Ask a Former Assistant: David Ramirez (Segment Researcher, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon)

David Ramirez,

Segment Researcher,

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Hi David! Thank you so much for sitting down with me. Tell us more about a day in the life of a Segment Researcher at The Tonight Show!

Well, just to start off, I’m sure a lot of your readers are clued in to what’s going on with the writers' strike—it’s a strange time to be in the late-night space! But during a typical week while the show is airing, we are always working at least one week ahead. As a Segment Researcher, I am assigned two to three guests per week.  We are assigned these guests normally a week in advance. However, production is unpredictable, and it does happen at times when a guest is booked last minute. I start my morning by sending the Segment Producers any updates on the guests that are coming on the show in the upcoming week.

For each of my assigned guests, I make a detailed research packet that covers everything you need to know about the particular guest and the project they are promoting. These packets can range anywhere from 30 to 130 pages. I also come up with possible discussion topics, interview questions, and various leads that I can collaborate with the Segment Producer on ahead of the guest's show appearance. It’s the Segment Researcher's job to really curate the first draft of what the guests’ appearance on the show could potentially be.

A week before the scheduled appearance, I turn in my research to the Segment Producer and then spend the next week chipping away at those ideas, narrowing down the discussion topics, collecting props, and going back-and-forth with the guest and their team until the segment is ready for air. On the day of the appearance, I fact-check and proofread the final segment notes, the notes that will appear on Jimmy's desk during taping, and the prompter "beat sheet." During the show taping, I’m watching and following along, making sure to flag any issues that need to be addressed in the edit if anything pops up. Rinse and repeat! 

Before you landed at The Tonight Show, you worked as an NBCUniversal Page completing rotations at Saturday Night Live, the Tokyo Olympics, The TODAY Show, and more. How did the Program help you figure out what you ultimately wanted to do? What advice would you give to newcomers still figuring it out?

I’m so grateful for my time with The Page Program. It really did give me that “in” to the industry that I needed.

For one, the Program is a crash course in how to handle the pace and energy that you need to find success in any TV production environment. Because of the rotational aspect of the Program, I was able to cycle through many NBCU productions throughout my time as a Page. Each one has their own unique voice, workflow, etc. Having the opportunity to work and learn across such a varied content slate really helped me focus in on the kind of work I’d want to continue with post-grad.

That being said, I always tell people interested in applying to the Page Program to stay open. The reality is, you will not always get the assignment you want or work under a supervisor you 100% get along with. Regardless, it’s important to give each assignment you have your best. Do good work and make good connections in every sector of the company—even the ones you don’t think you’ll need or be interested in. The industry is much smaller than you’d expect. Everyone knows everyone—and you truly never know where that connection you need, or referral you want, is going to come from. 

So true. And what first drew you to late-night and working as a Researcher in particular? Was that initial attraction developed as a Page?

When my time as a Page was coming to an end, I was trying to find a position that would allow me to work closely to the content side of the show. It’s no secret that these kinds of opportunities are hard to come by, especially in the late-night space—but like I mentioned earlier, those connections you make are so important, and you really never know where they’ll come back to help you down the road. It turned out that one of those connections I had made during my time as a Page heard that this position was opening; she thought of me, and so she sent me the listing. 

It was immediately clear that through this position, I would be working closely with the Segment Producers on the show which greatly attracted me to the role. I wanted to be a sponge and learn from them—and what better way to do that than to have a position at the show that requires me to work one-on-one with each of them! It’s always a cool feeling when a question or discussion topic I suggested, or a funny moment I put together through my research, makes it onto the show.

What skills from the Page Program still serve you today? Would you recommend the Program to others?

The rotation application process is so helpful. By the end of the program, you’ve technically done over a dozen interviews with members of so many different segments of the industry. Those interview prep skills are always useful. The Program also forces you to learn to adjust to different teams and workflows—all of that remains helpful to this day. Considering how wild 2019 - 2023 has been in the industry—and the world in general—the Program helped me remain steady during very uncertain times. I feel like there’s very little that can shake me at this point. It was an unconventional time, and it still is. But I’ve learned to be incredibly creative with how I navigate the ever-changing landscape of entertainment media and the unpredictability of it. I owe that to the Program. 

We've touched upon the fact that, given the Writers Guild Strike, it’s a tough time for folks who are hoping to break into late-night. What advice would you give to late-night hopefuls in particular?

It absolutely is a rough time for this field—I’m not going to sugarcoat that. It’s odd to even be doing this interview about my work and my day-to-day when the reality is that currently, my day-to-day looks very different right now!

One of my supervisors at The TODAY Show gave me such a great piece of advice a few years back; he said, "Everything changes once you start seeing obstacles as opportunities." I’ve really clung to that sentiment and worked hard to follow it, especially during this time. To those interested in entering the late-night space, I’d say I understand it feels like there’s no point in trying to navigate this field right now, but the reality is, the strike does not stop you from researching roles you’d be interested in. It doesn't stop you from connecting with people in the field and asking them about their positions. It doesn’t stop you from making a game plan on how you’ll approach these opportunities once things have settled and are in a more normal place. Use this time to plan! You don’t have to get ready if you stay ready. Late-night will be back; it’s just a matter of when. 

Most importantly, this is a great time for people entering this field to get a better understanding of what the issues are in this industry that led to this strike. If more people are tuned in to the very real barriers to success that have plagued this industry for years, we have a better chance of finally creating an environment that fosters creativity and ingenuity while still giving the people that create these shows the appreciation, sense of value, and compensation they deserve. This strike is an opportunity to strive for something better than what has been accepted as the status quo in late-night for too long. 

It might also be an opportunity for folks to pursueindependent projects, which you're very familiar with. Outside of work, you launched a podcast in the pandemic, Conversation Collection, to share perspectives during an unprecedented time. You also spearheaded a virtual musical performance series,From a Distance, and co-created a podcast when you were in the Page Program. Do you feel that these creative experiences informed your day job and helped develop skills that later came in handy? Would you recommend pursuing independent creative projects?

(Cathy, you were kind enough to do a Page podcast interview for us at that time—thank you for that!) All of those projects truly boiled down to a need for connection. It was a bizarre time and anyone who lived in New York City during COVID can tell you that it was incredibly isolating. All of those projects were ways for me to both stimulate my creativity and feel less alone during a really difficult time. Those projects absolutely helped further develop skills that I still use in my career now. They are all rooted in storytelling and crafting an interesting, moving, and entertaining conversation of sorts. At its core, that’s what my job is now as well.I do recommend pursuing independent creative projects if possible. The reality is, our day jobs are never going to satisfy every single interest we have. These independent projects can fulfill those interests and help us to further work at them. It can be tough to balance the day-to-day work responsibilities and these passion projects (trust me, I still haven’t fully figured out this balancing act yet), but I'd like to think it’s always worth it. 

Final question: What’s your foremost advice for those in their early career?

I really struggled with imposter syndrome coming into NBCU—so many of us do. There’s a lot of money, power, and prominence all around you, all the time. It can be overwhelming and disorienting to navigate these spaces, and the self-doubt always finds a way to creep in. Although this is still something I continue to deal with and work on everyday, I received some of the best advice while I was in Tokyo for the Olympics in August 2021. One morning, I was eating breakfast at a table with a few of my co-workers and a few of the NBC anchors. I was sitting there, spiraling, thinking,

“How did I end up sitting at breakfast and chatting with people I’ve watched on TV and admired since I was six years old. How?”

“This must be some kind of mistake, what if I mess this opportunity up?”

“What if they find out I can’t do this?”

“What if I’m not smart enough to do this?”

What if, What if, What if. 

What came out of my mouth at the table was, “I still can’t believe I’m here. I can’t believe I’m at this table.” The person sitting next to me at the table turned to me and said, “Remember, never allow yourself to be intimidated by someone who is in the same room as you.” It was such a lightbulb moment for me, and I’ve carried that piece of advice with me ever since. I think it’s so important, especially when you’re navigating your early career, to continually remind yourself that you earned the opportunities that you have. Own it, work hard, and have peace in knowing that there is a reason you are where you’re at. 

We’re seeing it right now with the greed and issues at the root of the the strike. This industry has an insidious way of pushing people into tiers and boxes—who is important, who is talented, who is valuable, etc.,—when the reality is, each person on the team is essential. That show does not go on air without every single member of every single department doing their job to make it happen. There’s no such thing as unskilled labor. Yes, there is something to be said about experience and longevity. But it’s so important in your early career to remind yourself that you DO belong in the rooms and positions you find yourself in.

Surround yourself with uplifting and supporting people and learn from them. Be a sponge. Treat people with respect and show gratitude when warranted. Be kind to people. Lead with respect and enter any space knowing that everyone there, including you, is essential to the success of whatever team you're on.