We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Suzi Mellano. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Suzi below.
Suzi, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?
I started my career in the film, tv and digital media world as an on-air reporter. I did local tv and sideline sports reporting. As I continued in that direction I could feel my heart wasn’t in it the way I expected it to be. When you’re at a smaller market you have to run your own camera, write, shoot and edit your own content. I could tell I felt more drawn to the creative side of the industry and decided to make that shift. I now work as a shooter for NFL, NWSL. and full-time as a Senior Producer for UCLA Athletics. My focus is in documentary and feature work.
My whole life I have been fascinated by the magic of the film and tv world and there was no doubt in my mind I wanted to be a part of it. As a young girl, I was under the assumption, if I wanted to be in that industry, my options were to be an actress or a reporter. Women behind the camera were not celebrated the way they are today, so I didn’t have that example to look at growing up. Once I decided to follow what my gut was telling me and shifted my work to behind the camera, my career started to make a lot more sense to me. I realized my heart had been set on this my whole life. I grew up constantly making my family, friends and classmates be in my “movies” and those were some of my fondest memories.
This industry has gifted me with the opportunities to live all over the country, from San Diego, to Texas, Massachusetts, Montana, New Jersey and now Los Angeles. I have worked with sports at every level from 8-man high school football to the NFL. From Quidditch players to Olympians, I have covered a lot of ground and it has been the best adventure.
I don’t love looking back on my time and wondering how I could have “sped up” the process by not starting on-air. Mostly, because I do believe every step I took has helped me become the creator I am today. Although my path isn’t typical, I genuinely believe it makes me unique and have an edge over those who are trying to hurry through their careers. If I had never started as a reporter, my documentary and feature work would not be where it’s at today for so many reasons; I wouldn’t have met some of the amazing people who have helped uplift my career and for that step I am forever grateful.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
My name is Suzi Mellano, I am a creative video producer and photographer based in Los Angeles primarily in the sports industry. I’m currently a freelancer for the NFL, NWSL and am a Senior Producer for UCLA Athletics. Originally from San Diego, I followed my passion for working in film and TV across the country before ultimately settling in Los Angeles. I began my career as an on-air local TV and sideline reporter. After six years in front of the camera, I realized that being behind the camera felt more in line with my creative instincts.
A majority of my work is in sports, but I also enjoy working on commercial, music, cosmetic, product, and lifestyle content. Currently, I’m contracted with the NFL and the NWSL, while also working full-time as the Senior Producer for UCLA Athletics.
While I shoot a ton of game footage, my heart lies within storytelling. Feature/documentary work is my focus. I shoot and edit all my own work. Connecting with people is my greatest joy and being able to help athletes be seen as humans is so important and a lot of the time overlooked in fast paced environment of sports.
I’ve created several feature series for UCLA Athletics, including “Westwood: A Season with UCLA Men’s Basketball” (2022-2023), which I produced entirely on my own and won multiple awards for. I’m now in the final stages of production on my newest series “Women of the Water”, which follows the USA Olympic Women’s Water Polo Team as they prepare for Paris 2024. I have covered everything from National Championships (UCLA Women’s Soccer 2022) to March Madness.
My work has been featured on NFL and NWSL branded platforms, ESPN, Fox Sports, NBC Sports, CBS Sports, and many other outlets.
I am very proud of my ability to make my subjects feel comfortable to open up on set. I started my career as an on-air sideline reporter. Although it’s not the standard path to get to where I am, I do believe it has given me the skillset to connect with subjects in a deeper way.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding part of being an artist and creative is giving athletes a voice. Athletes tend to be dehumanized by fans, especially with the rapid growth of social media. Reminding fans that these athletes are people is very important.
I recently did a mini-series focused around athletes interests off the field, from record collecting to fashion design, there was so much to learn about these athletes that the average fan may not know about. One of the athletes thanked me at the end of the interview and said “it’s so rare that we get to talk about other things beyond our sports,” and that was a special moment of realization that I was making a difference for these athletes and their fans!
I also love having the responsibility of capturing life changing moments in time for the subjects to keep forever. I like to think my job is the closest thing we have to time travel!
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
The sports and film industry is very male dominated and that has definitely been one of the harder aspects of the job. It’s still unnatural for society to see a woman carrying huge cameras especially on the sidelines of a professional sporting event. The looks, questions and comments I receive daily are eyeopening and something we women have to battle through every time we go to work. Although this is a struggle, I do enjoy pushing the envelope and making room for future women in this space.
Growing up, I was always had a camera in my hand and a fascination with the film and tv world. I knew I wanted to be a part of it in some way – but there weren’t many visible females working BEHIND the camera so I was under the impression that I had to be in front of the camera if I wanted a career in that field. Once I began my career on-camera, I naturally felt comfortable and more myself on the production side of things. Ultimately deciding to shift that direction was the best decision I’ve ever made and I am SO happy to now be the example for younger girls finding their way in this industry – the example I needed!
The other thing that many people may not realize is how physically demanding our jobs can be. These jobs can seem very flashy and exciting – as fun as they are – it is also really hard on our bodies. For example, if I am shooting an NFL game, I am shooting for the league, so I am filming both sides of the ball (changing sides of the field on every possession change) while carrying a 20 pound camera. On average I walk between 8-10 miles a game while squatting and lifting gear. It is SO physical and you can totally feel it the next day!
One thing I personally deal with is managing this kind of work while battling Lupus. Lupus is a disease that has a ton of side effects but one of the biggest issues is joint pain and inflammation. I have major nerve issues with my hands. At times my hands are completely numb which makes holding onto things challenging at times. You will ALWAYS see me with a strap on my camera so I don’t drop it! I am very proud of how I have been able to battle through those struggles and still continue to make progress towards my goals in this industry.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.suzimellano.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suzimellano/?hl=en
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzi-mellano-57361a86/
- Twitter: https://x.com/SuziMellano
