FerroTV Network

Ever wonder what an actor, showrunner, puppeteer, social media wiz, executive producer all have in common? In the case of Courtney Mentzel they are all one person. In this interview Courtney lays out how her passion for acting at an early age has taken her on a journey with stops at each of those positions.…

Stop me if you heard this story. There was a guy who went to school for Criminology then switch majors to Kinesiology and landed his degree in Economics. Out of school he decided he wanted to become a golf coach. So, he took a job as a rock-climbing instructor. Which of course lead to photography.…

What’s harder than talking in an Italian household during holiday dinner?  Being a studio host.  Join Joe & host Madelyn Burke as she shares her insights & career path from ESPN PA to NY Giants show host.

You know the phrase “nice guys finish last”? Well that is not the case with composer and musician Billy Webster. He is one of the industries nicest and most genuine. His journey has taken him from a singer in a Heavy Metal band in rural Pennsylvania to a NYC punk band performing at CBGBs. All…

How hard would it be to interview a stand-up comedian, a radio host, a social media influencer, a video production person and a celebrity podcast interviewer ALL AT ONCE?!!Well actually not hard when it’s all one person, Anthony Almanzar, known to the world as Anthony A. Sit back and laugh your ass off at this…

What do Stadium sporting events, Arena sporting events, Sound systems for live bands, and TV control room Graphics all have in common? Dustin Seyler is at the helm of what you see and hear in all those locations. This mellow seeming guy thrives calmly in the adrenaline rush of live entertainment.

If the definition of a Furturist is: One whose chief interests are in what is to come; who anxiously, eagerly, or confidently looks forward to the future.  Then Kevin Corbett is his own personal career futurist.  From recognizing the power of the early internet as a branding tool for the NY Giants.  To a media…

Steve DeFuria began as a carpenter while playing keyboards in local bands and then went on to programming synthesizers for the stars, teaching at Berklee College of Music, authoring 15 books on the creative use of music technology. Became the synth programmer and software coder for Frank Zappa, product developer and operation director at Lexicon…

What kid isn’t thrilled while watching an action movie or TV show when the villain gets thrown out of a fifty-story window or violent car chase scene in the Fast and Furious. How about when the gangster gets a beat down by the rival gang?  All those scenes and hundreds more are performed, choreographed, rehearsed and…

“Mastering relevant skills and surrounding yourself with a community of successful people provides never ending opportunities.” A motto that Bruce Lane has lived by and is proof of concept. Bruce Lane, currently of Telestream, has run the table on the engineering and the tech side of the broadcast industry.  Starting out with in Master Control.…

Steve Cohen, before becoming the Senior VP at SiriusXM Radio, he always thought he would pursue his passion for music. That passion led him to seize an opportunity in radio, starting as a DJ and board operator at his college radio station. His willingness to embrace new opportunities defined his career, including an internship at…

What’s more rewarding than working in production?  Getting to not only work with, but teach it to a special group of people. Join Joe & Ian Foss as they share the work & mission of Prospector Theater.

From software engineer to VP of Digital Marketing at the New York Giants.  It’s all about knowing when to pivot and maintaining an entrepreneur approach in a corporate environment. Drop in as Nilay Shah shares his secrets of his climb to success. 

What’s it like shooting the Big East Tournament for the first time in the midst of a globalpandemic? Join Joe & Frank as they discuss everything from production tech to a near collision.

What happens when a Jersey guy goes to Japan?  (We don’t mean The Karate Kid).  Specialty cam operator Frank Scacciaferro dishes on his gig at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in this can’t miss episode.

Everyone has a journey. From intern at NY Giants broadcast programing to NBC Universal to Tennis Channel to Asian TV to Sirius XM to Premion to Insider to WebMD to hosting and cohosting multiple podcasts, Adam Costas knows how to never stop growing and advancing his skills.  As a creative gathering experience and new skills…

What possesses someone to go from successful music producer to serving the Catholic Church through multimedia? Join Joe & fellow piasano Mario Costabile for a hope-filled chat on his innovative work.

Photography? Motion Graphic? Apparel Graphic Design?Why pick one when you can master all three. Matt Swensen, currently the Manager of Photography & Graphic Design at New York Football Giants shares his secrets of success.

In Part 2 of our two-part interview with Frank Scacciaferro, Frank shares the details of how he grew his successful career from holding a light reflector at age 11 on a broadcast shoot to his present position as a first call network specialty camera operator. 

Is it possible to be an accomplished recording engineer, guitar player, music producer and the current Director of Music and Audio Production for Array of Hope, all at once? The answer is YES if your name is Jack Garno. Relatively, new to the industry Jack has packed a lot of experience into a small amount…

Ever wonder where all the show tech is when a band is playing in the round and their stage is in the center of an arena or stadium? How about knowing what you need to make your live band recording sound as good or better then if you were in the audience? Sit back and…

Is a “Music A2”? Better than an “A1”?  And what’s it like working live events on stage with artists like Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga? Join Joe & Music A2 Mike Fortunato as he reveals the secret world of a Music A2.

If your goal was to be an on air sports personality and you get your degree in journalism why take internship in “front line broadcast production”?  Taylor Ringold has the answer.  Why listen to him?  Because that’s exactly what he did and it has paid off enormously.

Mike Marno, the CTO of the Middle Eastern Broadcast Network, is proof positive that your early circumstances don’t define your future.  Tracking Mr. Marno’s career of successes and accomplishments you might think he was born into a life of entitlement with a support system that ensured his success. Neither of those elements were present as…

Ever wonder what it would be like having a 30 plus year career working with Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Rascals, Yanni, Josh Groban, Paul Simon, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young/CSN, Phil Collins, Faith Hill, Carole King, Meatloaf, Blondie, Daryl Hall & John Oates, Foreigner, and dozens more. Well you…

There are no insignificant gigs as you grow your career.  Mike Debbie, for the past 8 years has been a senior show editor for the Vice Network. That’s a long way from his beginning. He started his career at a small-town public access station. Where he was solely responsible for producing, shooting and editing all…

Ever wonder how all those stats and graphics end up on your screen while watching a live sporting event or news? Who designs them? Who decides when they need to appear on the screen? How do they keep updating? How does someone even get into that gig? We had them same questions so we decided…

We all know how hard it is to learn two, maybe three, skill positions in the production industry. What if you’re job meant understanding EVERY position PLUS having to evaluated the personality chemistry of each person and the team.   That’s the responsibility of our next guest. Her advice on what it takes to land…

When I say the name Mike Gogel some might say, “oh the actor”? Others will reply, “Yea I know him, he’s the audio guy?” or “Isn’t he a DJ?” “Wait I think he’s in Radio”… Some west coast folks will say they knew him as a PA on Hollywood Squares.  “oh yea I worked with…

Almost everyone in the entertainment industry started their careers as a freelancer with aspirations to land a staff job.  Well, as you will hear, Tom Smith has never been like everyone.  He started his twenty plus year career as a staff employee at Nickelodeon. During that time, he held positions as Director of Studio Operations,…

It’s easy to say, “step up and take control of your life / career”, for most that’s the hardest part of developing a career that you’re passionate about.  That is unless your Jessica DuBois. With her exuberant passion for life she is constantly on the hunt for new opportunities, excited about learning new skills and expanding her professional…

LA studio recording engineer and mixer. Author of 24 books and hundreds of articles on engineering, music the music biz and social media. Host of his podcast, Inner Circle, and founder of the enormously successful educational resource digital platform, BobbyOwsinski.com In this On Location Bobby shares his diverse talents and the secrets to success in…

Would you believe me if I told you I knew a guy who quit school at 16 and went to work in the Caltech Music Lab. At 18 was handpicked by Tom Oberheim, founder of a leading and pioneering synthesizer manufacturer of the same name, Oberhiem. This “kid” went on to help design Oberheim’s OBXa,…

Lights, camera, action! Without that first one – good luck.  Grab a seat with Joe & lighting guru George Greczylo for an illuminating convo on working gigs for YES Network, the Super Bowl, & much more.

What did the 2021 US Open have besides fans?  Enough rain to move Noah’s Ark.  Robo-cam operator Frank Scacciaferro joins Joe to share his 2nd stint at the Open, future plans, & driving in a flood.

When you find a great piece of technology that solves many of your professional problems you immediately want to share that with your friends. When you meet a really intelligent person with degrees from John Hopkins and Wharton and was the head of finance at ESPN magazine, you definitely want to add them to your…

Reality TV on a distant island? Hard enough.  Add in COVID, and it’s worse. Director Jamie Kiley shares with Joe his work experience and forging a broadcasting career.

Any difference prepping for SNL vs iHeartRadio Music Festival?  Working for Network Studio vs Live Festivals?  Listen as our CEO Joe Scacciaferro learns from Music A2 veteran Mike Fortunato who for decades has been leading the way on both.

A live On Air graphics operator is not a gig for the faint of heart. But when you hear Andrew Dobish talk about his passion for the gig, you’d think this is a dream job, and for him it is. From his school dorm room directly to a network position and then diversifying into a…

How do you create a truly unique, brilliant and creative person? One who is devoted to the exploration of community, education, activism and art.  You take one-part citizen of the Choctaw Nation.  Combined with a screenplay writer and director.  Blend in stage actor and arts educator.  Bake it all under his current position at New York University,…

When you launch your production career shooting on the field of a Super Bowl at age 17, then by the time your 32 you’ve accomplished more career milestones then most do in a life time. It stands to reason that recapping just one of those years would amazing to hear.  In part one of this…

Presently and for the past thirty years David Rosenthal has been the music director and keyboard wizard in the Billy Joel Band. But this is only part of the story. Throughout his career he has been a musician, composer, synthesizer programmer, music producer, orchestrator and touring professional. He has shared those talents with names like,…

What did it take to produce four different massive events in the legendary Madison Square Garden in only 72 hours?  It’s a discussion that could only be had by four of FerroCity’s legendary members. Three of which were an integral part making those events a success.  The fourth just does his best to hold this…

You’d think when Mark Wahlberg and Mel Gibson teamed up to produce and star in the movie Father Stu, it would have been a no brainer getting it financed, shot and released. You might think that but you’d be wrong… Now imagine a young actor and an up and coming Director of Photography team up…

Imagine constructing million dollar studio equipment from your kitchen table.  Audio engineer / A1 Evan Reinstein joins Joe to share his tech knowledge, career growth, music vs TV engineering & more.

Elsy Gil started her career as a journalist in Venezuela.  She then advanced her career to producing network programming at one of the nations premier networks.  After a brief educational break in Canada she returned to Venezuela and resumed her broadcast career.  When her personal beliefs forced her to leave Venezuela. She had to leave…

Sophie Leiton Toomey is a NYU drama major graduating in June of 2023.   But Sophie Leiton Toomey is so much more than that.  She is already an accomplished actor. She has scripted and produced several short and feature films. She is mentor and inspiration to friends and colleges. But most impressively she is a…

Broadcast audio engineer, News Media Specialist, Indie Film Director/Producer and a ton of career stops in between. You’d think to have accomplished all that he’d have to be 80 years old. Well you’d be wrong. 

Steve DeFuria began as a carpenter while playing keyboards in local bands and then went on to programming synthesizers for the stars, teaching at Berklee College of Music, authoring 15 books on the creative use of music technology. Became the synth programmer and software coder for Frank Zappa, product developer and operation director at Lexicon…

Jumping from rock guitar player to music studio recording engineer / producer is a jump.  Going from Music recording engineer to broadcast A1 and onto CBS network A1 is a HUGE LEAP.  Dave Ryan has accomplished all those things. In this episode he shares how it all happened and what he had to learn along…

If you combined accomplished a Broadway dancer /actor / singer with an accomplished Broadway choreographer then added a large portion of theater director, topped it all off with a brilliant mind and engaging personality, you would have JoAnn M. Hunter.  Don’t think one person could process all of those attributes? Then you are in for…

What happens when a guitar player, meets a recording engineer, meets a firefighter, meets a broadcast A2 and finally meets a Construction Project Manager for a major New Jersey Utility company.  What happens ??  Mike Bates happens. Michael Bates is or was all of those things. Succeeding in all those careers. To most it would…

No other industry gives out awards for being a Preditor .  Just ask our guest, 14  Emmy-winning editor Joe Calo, as he shares his storied career from Ferro intern to YES Network & much more!

Ever wonder what it would be like to be a professional in game sports show director? How about an audio engineer? A robo camera operator? A communication professor at a university? WHY pick one when you can do it all, like the Renaissance man, Joe Schilp.

Say the name Chazz McSorley in a crowded bar or in a broadcast studio and you might get a react from a few people.Say the name Chris Merz in that same room and you will definitely hear a sudden and positive cheer. So, who is this awesome dude from Staten Island, NY? Some may say he is…

The learning never stops. Alex Aurichio began his film career while still in school working on major projects. He first set out to master camera as a Cinematographer. Then while adding to his storytelling abilities he saw the power of lighting as it related to setting the texture and atmosphere of a scene.  Those two…