Sam Coupe ’04: Foundation Built at KSC Fuels Media Career

Skill-Based Learning and Support Fuels a Successful Career in Media

Sam Coupe ’04 credits skill-based learning as a film studies and production student at Keene State with preparing him for a successful career in media, from his first job after graduation to his current position as the Head of Digital Video Operations at NBC News. “I was in the first class taught at KSC in non-linear video editing. I got one-on-one training with James Steelman ’98. At the time, James was a certified Avid instructor, today he is an accredited editor. I learned a craft in how to edit with the new technology and gained a trade with the introduction to digital media. After graduation, I landed a job as an Avid Editor. Twenty years later, I don’t edit anymore, but support the teams that do with emerging technologies. This would not have been possible without the foundation built at KSC.”

Even the old-school method of editing film with a splicer and tape provided Sam with hands-on experience that taught him a valuable lesson that continues to influence the way he works. “When you made that cut you really did not want to have to do it again. It was agonizing having to manually undo what you just did. You learn quickly to be methodical and think your decisions through. I have known since then, the fastest way to get something done is to take your time and do it right.”

“We were graded on our work as a production team and needed to depend on one another to complete our projects. It was not just my project and my grade; it was the whole class’s. It’s the same with a job in media. No one is larger than the story.”