Nadia Houneini – Production Assistant – House of Highlights – Q&A

Nadia Houneini is a Production Assistant for House of Highlights that I had the pleasure of meeting at a client’s shoot on a project with the media company. She graciously accepted my request to be interviewed for 9450 Media to share more about her career as a PA and her experience in social media sports while working for the Denver Nuggets during their 2023 NBA Championship season.

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1. You’re currently a Production Assistant for House of Highlights, can you talk about how long you’ve been in that role and what an average day-to-day looks like?
   
   I’ve been working at House of Highlights as a Production Assistant for five months now. An average day-to-day includes content ideation for the different social media accounts and IP at HoH (e.g. Creator League and BroadcastBoys). At least once a week, I’ll shoot a video as an on-camera personality for House of Highlight’s TikTok, reporting on NBA storylines and highlights around the league. I’m also hopping on different projects and post-production tasks as needed. Each day can look different for me, depending on the different shows or projects I’m dedicated to.
   
2. We met on the shoot for Creator League season 5, how has that project compared to some of your other work with the HoH brand?
   
   Creator League has been a really fun project that I’ve had the pleasure of working on. It’s a project that’s so unique to the sports and entertainment landscape, especially with respects to the game of basketball. Where else can you find a league that brings the internet’s most-watched creators going head to head in sports? Not to mention, these guys and girls can really bring on camera and on the court/field. Working on this project is, of course, a lot of fun when I get to collaborate with/take creative direction from Josh Halasz, Josh Singh, Kavin Wattanayuth, as well as many more who are a critical part in bringing the Creator League to life.
   
   In many areas of the Creator League’s social and production, which includes editing vertical videos, publishing game highlights, and ideating content), I’m able to tap in with our younger audience through their favorite people on social media. Similarly, the HoH brand itself serves as one of the main social networks where Gen Z gets their sports, comedy, and entertainment fix. I’ve been able to strengthen skills that I get to use on other work with the HoH brand, in addition to developing new talents now that I get to work on Creator League.
   
3. In a previous role you had worked with the Denver Nuggets during their championship run last season. What was that experience like and could you share something you’ve learned from working with the team?
   
   Getting the opportunity to work with the Denver Nuggets during their championship run last season was both so surreal and a dream come true. It also feels extra sweet since I am a Denver Nuggets fan at heart, and to have been able to cover the team and create content surrounding their championship run brought me so many great experiences. I learned a lot from the social team I worked with, in addition to the other departments under Kroenke Sports & Entertainment that I collaborated with such as community relations, retail, and marketing. From covering the team at the middle of the regular season into the NBA playoffs and eventually going on to win it all, the entire time I was constantly in a state of gratitude and eagerness to connect the rest of the world to Denver basketball on social media. It was a special time to be in the Mile High City throughout the Nuggets championship run.
   
   I had the opportunity to cover all the playoff and finals home games, watch parties for away games, special moments of the city of Denver honoring the team like the street sign unveiling named after the Nuggets, and of course the championship parade to cap it all off. Not to mention, I was given so much creative freedom and reigns to other properties close to the Nuggets, such as contributing to running the social media accounts for Altitude Authentics (retail) and Kroenke Sports Charities.
   
   There are so many little moments and nuances within the greater story of the Denver Nuggets championship run, and to be able to authentically tell that story requires a lot of talent behind the scenes. One of the most important takeaways from working with the Denver Nuggets is that success requires every single person on a team to bring their all. Just as the Nuggets as a whole team dominated on the court, the entire digital team I got to work with produced content that mirrored the greatness in-game. Throughout the whole experience I was grateful to learn a striking lesson, and that being that no goal is too small. I was able to accomplish a huge goal of mine in working with Denver Nuggets social and was able to learn so much from the experience.
   
4. What advice would you give to someone aspiring to build a career in sports media?
   
   Whatever you do, make sure you bet on yourself! Send that LinkedIn message, share your portfolio, apply for that job you’ve been eyeing… do whatever it takes to elevate yourself in this industry. Don’t be afraid to make genuine connections with people who are not only established in sports media, but also people who may be up and coming like yourself. I am a firm believer in the idea that your network is your net worth. I’ve learned that, for the most part, many people in sports media are willing to help each other out, but you also have to be willing to initiate that connection.
   
   Above all, I think to succeed in this industry you really have to love what you do and understand that you are ultimately creating to serve. Working in sports media is not all about learning the algorithm to get the most likes, it’s about bringing the stories of athletes, teams, and organizations to life in a way that authentically connects sports fans and social media users to the content you’re publishing. At the end of the day, people are going to remember how a piece of content made them feel, and to be in a position to trigger that emotion is a huge responsibility. All of the successful, high engagement will follow when you put the reps in and produce content that you are proud to share. Betting on yourself, building strong connections, and focusing on your “why,” are some of the first steps to take for anyone wanting to build a career in sports media.
   
5. Can you share some highlights or memorable moments from your journey in sports media so far?
   
   Nothing tops being in the building for Game 5 of the 2023 NBA Finals, when the Denver Nuggets defeated the Miami Heat to win their first-ever NBA championship in 47 years. To have had the opportunity to cover my favorite team becoming world champions on the biggest stage in basketball was honestly something that can’t be topped. From the moment the final buzzer went off and the confetti falling down, to celebrating with the team in the locker room and the city of Denver during the championship parade… there’s no feeling that comes close to those experiences.
   
6. What challenges have you faced in your career, and how did you overcome them?
   
   I’m very fortunate that I haven’t faced too many challenges in my career thus far, however, I did have an unconventional path to where I am now. I didn’t study sports marketing, media studies, or anything remotely close to a typical sports industry major. I studied political science and philosophy in college, as I thought I would be on track to becoming a lawyer. Making the career pivot forced me to create opportunities for myself outside of traditional means, like the classroom. I found opportunities that would get me a start in the sports industry at home in San Diego, and eventually moved across the country to Nashville, TN to grow my experience while working with the Nashville Sounds, Nashville Predators, and Nashville SC. While navigating a fresh start in a competitive industry can be exciting, it also sometimes brings moments of imposter syndrome. As I’m sure many creatives within the industry have experienced, imposter syndrome can be very prevalent even in the highest moments of my career.
   
   Rising above those self-doubts requires me to be very grounded in my knowledge of my vision and why I strive to succeed in the sports industry. Recognizing and overcoming imposter syndrome has encouraged me to reframe my thinking in a way that allows me to celebrate my successes, embrace my unique talents, and instill unwavering self-confidence. I have a passion for storytelling in sports through digital media, and reminding myself every day that I am fortunate enough to chase that passion helps me to remain focused on achieving my goals. Not to mention, it really helps to surround yourself with a positive support system that can help pull you out of a negative, self-doubt mindset. After all, where imposter syndrome creeps in, there’s plenty more evidence of success that far outweighs any anxiety or feelings of doubt.
   
7. Are there specific skills or knowledge areas you find crucial for success in being a production assistant?
   
   In my role as a production assistant at House of Highlights, it’s important to be flexible and a jack of all trades. Whether a work day calls for being in front of the camera, editing content, brainstorming trends that fit with the HoH brand/voice, or even publishing content, being able to pivot and change direction depending on content and production needs has allowed me to find success within my role. Staying up to date with emerging trends across all social platforms, as well as following sports headlines, are both critical to creating content that engage the Gen Z audience while pushing the HoH brand forward. My experience as a production assistant at HoH has also shown me the importance of having an eye for social and creative content that people can connect with.
   
8. How do you handle challenges or unexpected issues that arise during a production?
   
   Fortunately, I’ve had the pleasure of working on set with some very talented Production Managers, Senior Producers, and other creatives who have made productions run smoothly. I will say that a successful production usually involves every person on set to be committed to their respective roles. Any challenges or unexpected issues that arise during a production can reveal areas that need to be tightened up, and can easily be solved with strong communication and redirection.
   
9. What software or tools do you regularly use in your role, and how do they contribute to your efficiency?
   
   In my role at House of Highlights, I regularly use Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe Photoshop, and CapCut. These editing software and tools allow me to produce content at a higher quality that is not only visually appealing to our audience but also allows me to expand my skills and expertise as a sports media creative. Whether it be adding an audio track or a simple image overlay, there’s so much potential to elevate a piece of content on these editing platforms.
   
10. Can you share an example of a project or task where your role as a production assistant had a significant impact on the overall production?
    
    I had the pleasure of working on set for seasons 5 and 6 of House of Highlight’s Creator League. My role on set as a social shooter allowed me to capture fun content on media day with the players, in-game moments/highlights, and any content that highlighted the player’s personalities on and off the court. These specific productions, similar to other projects/tasks I’ve been a part of at HoH, allowed me full creativity to brainstorm content ideas, interview the players, and collaborate with other social shooters/programmers to execute all content needs.

I want to thank Nadia for taking time out of her busy schedule to answer my questions and giving our readers a glimpse into her career in social media sports. As you can see there are many aspects to what creatives do to help create the content we as sports fans consume on a daily basis. You can follow Nadia on IG at @nadiahouneini.