Segment and Field Producer at Entertainment Tonight and former California Lutheran alumna, Nikki Snook, has been recognized by the Television Academy for her work on five different occasions. Snook said that winning an Emmy wasn’t on her bucket list and she didn’t even consider it a possibility for her.
“It’s really exciting to have that and to be a part of a team that’s, like, the best in the business and we try to just do good work and give accurate information,” Snook said. “I’ve been grateful to be a part of the team five times that they’ve chosen us to get the Emmy.”
After a lot of hard work and long hours, Snook said that she can look back and appreciate the hard work she and her team did and continue to do, while providing accurate entertainment news.
“I credit Cal Lutheran a lot with what I’ve learned and how to handle myself in situations at my job, on a red carpet, that kind of thing,” Snook said.
Snook said that she initially went to Cal Lutheran thinking she was going to work on animation, though she quickly realized that wasn’t something that she wanted to do. Snook said she wished she knew this before starting her college career, as she could have taken more production classes.
Snook said that even though she did not take a lot of production classes, the ones that she did take taught her a lot about how the industry works and what it is like to be a producer and its facets.
According to Snook, a class that trained her for her career was Beginning TV Production, which was and is still taught by Associate Professor and former Director of the Film and Television Program, David Grannis.
“I would say that his class in particular has always stuck out to me and I kind of credit it to, like, helping me realize I want to be in production and get into the industry,” Snook said.
According to Snook, Grannis’ class was very hands-on and accurate to what she encountered in the workforce. Snook said she recommends his classes to people that are interested in getting into production and she said she wishes she took more classes with Grannis.
“I always have credited Mr. Grannis for just, like, teaching me what it’s like to be on a set,” Snook said. “He kind of gave us, like, a little snapshot into what it’s like to actually be on a set and what it takes to like put a production together.”
Grannis said that Snook was very punctual, organized and committed to her classes.
“She was a great student, and she was a very talented video editor,” Grannis said. “She always did A-level work.”
Grannis and Snook both said that they have kept in touch through social media, particularly Facebook and LinkedIn.
“I just love following her career, you know, I love following her on Facebook, she’s always posting really cool pictures of her at the different awards ceremonies, so it’s fun to see somebody come out of the school and be successful,” Grannis said.
Snook said that an important part of figuring out what she wanted was doing internships, as they helped her transition into production. Snook said she did four internships during her time at Cal Lutheran.
“The final [internship] was Universal, and that was just learning more about production, being on a set, and very similar to what I do now at Entertainment Tonight,” Snook said.
Snook said that before she graduated college, she had applied to different jobs in the realm of production. During this application process, Snook said that she didn’t always know what she was applying for due to confidentiality on the companies’ side.
Snook said she was on a trip to Cancún, Mexico when she received a call from her former boss at ET offering her a job interview. The job she was being considered for was a production assistant position that was supposed to be temporary.
“When I got that call in Mexico, I just happened to answer it, and I was, like, after the call I’m like ‘did I apply?’ I didn’t realize I applied but I do really believe everything happens for a reason,” Snook said.
According to Snook, what was supposed to be a temporary job turned out to be a full-time job. Snook said that as a production assistant, she would be assigned to work with a director and help them pull their assets and put their pieces together, along with transcriptions.
After working as a PA for a year, Snook said she expressed interest in joining the film team, as they were in need of a film assistant. Snook said that the job was similar to what she would do as a PA, but instead focused on films.
ET Supervising Producer Andy Reyes, who is also Snook’s boss, said in an email interview that Snook was his first hire as a department assistant. Reyes said he watched Snook grow and flourish into the producer she is today.
“A highlight of my time working with Nikki was watching her go out on her own for the first time, representing our team at entertainment celebrity shoots without any senior staff present,” Reyes said in an email interview.
According to Reyes, Snook is someone who brings a positive attitude to the office and faces challenges with enthusiasm. Reyes said Snook is a valuable asset to the show’s talent on field shoots, as she provides the needed support and ensures everything runs according to plan.
“Nikki Snook is someone I can always rely on to interface with industry representatives outside our office. Her calmness and professionalism ensures that our collaborations with top-tier studios and talent reps run smoothly and effectively,” Reyes said.
This article was updated on Feb. 12 at 2:45 p.m. to correct several inaccuracies pertaining to Snook’s internships.
