From Punchlines to Timelines: SOC Double Alum Talks Career Success and Creative Journey on Media in the Mix

Isaiah Headen, SOC/BA'06, MA'10, has a rich career in broadcast post-production. His portfolio as a senior creative editor has included work with the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, the World Bank, the American Heart Association, DoorDash, PBS, WETA's Ray Charles Documentary, and that doesn't even include his comedy film work and work with DC Improv. Headen's passion for storytelling has earned him several awards and accolades, and recently drove him to get involved with the Anacostia Youth Media Festival. The festival, located in the Anacostia neighborhood of Washington, DC, encourages DC Youth to embrace and create various forms of media.

On the Media in the Mix podcast, Headen wasn't afraid to share his experiences as a student at AU studying film. "I used to sleep in the studio. I would edit all night, go to sleep in the studio, wake up in the morning, go to McDonald's, and then go to class." Isaiah spent long hours perfecting his craft and building relationships with his professors and classmates. He reflected on how he got his first job out of college: an internship with GtP that he found through a meeting with the Career Center. There, he helped out wherever possible until he was suddenly in the editing chair. "If you're in this business, a lot of the time it's like 'Can you do it? We'll find out!' and [they] throw you in and if you don't drown, they keep throwing more things at you."

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As for how to break through the noise, he likes to keep things simple. "People are covered in messaging all day long. Simplify the message so that it's easy to absorb." Editing, on the other hand, can be a bit more complicated. Varying from person to person, "the stuff you like and you gravitate toward", Isaiah explained, "it becomes a part of you." "If you're watching a lot of The Bear, you're probably going to start cutting very weird and not even realize you're doing it because you've been watching this type of editing style."

In 2013, Headen's passion for comedy led him to co-found the award-winning sketch comedy troupe, Bad Medicine. This fall, Headen's former film professor, SOC's Brigid Maher, was looking for ways to expand opportunities for youth at the Anacostia Youth Media Festival, and asked Headen if Bad Medicine might be willing to get involved. They jumped in with both feet, offering free comedy workshops to festival attendees. "Teaching youth the art of sketch comedy and joke telling is something new to us. It may have launched a new opportunity that we would have never explored by ourselves. I'm excited to see what blossoms next," said Headen.

As someone whose passion began when he was a kid, Isaiah understands how crucial access to tools are at a young age. "All kinds of youth festivals are important. I have met many people who have passions in life that started when they were a kid. Exposure to new art forms and technology can change a person's life. I found film and video, because my best friend's Dad bought him a camera and a laptop. I definitely used it more than he ever did and I now work in that industry."