Kate Dunn, Inventive Director of MTV, on seizing alternatives
Kate Dunn shares with CR how her career took her from runner to creative director at MTV and explains the importance of saying yes to creative experiences
As is the case for many on television, Creative Director Kate Dunn's career began at the bottom, as a runner at an editing facility and studio that mostly brought in groceries for the editors, producers and directors. "I didn't study design or radio at university. In fact, I dropped out of college because I realized I wanted to work on television and I was very fortunate to gain work experience in a media company before getting the job as a runner, ”says Dunn CR. "My career developed over the years that followed as I embarked on an amazing journey of creative discovery."
After her year as a runner, Dunn applied for a position as a production assistant at 4Creative in collaboration with the Film4 team, which opened up a world of opportunities for her. This was the kind of education Dunn was looking for, and she wanted to learn as much as possible. "I love movies and television, so a dream came true," she says. "I felt incredibly happy to be where I was and pushed myself to learn new skills and figure out what I wanted to do and what I was good at."
Above: Still from MTV Rewind. Above: 9pm movies on Film4 promo, produced by Kate Dunn
Dunn learned to edit, asked to look into the letters given to creatives and directors, and found himself on an unexpected career path. She spent a decade at 4Creative and eventually worked her way up from production assistant to promotional producer, creative and director.