Matthew Fassnacht ’19 knew he wanted a career that combined two of his biggest passions - baseball and digital content creation - when he entered Gannon’s Digital Media Communication Program.
Now a video content creator, Fassnacht produces photo and video content for @MLB, the official Twitter account of Major League Baseball.
We invited Fassnacht to share some insights on this opportunity.
Can you describe your day-to-day work-related tasks and activities?
I work remotely and on-site to produce photo and video content for @MLB, its players’ social media accounts and related social media pages. I work from home occasionally editing footage and photos that get sent to me in real-time from the content creators at the field, or I am on-site filming and photographing a game to produce content for the league and its players to help grow their own social media pages and branding. Everything - whether on-site or from home - gets sent to the league's headquarters in New York City for distribution to social media or the players.
What are the best things about your career?
There are several best things about my career. Getting to travel to new cities and having time to explore before and after a game has been one of my favorite parts of the job. Combining the two things I love the most (content creation and baseball) never makes it feel like "work." That makes me work harder as I am genuinely passionate about what I do and am constantly looking for ways to improve. I get to travel, watch baseball and make content for a living. Although that's what I worked so hard for, I never dreamed it would happen this soon.
What are the challenges faced in your career?
If I didn't love it, it'd be tough to do for how much I'm on the road. Baseball seasons are notoriously long and there is something happening anywhere at any time that needs to be covered, so the schedule is inconsistent and random - as is expected when working in sports.
What led you to your current career?
I went to school originally wanting to be the next Dan Patrick. Gannon quickly helped me figure out that although I enjoyed broadcasting, that's not what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, which is OK. Gannon provided me with hands-on, real-world experience at 90.5 WERG, the Gannon Knight and Gannon Edge. With that experience I found I was more interested in being behind a camera rather than in front. I realized I liked to produce and create behind the scenes more than I liked writing and broadcasting the ideas I had in my head. I made connections in my field and built a diverse portfolio over the years. When the position opened up, I got a good recommendation from one of those connections who was a part of the program and had my portfolio ready to go.
What qualities are important for you to hold in the position you have?
Timeliness and attention to detail is key in my position. If you aren't paying attention and aren't aware of what's going on, you will miss that big moment that may only happen once in a lifetime or a moment that the fans at home do not see that could help grow the game. @MLB thrives on quick distribution as they want to be delivering the content to its followers as close to real-time as possible. It's not just watching a baseball game for work; it's fast-paced, intense and always changing.
What are some highlights you’ve experienced in your career?
Getting to be around the players I grew up idolizing is a pretty surreal experience, and honestly every day I'm working is a highlight for me. In San Francisco I filmed a fan chanting "overrated" at Bryce Harper, and he homered the next pitch. It went pretty viral and made rounds with ESPN, Barstool, etc. and hit one million views on Twitter.
Players posting my work will never get old; them tagging me (@MFassPhotos - shameless plug) is even better. Knowing that the content I create is seen by the guys I grew up watching is a really cool feeling.
I got to photograph Quavo from Migos during batting practice and then throwing out the first pitch in Atlanta during game two of the National League Division Series. He fist-bumped me, so we're pretty much best friends.
Finally, it’s always been a goal of mine to visit every ballpark, and I'm currently at eight out of 30. Since I got hired in June I've been to Pittsburgh, Williamsport, Atlanta, Chicago, New York City, San Francisco and Saint Louis. I had only been to one before I got hired.