Building a Career in Live Sports Video Production: Lessons from Paul Taylor

In this episode of the ZoomPod, Director of Video Production for the Cleveland Cavaliers talks sports video production careers, live production workflow, leadership, building reels, and hiring future media production pros.Episode Snapshot:A former North Canton Hoover High School Video Production student turned Senior Director of Video Productions for the Cleveland Cavaliers shares how a love of sports and early live-production reps led to 15 seasons producing shows with the Cleveland Browns and a return to pro sports after teaching. We dig into storytelling, leadership, hiring, and how to build a standout reel.What You’ll Learn:• Sports fandom shaping career choices• First live camera reps and finding purpose• Building live sports at Kent State• Freelance van-life and early ESPN3 gigs• Changing roles at the Browns to director• Docu-series craft and Emmy-winning process• Managing teams, partners, and deadlines• Pitching big ideas and securing buy-in• Pandemic pivots and remote live streams• Family priorities, burnout, and teaching• Moving to the Cavaliers and in‑arena content• What do hiring managers look for• Growing future leaders through mentoringAbout This Guest:Paul Taylor is a Cleveland-based sports media professional and Senior Director of Video Production for the Cleveland Cavaliers. A former student turned industry leader, Paul’s career spans more than a decade in live sports production, digital storytelling, and team leadership.Before joining the Cavaliers, Paul held key production roles with the Cleveland Browns and NFL.com, where he helped build workflows, teams, and content strategies under real broadcast deadlines. He is a graduate of Kent State University, where he studied Sports TV Production and Sports Administration.As a former high school teacher, Paul brings a teaching mindset to his leadership, with strengths in storytelling, production processes, mentoring, and building teams that can execute consistently under pressure.EXPLORE MORE:Check out our other great ZWOF podcast Episodes!Grab my new Mastering Composition eBook!Link and follow for more great #learnphotography content:IG: @tvcommandomedia | FB @ZoomWithOurFeet