Christine Baudry, multimedia producer, addresses Greystone College Business and Tourism students

On March 21^st, Greystone College Vancouver hosted multimedia producer Christine Baudry for its pre-graduation event. Christine shared career highlights and advice with our students.

After studying journalism and advertising at Algonquin College in Ottawa, Christine joined TV Ontario/TFO in Toronto where worked for 18 years. Her responsibilities kept growing from Production Assistant, Assistant Director to eventually work as Production Manager for current affairs, youth and children’s programming and Digital Programming and content (New Media). This experience and her drive to continue her education (she completed a Project Management Certificate in 2008 and took on a B.A. in Anthropology at the University of Toronto in 2006) helped her hone her business skills. Unfortunately, her position at TFO was eliminated in 2008 and though she was dismayed at first, Christine quickly decided to see this as an opportunity.

Vancouver 2010 Olympics

Christine Baudry, Multimedia Producer

As Christine said “Sometimes negative events happen to facilitate a new opportunity.” Soon after her TVO work was completed, she was invited to work for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics as Manager, Technical Administration and Volunteer Coordinator for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies – two of the most viewed TV events in history. The position required a total commitment for a year. Christine moved to Vancouver immediately while husband Pat sold their Toronto home and moved to Vancouver a few months later.

Success in such a position requires all your time for one year at least. It requires high flexibility as you deal with multiple cultures and stakeholders. It requires conviction when you deal with inevitable ambiguities and the need for fast decisions. She recalled the last minute decision her and her team got to allow the athletes to wear a black armband to honor the young Georgian bobsledder who died in practice before the Olympics started and how in the absence of proper black crepe, electrical black tape had to be added to the arms of athletes as they were entering the stadium for the opening parade.

On the other hand, the personal growth, the excitement and the adrenalin rush is what one remembers rather than the long hours and sleepless nights.

A new life in Vancouver

After the inevitable post major event blues and rest, Christine went to tach at Vancouver Film School for a year, and then returned to production activities. However her abilities were now expanded to include Film production which is very different from TV production and later interactive digital media production as technologies intersect more and more.

Christine founded her own firm in 2012. Two Sparrows Productions can handle the variety of request she gets from clients. She can quickly assemble teams able to deliver TV or Film production, special events and digital media production.

Career Advice from Christine

See the positive in events that may appear negative at first
Never burn bridges – nurture your professional relationships
Network, Network, Network (drink lots of coffees…)
People have a short attention span – prepare extensively and be direct about what you need from them
Educate yourself constantly
Everything is a project, learn project management
Manage your budgets very closely