laura cunningham
television producer at abc news breakfast – melbourne
I wake up at exactly 1.35am. I feel like I’ve nailed the precise amount of time it takes me to get ready before the taxi picks me up. I just need to get dressed, really! Fortunately, everything is laid out the night before – the less decision-making in the early hours, the better! I brush my teeth and hair and I’m out the door at 1.45am.
I start work at 2am and finish up by 9.30am. As a television news producer, my job is to keep things running behind the scenes. A colleague told me producers are the biggest fans and the biggest critics of whatever show they’re working on, which I think sums up the role pretty well. My job includes feeding the hosts information on air, booking interviews, writing scripts, cutting the vision, ensuring the interviewees turn up, sorting out the camera crew, collaborating with reporters on stories, and writing news bulletins. These shifts are busy, but they go fast. My favourite part about working unusual hours is that everyone wants to be there. Otherwise, they simply wouldn’t do the hours!
Before I was working at the ABC, I worked in radio news in New Zealand for five years. I started out producing the 5am–6am show, arriving at work at 3am and working split shifts. It was brutal, but it was a great way to get a start in the industry. Given the sun and the sport, working in Australia was something I’d always thought about. But I didn’t want to be that person who forever talked about something and never did it. So, when my current job popped up in Melbourne, I knew it was the right time to apply. When I got it, I was delighted. Moving here as a Kiwi was easy. I love the city and everything that comes with it! I do miss Auckland’s beaches, though. And of course, my family and friends. But video calls make it feel like you’re properly catching up with people! Plus, it’s only a three-and-a-half-hour flight back.
After work, I give my housemate a sleep-deprived debrief of my morning and head right to bed. I split up my sleeping so I nap in the day for about three hours. I try to get about seven hours in a 24-hour period and that works for me. I try to wake up at around 2pm, but my nap alarm changes every day depending on how much sleep I think I need. After 2pm, I have the afternoon to myself, which I love. If I’m groggy after my nap, I always feel better after going for a run or getting some sunshine. At night, I aim to be in bed by 9pm. I’ll admit, I’m not the best at sticking to it – particularly when Married At First Sight is on four nights a week. Another aspect I love about early shifts is that there’s always a good excuse to leave something early or not quite make it out to a social event. And let’s be real. Sometimes there’s nothing better than pulling out of plans and having a night to yourself.