NY Liberty - Associate Director, MSG Net



	As Associate Director, James F. Gallagher edits videotape highlights of the Rangers, Knicks and Liberty games. He then puts together special features on all three teams for MSG Network shows. James spends a great deal of time looking through tapes of games for the highlights or other specific game moments that will best fit the piece he is working on. Sometimes it’s the key plays of the game, while at other times he may be working on a feature on one specific player and looking to pull out clips of that player in action. Each highlight, or player moment is taken from the game tape and saved electronically to be edited together for a separate feature. Getting There James received his BA from the University of Notre Dame, where he did internships during the summers to learn about the television industry and editing. “I found that internships were a great way to get your foot in the door,” says James, who went on to get a job at CBS Sports. “I always loved sports and wanted to be involved with it one way or another,” says James. While working at CBS, he got to know the producers of Knicks basketball. When his contract was up, he contacted the MSG Network (the TV home of the Knicks) and asked if they needed help. Luckily for him, they did, and he was hired shortly thereafter. Skills & Advice “Math is important in timing the pieces that we edit. Looking and listening to the features also requires a sense of continuity,” explains James. In college, he recommends television production courses as well as American studies and English composition, which he found to be helpful for getting started in his career. “I’ve been very lucky to work the NBA Finals, Stanley Cup Finals, World Series, Various Olympics and the NCAA Tournament,” says James, who is living a sports fans dream while working hard to create the highlights and features you see on MSG Television. “My advice is not to give up. You may have to take other jobs before you get your dream job. I loaded trucks the summer I got out of college,” says James, who ended up getting a job he loves.