Tag Archive for: connecticut

From Hollywood to Hartford: Why Connecticut’s Growing Media Industry Needs the Next Generation of Creators

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There’s a lot of excitement surrounding Connecticut’s growing presence in the media and entertainment industry. The recent Hollywood to Hartford documentary shines a spotlight on the people, productions, and creative community helping to put Connecticut on the map.

But beyond the premieres and production sets is an even bigger story, one about opportunity.

As more film, television, digital media, and content production takes place across the state, one question becomes increasingly important:

Who will create the next generation of media professionals?

Connecticut’s Creative Industry Is Growing

For years, Connecticut has quietly built a reputation as a destination for filmmakers, broadcasters, production companies, and digital content creators. Tax incentives, diverse filming locations, talented professionals, and proximity to New York and Boston have made the state an attractive place to produce everything from feature films and television shows to commercials and documentaries.

Today’s media landscape is also much broader than traditional Hollywood productions. Businesses, nonprofits, sports organizations, schools, and entrepreneurs all rely on high-quality video, audio, photography, social media, and digital storytelling to connect with their audiences.

That means media careers are growing in ways many people never imagined just a decade ago.

It’s Not Just About Becoming the Next Movie Director

When people think about the entertainment industry, they often picture actors and directors. In reality, every successful production depends on an entire team of creative professionals working behind the scenes.

Today’s media industry needs:

  • Video editors 
  • Camera operators 
  • Audio engineers 
  • Podcast producers 
  • Broadcast talent 
  • Content creators 
  • Social media marketers 
  • Digital storytellers 
  • Production assistants 
  • Studio technicians 
  • Live event producers 
  • Web content creators 

These careers exist not only in film studios but also in television stations, marketing agencies, sports organizations, corporations, healthcare systems, educational institutions, and small businesses throughout Connecticut and beyond.

Passion Is the Starting Point. Skills Open the Door.

Many aspiring creators have the passion to tell stories, produce videos, launch podcasts, or work in broadcasting. What often separates a hobby from a career is hands-on training and real-world experience.

That’s where CSB Media Arts Center comes in.

For more than 60 years, CSB has helped students turn their creativity into practical, career-ready skills. Instead of focusing primarily on lectures and theory, students learn by creating, producing, editing, presenting, and collaborating using the same tools and techniques they’ll encounter in the industry.

Whether a student dreams of working behind a camera, hosting a radio show, editing films, managing social media campaigns, or producing digital content, they gain experience that prepares them for today’s fast-changing media landscape.

Learning From Professionals Who’ve Been There

One of the advantages of attending CSB Media Arts Center is learning from instructors who have built careers in the industries they teach.

Students benefit from insights that go beyond the classroom, learning not just how to use equipment or software, but how productions operate, how creative teams collaborate, and what employers expect from today’s media professionals.

Those real-world experiences help bridge the gap between education and employment.

Connecticut’s Media Future Depends on New Talent

The excitement generated by projects like Hollywood to Hartford reminds us that Connecticut’s creative community continues to grow.

But a thriving industry requires more than productions, it requires talented people ready to step into meaningful careers.

Whether your goal is to work on a film set, produce a podcast, become a broadcaster, create compelling social media content, or help businesses tell their stories through video, there’s never been a better time to develop the skills that employers are looking for.

Your Media Career Can Start Here

At CSB Media Arts Center, students don’t just learn about media, they create it.

Through hands-on training in Broadcast Media, Filmmaking, Social Media Marketing, and Web Design & Development, students build the confidence, experience, and portfolio needed to pursue exciting opportunities in today’s creative economy.

As Connecticut’s media industry continues to grow, the next generation of storytellers, creators, and innovators will help shape its future.

The question is: will you be one of them?

Ready to turn your passion into a profession? Schedule an information session today and discover how CSB Media Arts Center can help you take your first step toward a career in media.

Reference article: https://www.lifepublications.com/post/hollywood-to-hartford

Connecticut Extends Film Tax Credit — Creating New Opportunities for Students, Creators, and Connecticut’s Growing Media Industry 

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 Connecticut lawmakers’ decision to extend the state’s film tax credit program is more than an investment in production — it is an investment in jobs, workforce development, and the future of Connecticut’s creative economy. 

For students pursuing careers in film, broadcasting, digital content, and media production, the extension sends a powerful message: opportunities are continuing to grow right here at home. 

At CSB Media Arts Center — home of the Connecticut School of Broadcasting — we see firsthand how important a thriving production industry is for students preparing to enter today’s rapidly evolving media landscape. From filmmaking and editing to live streaming, audio production, social media storytelling, and digital marketing, students benefit when Connecticut continues attracting productions that create real-world industry experience and career pathways. 

For decades, Connecticut’s film tax credit program has helped attract feature films, television productions, streaming content, commercial work, and independent projects that bring jobs, spending, and creative energy into the state. These productions create opportunities not only for established professionals, but also for students and emerging talent looking to gain valuable hands-on experience and industry exposure. 

Today’s media industry is evolving faster than ever. Students are no longer training solely for traditional broadcasting careers — they are preparing for opportunities across multiple forms of content creation and digital storytelling. A strong production environment helps build an ecosystem where creative professionals can develop their careers locally instead of feeling the need to leave Connecticut to pursue opportunities elsewhere. 

At CSB Media Arts Center, hands-on training and industry connection remain at the core of what we do. Students gain the most value when they can see active productions happening around them, network with professionals, and better understand the pace and expectations of real-world media environments. A healthy production industry in Connecticut directly benefits the educational pipeline that prepares tomorrow’s workforce. 

The impact of film and television production also extends far beyond cameras and sets. Productions support local businesses, restaurants, hotels, freelancers, technical crews, musicians, marketing professionals, and creative entrepreneurs while helping position Connecticut as a destination for creativity and innovation. 

For many students, seeing productions take place in their own communities makes careers in media feel achievable and accessible. It inspires the next generation of storytellers, creators, and industry professionals while helping strengthen Connecticut’s long-term creative economy. 

CSB Media Arts Center has also been proud to support projects that celebrate Connecticut’s growing influence in media and entertainment, including involvement with the documentary Hollywood to Hartford. The project highlights the state’s rich connection to broadcasting, film, and television while recognizing the individuals and organizations helping shape the future of Connecticut’s production community. 

We are also proud to continue working alongside the CT TV and Film Alliance in support of Connecticut’s creative economy. Their advocacy and leadership continue helping strengthen awareness of how valuable the film and television industry is to the state — not only culturally, but economically. 

As Connecticut continues building momentum in film, television, and digital content creation, CSB Media Arts Center remains committed to preparing the next generation of media professionals through hands-on training, industry collaboration, and community engagement. 

The future of Connecticut’s creative economy depends on both production and education working together — and this legislation represents an important step forward for both. 

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Congratulations to CSB graduates Steve Emirzian, Donna Collins, Neal Aft Thomassen, Gerry Williams, James Parascondola, Sam Rondini, along with many others from Connecticut’s film community, for their work helping bring the Hollywood to Hartford documentary to life. 

CSB Media Arts Center is proud to see its graduates continuing to make an impact in Connecticut’s film and television industry while helping tell the story of the state’s growing role in media production and creative storytelling. 

Photo Credit: Shefik Macauley 

Meet Chelsea Sherrod, SNY’s UConn women’s basketball sideline reporter with deep Connecticut roots – Graduate of CSB Media Arts Center

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Graduate Chelsea Sherrod

Eight years removed from her own time as a college basketball player, Chelsea Sherrod still feels a pregame rush.

“Live games, live TV, there’s nothing like it,” said Sherrod, the UConn women’s basketball sideline reporter for SNY. “You can write and you can prepare. Sometimes you just have to know what is happening and go with the flow.”

Sherrod will be an increasingly present figure — inquisitor, informer, entertainer, generally a conduit from program to fan — on TV screens across Connecticut as the Huskies get deeper into Big East play.

Hired in December 2023, she is just over a year into her role as a reporter/host at SportsNet New York (SNY), which has telecast UConn games since 2006. Sherrod, who went to Stratford High and played basketball at Albertus Magnus before graduating in 2016, was named the Huskies’ sideline reporter shortly before the 2023-24 postseason.

The network was done carrying games by that point. But with conference play forming the bulk of UConn’s remaining schedule, Sherrod’s think-on-your-feet role will explore for viewers the how-and-why of Geno Auriemma and his team.

“The story lines can change so quickly,” Sherrod said. “It’s like playing a game. That’s how I prepare. Ahead of my hits, it feels like I’m getting ready for a game. You have little butterflies, you hype yourself up and you’ve got to lock in. It’s so loud in the arena. There’s the music, the bands, the fans, the producers in your ears. And it’s like, OK, let’s do this.”

It’s no surprise that Sherrod, 29, is in a role and a career that is part performative and part investigative and rooted in the sport of her youth. She is the oldest daughter in a Connecticut family well known for its pursuits in athletics and music.

“We’re fortunate to have two really loving parents and they’ve really been our biggest advocates and always allowed us to explore different avenues and pushed us to pursue what we’re most passionate about,” said Brandon Sherrod, Chelsea’s older brother, who is an assistant coach under James Jones with the Yale men’s basketball team. “I’d be remiss if I didn’t give them all the credit.”

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CSB Media Arts Center – “Around The Campus Podcast” featuring our Broadcast Media Program student Anthony.

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“When you learn in college you learn with a book through reading. When you learn at CSB, you learn by doing!”….follow your passion for the Sports Broadcast Media Industry like student, Anthony and how he worked his way up to CBS Sports Network. Anthony shares his experience about why he came to @Gocsb . Did our Broadcast Media Program meet his expectations? Listen as Anthony shares his story and hear what he’s doing now, after his media training at CSB.

To learn more about the CSB Media Arts Center Broadcast Media Program visit: https://gocsb.com/broadcast-media/

We have campus locations in:

Hartford, CT/Springfield, MA area
New Haven, CT/Westchester, NY area
Philadelphia area
West Palm Beach, FL area