Rising Stars: Meet Todd Hughlett of Burbank

Today we’d like to introduce you to Todd Hughlett.

Hi Todd, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My journey to where I am today was anything but linear. I actually started my professional life as an engineer. After graduating from Virginia Tech, I spent five years working in the engineering field in the Washington D.C. area, right near where I grew up in Vienna, Virginia. As a hobby, I discovered a passion for storytelling through community theater. That spark was enough to convince me to pack up and move to Los Angeles to pursue acting.

As many people discover, the path in LA often leads you to places you didn’t initially expect. While acting didn’t turn out to be my ultimate calling, it opened the door to the world of film production. I spent years working across the film, TV, and commercial sectors, specifically focusing on the lighting and camera side of the industry. I loved being on set, but a major turning point came during the writers’ strike.

As production opportunities began to shift out of Los Angeles, I found myself at a crossroads: follow the work elsewhere or find a way to stay in the city I had come to call home. I chose LA.

I decided to pivot my technical background in engineering and my on-set experience into the world of podcast production. Today, I work as an editor and studio engineer—the guy behind the scenes ensuring the audio and video quality. My work allows me to maintain that technical precision I learned at Virginia Tech while staying deeply embedded in the creative storytelling process. Currently, I’m proud to be the editor and studio engineer for “That Was Us,” where I get to help bring meaningful conversations to life every day.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I don’t think anyone moves to Los Angeles and gets a “smooth road.” If I wanted smooth, I would have stayed in the 9-to-5 world of engineering.

Leaving a stable, predictable career after five years to pursue acting was a massive psychological leap. You go from a steady income to not knowing how you’ll pay rent each month. Admitting that acting wasn’t my ultimate path was its own kind of struggle—it’s hard to let go of the initial dream that brought you here.

When I moved into production, I loved the energy of being on set, but I eventually hit a wall that many in our industry face: the volatility of the market. When the writers’ strike hit, the landscape shifted overnight. Watching production opportunities dry up or migrate to other states was a “make or break” moment. I had built a life here in Burbank, and the idea of being forced to leave because the work moved was the biggest hurdle I’ve faced.

But if there is anything surviving LA teaches you, it’s how to pivot. Podcasts started requiring video, and luckily I had a few friends in that world who reached out for help. One thing led to another, and now I’m full-time on podcast productions.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I specialize in high-end video podcasting, serving as both a Studio Engineer and an Editor. In the current media landscape, podcasts are no longer just audio—they are full-scale video productions. My work focuses on bridging that gap, ensuring that a show not only sounds pristine but looks like a professional film production.

In this space, I feel like I’m one of the few who came from the video side of the industry; most podcast crews come strictly from the audio arena. Because of my background on film sets, I specialize in the lighting and camera setups, as well as the post-production color grade that gives a podcast its final, cinematic look. I’m most proud of being able to take a technical, multi-camera environment and turn it into a seamless, visually engaging story.

We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
Most people who work with me in a studio or see my name in the credits probably wouldn’t guess that I started my career as a mechanical engineer. People usually know me as a guy who came from lighting film and TV sets, or even from my time as an actor, but I doubt many realize I actually have a mechanical engineering degree.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/toddhughlett/