Ask A Former Assistant: Genevieve Goodman (Associate Producer / Editor, The Viall Files)

Genevieve Goodman

Associate Producer / Editor, The Viall Files

Hey Genevieve! Thanks for joining The Hollywood Assistant! Tell us more about your day-to-day as an Associate Producer and Editor for former Bachelor, Nick Viall's podcast, The Viall Files. 

Hi Cathy, thanks! And hi to all the readers :)

The Viall Files is a small company with only two other full-time Producers, so I get to wear many hats and help run every aspect of the show from Pre-Production to Post. We book guests, prep the host on guests' backgrounds, write discussion questions, set-up the studio, participate on the show, and edit the audio and video for social assets. 

That's so cool you get to participate on the podcast (peep the photo of you on the show!). What’s it like performing publicly, and how do you deal with the high-pressure nature of interacting with celebrities on camera?

It was nerve-wracking at first, and it took me a few episodes to warm up. My background in entertainment definitely helped in the sense that I’ve been working with / for celebrities for a few years. Not to break the fourth wall, but it’s also reassuring that things can be fixed and adjusted in the edit, especially since the Producers and I are the ones doing the edit. Nick does a great job of making the show feel like we’re having a conversation with friends though! At the end of the day (or beginning, because we film in the mornings), we talk pop culture and reality TV shows on the podcast, so we’re all just having fun and sharing our opinions.

You have a performance background, which I imagine helps with thinking on your feet. You originally started out in NYU Tisch’s acting program before pivoting to Dramatic Writing as a sophomore. In addition, you were the President / Director of Tisch’s improvisation group. How does this background serve you? 

This may be embarrassing to admit, but improv is the best thing I ever did. Professionally, it helps me think on my feet on the show. But the skills I learned performing improv have benefited me personally as well. Socializing and meeting new people comes easier, and while networking is still difficult (as I think we all can agree), it helps in those situations too. The power of asking questions is so important! 

My writing background has also benefited me. In my administrative roles, writing was always an outlet and a way to be creative. If you want to perform or direct, writing can be a way for you to create work for yourself. It’s difficult to act or direct by yourself, but you can always write on your own. 

You’ve accomplished the unique feat of working across both Unscripted and Scripted programming. In addition to your BFA in TV Writing, you graduated with multiple Scripted development internships: The Mother Company (YA scripted content) and Likely Story. At the same time, you managed Unscripted roles as an intern at The Late Show, an Unscripted Coordinator at NBC, and now you work for a podcast known for its reality TV recaps. Is there room in this industry for other lovers of both Unscripted and Scripted content?

I have definitely been told countless times there isn’t, but I hope I’m proof it’s possible! I worked at NBC in the Unscripted Development department right out of college, and I gained a lot of transferable administrative skills that helped me when I later worked as an Executive Assistant for a writer. When I was debating taking my current role at The Viall Files, I knew there wouldn’t be as many transferable skills I could bring to the scripted television world, but I thought I’d have fun in this job and that seemed more important to me. Fingers crossed our careers are long so we have time to sidestep for a year to do something that can be simply a chapter in our memoir (because this will definitely be a chapter in mine). 

If you love both scripted and unscripted though, I think there’s absolutely a place for you! Jury Duty (Amazon Freevee) was a huge success this year, and it blended the scripted and unscripted genres so well, so I think the industry is changing in a way where the “rules” are becoming murkier. Create the space for you to do both—and take the jobs you want, not the jobs you think you should take. 

What drew you to pivot to the podcast space from television and film?

During the pandemic, I got into podcasts by putting one on, going for a walk, and talking back to the podcast, as if I was talking to friends. There’s a very social element to podcasting, as there is with unscripted television. I think it’s very rare people watch reality tv without friends, or don’t discuss it with others, and I’ve always loved that element to those spaces. As for working on a podcast, I really love that I’m able to produce an episode for the show everyday. The producers and I are making something tangible and concrete that comes out immediately. It’s very gratifying in that sense. 

You’ve mentioned your performance background has been an asset in your career. What skills did you develop as an assistant (at NBC Unscripted, and later, for the writer) that still serve you today? Is there anything you wish you knew or developed earlier in your career?

There are plenty of skills I developed in those roles that still serve me. There are many aspects to my role now that I did as an assistant, such as prepping my boss, coordinating with talent / managers / agents, researching, and emails! At the end of time, there will always be emails, and I thank my lucky stars I know how to send them… Not everyone does. 

The best skill I took from my administrative / assistant roles is responsibility. As an assistant, it feels like you are responsible for all aspects of your boss’s life, because sometimes, you are. That enormous responsibility will benefit you in every role you take, because you can handle stressful situations and get things done. 

I do wish I’d learned to form my opinions and have the confidence to back them earlier in my career. As an assistant, you feel the pressure to adopt your boss’s tastes, so it’s been an adjustment to find my own tastes. 

You spent five years living in NYC before making the bicoastal move to Los Angeles in June. Tell us more about the move and your advice for assistants struggling to decide between coasts.

As I’m sure we all would, I’d love to one day be bicoastal. Life would be bliss if I were bicoastal. But in the meantime, sublets and month-to-month rentals are your friend. The entertainment business is a fickle lady, and sometimes you have to move at a moment’s notice which can be both terrifying and exciting. If you have freedom from responsibilities, like children and home ownership, popping over to the east or west coast for a job can be a fun adventure. So, my advice here is, I don’t think you need to decide. Jobs will likely take you to one coast or the other at various times, and I encourage you to say yes and go. When I moved to LA, I knew it wouldn’t be forever, and I know that when I eventually go back to New York, I’ll probably be back in LA sometime again too. Places are just places at the end of the day. If you meet good people, that will make the transition easier.

Finally, what’s your foremost advice for Hollywood assistants?

Do what makes you happy! Stress less! Stop overthinking your career! 

Don’t get me wrong, I am definitely guilty of not taking this advice either, but I’m sure I’d be a more calm and peaceful person if I did. So, we can all work on that together.