Dennis Chatman ’95

Dennis “Buzz” Chatman ’95, got his start in entertainment during his senior year at UCLA. What started out as an internship with MTV News has led to a career in producing and editing, and even an Emmy nomination for his work on season two of The Apprentice. He has produced and edited the Academy Awards, Primetime Emmys, People’s Choice Awards, MTV Movie Awards and many others.

For Chatman, working freelance in the industry has been both satisfying and challenging. He finds it extremely rewarding that his work is broadcast to millions of people, and with the advent of social media, he appreciates that people can respond to it in real time.

While at UCLA, Chatman was involved in SAA and attributes his current success to the collaborative spirit and social development in the organization.

The following interview was conducted in April, 2012 by UCLA student Van Pham.

Q: Since graduating from UCLA, what has your career been like? What do you currently do?
A: I graduated UCLA in 1995. In my senior year, as part of a Communication Studies class, I had an internship at MTV News and was lucky enough to be offered a job once I graduated. After being a production assistant, associate producer, segment producer and producer at MTV, I transitioned into editing.

I began editing in 1999 and since then I have worn both producer and editor hats, sometimes simultaneously. One of my early editing jobs was on The Osbournes at MTV. I then spent a number of years at Mark Burnett Productions, earning an Emmy nomination for my work on season two of The Apprentice. Today, I edit many types of television including awards shows. I have produced and edited for the Academy Awards, Primetime Emmys, People's Choice Awards, MTV Movie Awards, Scream Awards, MTV Latin America Video Music Awards and others.

Q: What has been the most satisfying part of your career? What has been the most challenging?
A: The most satisfying part of my career is its variety. Working as a freelancer means that I rarely spend more than two months on a project. For someone like me, this is ideal. I also love that I get to spend my days creating. It's wildly satisfying to see my work broadcast to millions of people and, especially with the advent of social media, to watch people respond to it in real time.

The most challenging aspect of my job is the flip side of one of the most satisfying parts; working freelance means that I have to constantly market myself in order to get jobs. It has become easier as my list of credits gets longer, but there is still a lack of job security that sits on my shoulder. As most people in the entertainment field will tell you, it can take quite a while to really gain a foothold, and the time spent trying to establish yourself can feel incredibly long and rocky. However, I believe the payoff for perseverance is well worth it.

Q: What experiences from UCLA and the Student Alumni Association (SAA) have you used to achieve success?
A: My time at UCLA and in SAA shaped me in many ways. First and foremost, it helped me develop as a social person. Being in SAA really helped me hone a collaborative spirit that has come to serve me greatly in my current profession. One of the most difficult things for creative people to do is to allow, and even encourage, others to contribute to their creation. Much of the interpersonal friction that comes from my profession is a result of difficulty with collaboration. I truly believe that the skills I learned in SAA have allowed me to excel in that aspect.

Q: Do you have any fond memories or lasting friendships from UCLA that you attribute to your involvement in SAA?
A: I have many fond memories from my years in SAA, too many to enumerate, but I can say that when I think back on my university experience as a whole, the times spent in that little office in the James West Alumni Center are among the first and fondest memories. Another thing that probably made my four years the most enjoyable was the fact that we never lost to USC in football. My, that seems like eons ago.