Emmy-winning producer makes time to talk with students

From his time working in the film and television industry, Joe Boucher, director of student activities at Roanoke College, has plenty of connections in the business. 

On Thursday, April 30, Boucher welcomed an Emmy Award-winning former colleague to speak to a group that included students in Dr. Laura Garrison's screenwriting class. Rich Rinaldi, a producer and writer for the FOX animated comedy “Bob’s Burgers,” worked with Boucher on the FOX animated comedy “King of the Hill,” and they’ve remained in touch.

Boucher said the small group of students on the Zoom call included those who were in his classes but also students who had participated in the College's Basically Tarantino Film Festival that was canceled this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Mostly I knew Rich would be an informative and entertaining guest,” Boucher said, “but the talk was also about the process and craft of screenwriting [which many of the students were taking this semester] and how to pursue screenwriting as a job and how to break into the entertainment industry.”

“Bob’s Burgers” has been nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Comedy Program every year since 2012, and has won twice (2014 and 2017). Rinaldi has been an executive producer on the show since it first aired in 2011.

There were only five students on the call, so they were all able to ask questions and get to know Rinaldi a little bit. One of those students, Zach Dalton ‘21, said he’s known from an early age that he wants to go into the television or film industry. Dalton has thought more and more about writing for shows or movies, and Rinaldi’s talk was extremely informative about how hard work pays off.

“Television is definitely the writer's medium compared to film,” Dalton said. “I also learned that no matter what job you get in entertainment, always keep writing because that big break can happen when you're a production assistant on a random show.”

Even those who aren’t necessarily looking to become a writer for a television show were able to learn quite a bit. Kaelyn Spickler ‘21, a communications studies major, said Rinaldi’s advice was still applicable to her career interests.

Rinaldi talked about how he used to write scripts in his spare time and about how important it is to continue believing in one’s work. That resonated with Spickler, she said, along with Rinaldi’s advice about making connections.

“No matter what career you take on, getting your foot in the door is the first step, and from there it takes persistence to keep moving up the chain,” Spickler said. “The meeting with him inspired me and motivated me to continue working hard and make the most of any opportunity I can get.”

The talk with Rinaldi went so well, that Boucher said he is hoping to bring in other television producers and writers to speak via Zoom. He said the COVID-19 pandemic has halted production on many shows, so those in the industry have a little more free time than usual.