How I Became - an Entertainment Publicist.
How I Became - an entertainment publicist w/
Morgan Ellis.
Welcome to the ‘How I Became’ series where Billie talks to girls across New Zealand who are killing it in their chosen career and see how they got there!
Trying to decide what you ‘want to be when you grow up’ is hard enough as it is and your careers counsellor probably won’t have all the answers you need.
HIB aims to give you a bit of insight into different career paths and what it takes to get there.
Name: Morgan Ellis
Age: 23
Job title: Entertainment Publiscist
Current job: Publicist at 818
Firstly, what drew you to your line of work?
I’ve been interested in the arts my whole life. Growing up as a dancer, the process of creating something and putting it out into the world is something I’ve always loved. I’m also a massive fangirl, so it’s super cool being able to work with musicians, artists and on projects that I genuinely care about.
What subjects did you take in high school that you think helped?
I took media studies from year 12-13, and photography in my earlier schooling years. Media Studies gave me the chance to be super creative, mess around with script writing and creating short films, which I now deal with often in the workplace.
What did your pathway towards starting your career look like?
Throughout University was when I realised that I could pursue a career in entertainment without being a singer, dancer, actor etc – through my communications degree study and by being exposed to it on social media from videos of people working in the industry. From there, it was a lot of looking out for opportunities myself. This included following people and platforms that I found inspiring, reaching out to companies for internship opportunities and attending online seminars. From there, I was able to land three internships across different areas of the industry, which helped me to upskill and make connections ahead of graduating.
What did you study/where/how long did it take?
I studied at the University of Waikato in my first year, before making the switch to Wintec / Waikato Institute of Technology. I found that for what I was interested in, and my style of learning, a hands-on environment like Wintec was better suited. It provided me with flexibility and freedom to explore.
What’s the best thing about your job?
We are lucky enough to work on some of New Zealand’s biggest events and entertainment experiences. No week is the same! One day I might be out on a press day with a client, the next I could be working the mosh pit at a concert, and the next day I could be running a movie screening. The people I get to work alongside (my team and our clients) continuously inspire me.
What’s the hardest part?
The biggest job a Publicist has is to sell an idea or project. Which means for every yes you get; you get five no’s. So, I definitely think the hardest part is getting used to rejection, reminding yourself it’s never personal and it’s simply part of the job. And when you get a no, learning how to problem solve, pivot and move on!
What surprised you most about your job once you started working?
Being a Publicist is not your regular 9-5 job. We work on lots of events and premieres, which can sometimes mean evening or weekend work - so being flexible is a plus.
What does an average day look like for you?
Each day is different, but it usually starts with an overpriced latte on the way into work. From there, I’ll typically either be out and about with talent or at events, otherwise going hard on the emails and pitching out awesome projects to media.
What advice would you give to those looking to follow a similar career path?
The two pieces of advice that I think about a lot are surround yourself with giants, and don’t be afraid of going after what you want. I was that girl only a couple years ago that was sending out tens of emails a day to companies all over the world asking about work opportunities. In the long run, it’s helped with my confidence and belief in myself (I’d been pitching myself before even knowing that pitching would end up being half of my job!)
‘Giants’ to me has always meant people who are bosses at what they do – which perfectly encompasses the team at 818. In my opinion, the best way to learn how to be a good publicist is to be around people who know their profession and are open to sharing that knowledge.
What are the biggest challenges in your opinion to getting into publicity?
For me, the main challenge was that there was no specific ‘publicity’ course in University. The best way to learn is to get hands-on experience in the field, as early as possible, and the way I did this was through internships. Completing two internships with management companies and record labels based in the United States, and one under the NZ Music Commission, helped me to feel like I had a full CV and plenty to talk about in interviews.
What kind of skills does your job require?
Communication skills, the ability to multitask, good grammar, perseverance and resilience, a love for all things entertainment, and openness to learn on the job.
What part of your job gives you the most satisfaction?
Once a project is completed, reflecting on it from start to finish and seeing the work you’ve done out in the world. And the number of experiences I get in all areas of the entertainment industry, it’s really a job like no other.
What has been an absolute highlight of your career?
OMG… I cannot only pick one.
Doing publicity for Laneway Festival was such a pinch me moment! Being amongst the action backstage and creating interview schedules for musicians was both rewarding and super fun.
Running publicity tours with talent has been something I’ve been lucky to do a few times. My personal fave has been the work I’ve done with Below Deck’s Kiwi star, Aesha Scott – accompanying her to the NZ TV awards and taking her on a PR tour with various radio, TV and online outlets.
Lastly, one that really springs to mind is the first time I went backstage at Spark Arena. Growing up going to shows at Spark and all the memories it holds, this was such a full circle moment!
What’s an unexpected element to your job that people don’t realise you have to do?
We are also ‘Uber Drivers’ and caterers - responsible for getting talent from A to B during a press day, and ensuring they are well fed and happy!
Everyone in our office has their finger on the pulse with recommendations to the best food places in town - and has some great stories to tell about driving talent around!
Describe your job in three words
Never. The. Same!