A focus on maximizing opportunities and networking has led Austin Wood from Missouri State University football games to working for the Kansas City Chiefs franchise as part of its video production team.

Wood, who majored in digital film and television production in the Department of Communication, Media, Journalism and Film, began working for the Chiefs in 2022.

Working with the Chiefs’ video team

After graduating from MSU, Wood collaborated with Caleb Stillians to co-produce the hunting documentary series, “Rise Up” in Alaska, which paved the way for his position with the Kansas City Chiefs.

“Caleb is a hunting guide in Alaska and we decided that pairing our skill sets could make something beautiful. What came out of it were two seasons of the show that propelled us into new opportunities,” Wood said.

“He got more brand deals and I got my position with the Kansas City Chiefs. My work on the show stood out to them and the rest is history.”

Now as part of the Chiefs team, Wood said he mainly works on “The Franchise,” a seasonal documentary that records and highlights the team’s stories. The series captures the essence of what the Chiefs are as a franchise and showcases the winning culture of the organization.

“The beauty of the show lies in the off-field features, where we go to the homes of players and staff to interview them and tell their story. We even go on a duck hunt with them out in the country,” Wood said.

He also films every home game and many away games all over the country.

“Before every game, I spend time brainstorming, editing and preparing. There’s always a lot to do, but I’m always grateful to work for a team in Kansas City — the town I was born in — that just won back-to-back Super Bowls and is making history every day,” Wood said.

Finding his niche

Wood got his first media role documenting a robotics team in high school.

“I was struck by how freeing it felt to walk around documenting things for others to see,” Wood said. “I fell in love with the practice of creating and thought to pursue a career in it. MSU became my first-choice university because I knew it had a great digital film program.”

Wood came to MSU in 2016, where his love for creating content continued to grow.

“I was extremely hungry for opportunities, so I started emailing anyone I could think of to see if they needed any assistance,” Wood said. “I emailed ‘The Mystery Hour‘ and heard nothing for several months until I got an email from Jeff Houghton, the show’s host, asking if I was still interested.”

“He was looking for an intern to serve as a YouTube content curator and help make promotions for the show’s sponsors,” he said.

This internship connected Wood to the larger creative community and helped him build his video business as he began to make commercials for companies around Springfield.

Wood said his association with “The Mystery Hour” also connected him to Brandon Hite, the owner of Hite Media. The company not only produced “The Mystery Hour,” but also provides live broadcast coverage of most of MSU’s athletics games.

Wood started filming football, basketball and baseball games at MSU.

“I learned how to film a football game from start to finish and began to hang out with some of the most talented and wonderful creatives in Springfield,” Wood said.

Learning beyond academics

Wood believes he got more than a degree from MSU. He also picked up valuable life lessons that continue to guide him.

“I remember taking MED 320: Understanding the Broadcast Industry with Dr. Deborah Larson and fondly remember that experience as being fun and educational at the same time. Dr. Larson approaches every class with a passion and zeal for the subject and cares about students,” Wood said.

While at Missouri State, Wood worked at the Center for Community Engagement with Charlie Whitaker, an MSU alumnus and the communications and operations manager.

“Under his supervision, I started learning more. He gave me endless freedom and grace to learn and create. His kindness and clear instruction taught me what good leadership is,” Wood said.

“One of the important things he taught me was to film every shot three times — wide, medium and close-up; so simple and so effective. It still works for me,” he added.

According to Wood, his time of learning and networking at MSU taught him persistence, patience and sacrifice.

“If you want to do great things, you must accept that you might not always do it on your terms and it might not always happen as quickly as you want. But if you work hard and treat people respectfully, amazing things can happen,” he said. “These are timeless lessons and they still guide me in my current role.”

Moving forward

Wood’s desire is to direct and produce a documentary of his own in the future, but he reminds himself to also enjoy where he is currently.

“I find the practice of documentary storytelling incredibly satisfying; the real world has so many fascinating stories to tell,” Wood said. “But it’s difficult to predict the next several years, so I’ve leaned on the act of staying in the here and now and listening to myself and the world around me to see the story being told.”

Explore options in digital film and television production