take lunch, 2pm-6pm work on comparison charts and update product photos for packaging). I also have to be ready to switch gears at any time due to changes for urgent projects, take on additional assignments when someone is absent.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
In February of 2012, I filmed a case study in Upstate New York in 30-degree weather. At one point it was actually snowing. My coworker assisted me, but I was in charge of filming the entire segment. I only had a day and a half to capture all of my footage, then I would fly home to edit it all. When I look back at the video, I see areas where I could make improvements, but with the time restraint and bad weather, I can honestly say that was my proudest moment in my career.

Were there moments when you had to struggle?
I struggled the most when I worked at Buy.com because I was in charge of filming product spotlights. Every Friday my day would usually consist of shooting between 30 to 40 segments within 40-minute intervals. (15 minutes to shoot the speaker and 15 minutes to shoot B-roll, 10 minutes to clean up). It was extremely stressful because I was responsible for the entire shoot, from filming both A and B roll to, running prompter, while acting as a director. To top it off, my boss was very demanding and let’s just say not very kind. It’s was extremely stressful and there were times where I felt like giving up. To say the least, it was the most difficult job I ever had.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Absolutely! LA is where digital media jobs exist and thrive! I find the best opportunities are offered through referrals or by being at the right place at the right time. The creative industry is very competitive but if you want to pursue an artistic career, LA is the place to be.

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