Vanessa Pappas is in programming.
Posted on June 5th, 2007by Fred
Every once in a while I would ask Vanessa Pappas “so where did you go to college?” or “how long were you in London?” or something else about her background. She finally broke down and sent me a bio for our blog.
I met Vanessa earlier in the year working with innovative producer (and friend) Kit Laybourne (Liquid Television) and as a faculty member at New School University in New York. His enthusiastic, intelligent endorsement made sure that a few weeks later she was firmly enconsed at NNN.
Here’s the fuller version of Vanessa’s biography:
“Vanessa Pappas is a transplant from the lucky country (aka Australia). She will take personal insult to anyone who thinks her accent British and skeptical of those who refer to Coney Island as a beach. Stay clear of those misdemeanors and you’ll get a welcoming g’day.
“Vanessa’s passion for everyday media was honed into an art form when she pursued her undergrad degree at the University of Queensland and quickly found out she could major in pop culture and film studies - the two things she loved, talking pop trivia and watching films.
“Not thinking that such a degree would amount to any job, upon graduating she took off for London and fell into the world of advertising. Here she learned that pop culture translated into mass culture and while her creativity was being exercised, using it to sell brown sugar water was less than ideal. After three years of grey skies she finally set her sights on the big apple and crossed the Atlantic to the land of opportunity.
“Arriving in NY Vanessa made her foray into the film and tv production world and while it was more to her liking, her passion for intellectualizing over media was given no room. To remedy the situation she enrolled in a Master’s Degree program at the New School and rekindled her love of studying all facets of media including the Internet and spent time analyzing their social impact and the ways they are changing interaction and the experience of everyday life.
“Vanessa balanced her philosophical wanderings with a technical skillset so that she could not only talk about media but create it too! Her studies introduced her to Kit Laybourne, a seasoned executive producer and a wonderful mentor. Kit had worked with Fred Seibert back in the day when cable was the new frontier. Told of Fred’s new venture into the online world, the concept of Next New Networks immediately caught Vanessa’s attention as a place where her passions could translate into employment, she interviewed with the founders and found herself a home in this misfit of a startup company, and the rest they say is history.”
June 5th, 2007 at 10:31 pm
You have to work on those still camera skills.
Great profile! Thanks for profile the team.
June 5th, 2007 at 11:56 pm
Vanessa is a cool cat, she brightens the office with her accent. Also, she gives me dirty looks when I mock it! ‘ight mate?
She’s a talented person to have around, and we all enjoy her presence.
June 6th, 2007 at 1:57 pm
I’m guilty of thinking she was British too:(
June 10th, 2007 at 3:24 pm
Vanessa, it’s great to sit behind you, because every time I hear you speaking it reminds me of that hilarious indie documentary film, Crocodile Dundee, and it makes me smile.
June 11th, 2007 at 3:24 pm
I didn’t realize Crocodile Dundee was a documentary!
June 15th, 2007 at 12:41 am
vanessa is the cat’s pajamas! the cat’s meow.
-JX!