David Bartscher

Major: Life Sciences Communication

Certificate: Digital Studies

Graduation Date: May 2014

What does a typical day in the office look like for you?

I currently manage all aspects of video production at WMC, including pre-production, production, and post-production. We host a plethora of events throughout the year, so the majority of the videos I produce focus on attracting attendees to each event, filming the entirety of each event, and creating a final recap video for each event.

On a day-to-day basis, I’m tasked with writing scripts and storyboards, filming interviews and gathering b-roll, editing the videos, and creating necessary graphics for each video. I also occasionally travel around the state visiting various manufacturing companies to do in-person interviews and gather b-roll. In addition, I work closely with the rest of the marketing team to distribute the videos via YouTube, social media, and email marketing.

How did you end up at Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce?

I always knew that I wanted my hands on a camera, so I took every opportunity I could to work on video projects on the side while attending UW-Madison. I also took as many courses as I could that pertained to video production and graphics while also learning about the communications field as a whole.

After I graduated from UW in 2014, I started working as a part-time video editor at WKOW ABC 27 news. I worked about 6 hours on the weekend for six months before seeking out training to learn how to use the news cameras. That training allowed me to pick up more weekend hours to go out and film news stories. After a year of part-time work, I was hired on full-time as a photojournalist for the morning show, which required editing a 2.5 hour morning news cast, working with the morning reporters to set up and film live shots, and shooting news stories either solo or with a reporter. I did this for 15 months before being promoted to the evening news cast. This allowed me to grow my skills even more as I was able to edit more intensive news stories with short deadlines. My proudest moment at WKOW was when I won a Wisconsin Broadcasters Association Award for best use of sports video!

I worked at WKOW for three years, gaining the necessary skills to help me jump into my career in video production by learning the basics of filming, editing, and lighting. Though it turns out that news wasn’t the industry for me, the experience helped me land my current job at WMC, where I’ve been for 2 years now.

How has Digital Studies influenced your career path?

The Digital Studies Certificate helped me learn a lot of the skills I use today. The classes allowed me to learn the technical and communication skills that gave me the base knowledge to become a storyteller using video and graphics as my medium. I especially loved Life Sciences Communication 350: Visualizing Science and Technology. It helped me understand the visual brain, which has helped me create more impactful videos.

Do you have any advice for current students?

Get involved in groups on campus that most interest you and always take advantage of opportunities that are offered to you. If you’re interested in video production or graphic design, always try to have side projects or jobs that can help you continue to learn outside of your education at UW.