Geneva Willis ’16 manages Hollywood’s TV magic in post-production

hile Larry David, Sir Patrick Stuart and Quincy Isaiah may take the spotlight in critically acclaimed television shows such as “Curb Your Enthusiasm, “Star Trek: Picard” and “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty,” it’s the people behind the scenes that tell their story in a creative way.

Theatre and media studies alumna Geneva Willis ‘16 serves as a post-production coordinator for HBO, working on some of Hollywood’s biggest projects. As a post-production coordinator, Willis’ team oversees the tasks that one wouldn’t see on set, including music, visual effects and subtitles.

“In its simplest form, the production team oversees everything on set. It’s their job to make sure that the script gets filmed,” said Willis. “Then the post-production team, which is my team, makes sure the footage is filmed correctly, that it gets from set and it’s turned into the final product that you press play on your television, computer screen or see in the theater.”

The production team is typically recognized for the success of the project, but a large portion of the creative vision comes to life in the post-production phase. In many cases, the post-production team is just as big as the production team, often serving as the “project managers.”

“People are generally more familiar with the more visible roles in film and television production, i.e., the director, the writer, the producer, sometimes the editor,” said Willis. “But oftentimes, just as many people are involved on the post-production end. It’s fascinating because you see it go from this blob of footage and all the discussions and creative decisions that happened, to turn it into the final product.”

During her time with ABC, HBO, CBS, Hulu, Sony and Paramount, Willis has contributed to the production of a handful of America’s most popular shows. Projects ranging from “Catch-22” to “Star Trek: Picard” have allowed Willis to work with and learn from some of Hollywood’s best.

“My time on ‘Catch-22’ certainly stands out, because that’s where I really connected with the team that I have continued to work with in various capacities. It was also the first time I got to see A-list level directors, producers and actors working at the height of their craft,” said Willis. “‘Star Trek: Picard’ is special to me because I grew up watching ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation.’ We found out season three was going to be bringing back the original cast and I freaked out in the best possible way. Everyone I worked with on that show were also fans. You could see all the love and care everyone was putting into their job.”

Willis’s passion for storytelling was ignited at a young age. Through her sister, Willis was able to see the effect that media can have on an individual and a family.

“My interest in storytelling was driven largely in part because I had a younger sister who, when she was younger, was nonverbal autistic and she learned to speak through quoting television shows and movies that we were watching,” said Willis. “So, I knew even back then that I wanted to work in storytelling because I had seen firsthand the impact that media had on people’s lives. It literally changes how they view the world and themselves.”

Willis took that passion to the Plains, where the wealth of experiences and diverse educational opportunities offered by Auburn drove her to double major in theatre and media studies. The practical experiences and wide range of interactions Willis encountered throughout her time at Auburn left a lasting impact.

“Nowhere else felt like home in the way that Auburn did. I felt so much warmth and friendliness here. I just knew immediately when I did my campus visit and met my potential classmates, that this was it. This was home,” said Willis. “I was exposed to so many different points of view and so many people engaged in different areas of study. I wouldn’t be on the career path I am today without all the experiences and people I met there. Auburn was the best fit that could have happened for me.”

Inspired by her dream of becoming a showrunner and her love for Dungeons & Dragons, Willis and her writing partner, Margaret Borchert, created a web series titled “The Party.” The YouTube-based sitcom follows a group of friends and their D&D campaign. When a new member with ulterior motives joins the group, the friends must navigate and resolve the situation at hand.

Originally starting as a creative outlet for Willis and her colleagues, “The Party” YouTube channel has garnered more than one million views.

“We were tired of waiting on permission to be creative and to make our own projects. We had written a script, so as we talked, we settled on a seven-episode web series because that’s all we could do with the resources that we had,” said Willis. “We were creating this to, at the very least, be a calling card for ourselves to try to get representation. At the time, we would have been happy if our parents and a couple thousand people watched. Cut to now, we are at collectively 1.3 million views, which is insanity because our show’s not a known quantity, but we felt that there was an opening in the fandom for this type of content. So, we found an audience.”

Through the various projects and encounters she’s had, Willis continues to see the impact embracing and emphasizing curiosity and kindness has had on her journey through the professional world.

“I never would’ve ended up in my career if I didn’t stay curious at my time in Auburn. And I wouldn’t be in the jobs or have the resume I have if I wasn’t curious and kind to people,” said Willis. “Because I was kind to people, I got connections, I got advantages. Because I was curious, I gained skills. I kept learning and I’ve grown in my career.”

As evidenced by the recent SAG-AFTRA strikes, television and film can be unpredictable and challenging to navigate. Willis encourages those entering the industry to network with purpose, work hard and remain confident.

“Network to make friends, not just to collect Pokémon. In this industry, it really is who you know. Those are the people who will lift you up when times are hard and bring you up as they gain success as well,” said Willis. “You also can’t judge yourself. It takes years to craft and build yourself up in your art so that when the opportunity comes along, you’re ready to hit the ground running. It can be easy to ask, ‘Did I make the right choices, or am I hitting the right markers in my life?’ You have to know if this is what you want to do, judge yourself by your own timeline and what fits you and your life.”