Michelle Redmond, MFA Freelance Producer/Writer

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Stressing over production budgets, managing assignments within a 10-hour production day without and figuring out what to wear working in a remote forest or working at a swanky penthouse party…in many ways describes my life as a television producer-field director and writer.

 

My career choices allowed me to travel to many destinations around the world. However my career ‘brass ring’ was being one of six producer/writers for the National Geographic Channel based in Washington, D.C. Individually, we traveled to many places nationally and internationally as storytellers for our weeknight prime time news program.

 

Later I joined Discovery Studios as a producer/writer. The Studios are the in-house production unit at Discovery Communications in Silver Spring, Maryland. Our clients included all of the networks under the Discovery umbrella. Travel Channel. Military Channel. TLC, Discovery Health and of course the Discovery Network. I wrote for a gritty Coroner Crime Investigation series… produced a Travel Channel episode about a family exploring a National Park and its wild life and completed a documentary about miraculous healing after western medicine offered no hope.

 

For more than 10 years, I also juggled being a ‘go-to’ freelance producer for The Oprah Winfrey Show. “TOWS” relied on me to field produce and direct backstory segments for the show.

 

I’ve also enjoyed years as a broadcast news reporter and anchor. In addition to working in Dallas… I reported and anchored in Charleston, South Carolina, and Albuquerque, New Mexico.

 

Every day as a television reporter was always different. I met children in crisis… migrant families in transition… to live shot reporting from a helicopter over a Rolling Stones concert. I was the first reporter to spend a heart stopping evening with the Dallas Police gang unit. The fact that we were shot at in our unmarked car tested my ability to not scream in terror.

 

To date I’m the only person to have Executive Produced two live magazine lifestyle programs in the Dallas/Fort Worth market. First at WFAA’s Good Morning Texas. And later at KTVT with a live studio audience. That show was called “Positively Texas.”

 

Eventually, I decided to reassess what else I wanted to accomplish in my career. So I decided to attend graduate school at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. The faculty awarded me a full 3-year Meadows Artistic scholarship. I earned a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Cinema-Television in 2013.

 

While still in grad school, I taught as an adjunct a media writing classes. What a perfect way to find out if I enjoyed teaching. Well… I did! After graduating from SMU, I started teaching media/journalism/performance courses at UNT full time.

 

Receiving feed back from students is so rewarding. One of the lovely letters let me know that “You really have a way with demanding a high standard from students.”

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I’ve been honored with more than 25 journalism awards including a Heartland Chapter Emmy Award and three national Telly Awards.

 

In May 2019 I decided to leave UNT and return to freelance TV Producer/Writing.

 

I’m married to Allen Farmer. We met years ago working at the same Dallas radio station. Allen is a professional voice-over talent with a long list of commercials, movie trailers and television documentaries to his career credit. My only child is “Dallas” a mini schnauzer who barks when he demands a snack!

 

I’ll always be grateful to benefiting from my unusual experiences. Sharing what I’ve learned is an honor.  

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