TV and Web Producer:
Vicki Zwart is an award-winning producer of hundreds of TV and online projects. She’s produced and managed all kinds of stories, interviews, segments, and events for live TV, cable and other media platforms. She’s worked for WGN-TV, WBBM-TV, WCIU-TV and WXIN-TV where she won two regional Emmys for Outstanding Morning Newscast. She helped architect the launch of the morning news program “The Jam” on the U in Chicago and produced a highly-rated episode of “When Weather Changed History” for the Weather Channel.
Vicki has worked with celebrities, newsmakers, best-selling authors, chefs, sports stars and small business owners and entrepreneurs, sharing her expertise for looking their best on TV or video. She’s coached company spokespeople and book authors on how to handle live interviews. Having asked thousands of questions during interviews, Vicki knows how you should answer them to get the most out your interview or guest segment. Her years in the studio and out in the field have taught her what works and what doesn’t on camera … especially when it comes to wardrobe, makeup, and attitude.
For the Web, her projects include:
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- A video honoring scientist Dr. Lara Koenig for Int’l Day of Women and Girls in Science for the American Geophysical Union
- Video series on training methods with Chicago dog trainer Laura Monaco Torelli
- Video series on home buying and selling for nationally-known real estate expert Ilyce Glink
- Videos about consumer topics and identity theft protection for Equifax.
Ask Ilyce – Questions from Equifax Customers
As the Managing Editor of Broadcast for Think Glink Media, I supervised the production of several videos for Equifax which featured nationally-known money and real estate expert Ilyce Glink. The credit reporting agency wanted to use short online videos to help educate its customers about a variety of money topics. We used a question and answer format with Ilyce posing a question from a viewer and then giving a short but detailed answer.
When Weather Changed History – Bombing of Nagasaki (Weather Channel)
A dream of mine as a producer was to work on a long-form documentary. I got my chance in 2008 when I was hired by Towers Productions in Chicago to produce an episode of the popular Weather Channel show “When Weather Changed History.” My topic was sobering – the dropping of the atomic bomb on Nagasaki. I spent months researching, interviewing and writing the hour long show. I traveled the country, talking with experts about atomic energy, World War II battles and the weather. But the interview that has stayed with me is the one I did with a survivor of the Nagasaki bombing. She shared her harrowing story – one minute playing outside with friends, the next being buried under her house that collapsed when the bomb exploded. She lost family and friends and saw unspeakable things. But yet, she had positive feelings for the United States. She had in fact married an American soldier and come to the U.S. to live. She hoped that by telling me her story, she would help convince people to never drop another bomb. I was humbled in her presence … a true honor to have interviewed her.
Glennon Doyle Melton Interview (You & Me)
Glennon Doyle Melton is one of the hottest names in the publishing world. Her books have sold millions of copies and Oprah is one of her biggest fans. So having her as an in-studio guest on You & Me was a dream come true. But it was also stressful because we wanted to make sure the interview was meaningful and that she had time to share her story. Jeanne Sparrow and I worked together on questions, reading and researching into the wee hours to get it right. Glennon was thrilled with how it turned out and so were we!
Real Chicagoan – Foster Dad (The Jam)
Until recently, I produced stories and segments for “The Jam” morning show on WCIU-TV. In this role, I focused on highlighting people making a difference in the community, including a dedicated foster dad who opened his life to an older child. After their heartwarming story aired, the father’s foster child agency saw a big increase in inquiries and they liked the piece so much that it’s now being used to recruit new parents. Those are the results of my work that I love – having a real impact on lives!