As school hits full steam for many students around the country, the second cycle of PromaxBDA’s Promo Pathway, an intensive training program focused on writing, producing and editing on-air promotions, is coming to a close. But while these current Promo Pathway students are winding down their studies, their journey into the industry is only beginning. Following their graduation on Thursday, September 19, and a Creative Review on September 20 showcasing their work from the past year to all industry comers, the second class of Promo Pathway students will be ready to transition successfully into the on-air promotions workplace—if they haven’t already.














David Carter is one graduating student whose transition is well under way. The Air Force veteran, improv comic and new dad to a baby girl took a roundabout path to the on-air promotions industry, but once he found it through Promo Pathway, he never looked back. Carter, who did his Promo Pathway internship at Fox and has already completed a month of contracted work for CBS’ Eyelab in the duration, stopped by the Brief offices recently to talk about how his varied life experiences have prepared him for a life in promo. Dave just landed a freelance writer-producer position at NBC Universal in episodic promotions.

BRIEF: You are, by your own admission, older than the average college-aged Promo Pathway student, with wife and child. What compelled you to apply for the program at this phase in your life?

DAVID CARTER: I do voiceover and I was an editor before. I had just left my job as a lead editor for an online training company. What I really wanted to do was create stuff. I wanted to do voiceover and write promos and do both [jobs] myself and cut out the middle man, get paid for both.

Does your experience as a voiceover artist help with the writing of promos?

Yeah. It helps me to visualize, to see how it flows, to work on my copy, because I can read it all myself and see how it plays. If you’re writing to be READ versus writing to be SAID, that’s very different.

You’re also a longtime improv comedy performer as well. Does that skill impact your promo work in any tangible way?

My improv definitely helps in this. When you’re thinking about spots and how copy works, and going outside the box, it helps. The more you do improv in a structured way, the easier this job gets. It’s immediate, you don’t have a lot of time to think it through or go back, and I think that helps in the promo process. Writing five, six, seven scripts a day just to get to the one that’s right – that can be hard to do when I’m not working that improv muscle.

All Promo Pathway students are required to do an internship to complete the program. You just finished an internship in the marketing department at Fox. What was that like?

I’ve never been an intern in my life. It was very interesting. It all makes so much more sense after being at Fox. A lot of what we [did in class] is what we call “Blue Sky” – I can create what I want… as long as it works, it’s good. But being at a network, I learned it has very little to do with that sometimes. That comes into play AFTER you’ve figured out how they want you to market something.

Was it hard to juggle your promo studies with family obligations?

My wife being on board was really helpful. I think I had a little bit easier in that regard than some of my classmates who were going to work, then having to come to class, then having to go home and do homework, then having to get up in the morning. Some didn’t have cars and had to get to class on the bus. The youngest was 17 and I would pick him and another student up, literally pick the kids up at the mall, and bring them to class.

Promo Pathway marks a significant career departure for you at what many consider to be a fairly vulnerable time in your life. Do you feel like it took a lot of courage to embark on this program when you did?

It was gutsy, but the best part was, there was an end goal: Being prepared to be a writer/producer [and] having [a mentor] who’s going to advocate for you in the sense of getting your resume out, introducing you to people, helping you to network with people you didn’t have access to. If you do what you’re supposed to do [in this program], nothing but good can happen. Having the support of PromaxBDA on this… I wouldn’t have had the doors open to me the way they are now. I have EVPs and SVPs returning my phone calls… you can’t get that walking in the door.

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