Lights, camera, Emmy: Alumnus shares his success story

Ross Breitenbach ‘92 didn’t have the typical college graduation experience. He didn’t wear a cap and gown or walk across a stage.

Earlier in his senior year as a Hokie, Breitenbach started an internship at WSLS, the NBC affiliate in Roanoke. So rather than attending his graduation as a student, he covered the ceremony as a video intern for WSLS. He was the one capturing those special moments instead of being involved in them.

“I was there shooting everybody throwing their caps into the air instead of participating,” he said. "That was writing on the wall for me for what I should be doing for a career."

Now Breitenbach, who majored in marketing with a minor in communication, is an Emmy Award winning executive producer and creator of “Hack My Home,” a Netflix series about home improvement.

He’s also director of “Brat Camp”on ABC and a sought-after showrunner on over 20 highly acclaimed television series.

“Hack My Home” was named outstanding instructional/how-to program at the Daytime Emmy Awards in June. Breitenbach shares the excitement of winning an Emmy and how Virginia Tech helped shape his 25-year career in film and television.

How would you describe that moment of winning an Emmy and what it meant to you?

When we were sitting around the table at the awards and you see other tables jumping up and screaming when they win, I said, “Not me. Let’s be cool.” It will be great if we win. I’ll stand up and get excited. But yelling, that’s weird when we’re adults. When they announced the show, all we heard was "Hack…" That’s all that came out of their mouth and our whole table jumped up screaming. All that was thrown out the window of keeping it cool. We were as uncool as you can get, but so excited hugging and high fiving. 

It was a huge crown to my career. I was just an undergraduate at Virginia Tech, but it finally felt like I got my Ph.D. in television with that Emmy because it will stick with me wherever I go. To me as a storyteller, as a producer, it was huge because I created this show. I didn’t just work on it, I created it. It was a proud moment, and it still is. A bunch of articles came out and it says, “Emmy winner Ross Breitenbach” not “Producer Ross Breitenbach,” so that’s cool.”

The Emmy is the culmination of many years in the industry doing your part to get where you are today. Is there a particular moment in your career where it clicked, and you knew that this is what you’re supposed to be doing?  

I think it was as a kid. I found my dad’s old Super 8 cameras [motion picture cameras], and I just loved the flickering picture and how it felt more real to my eye than what I was seeing on TV. I fell in love with the medium of Super 8. From that early influence, I knew I wanted to be in film and capture those images. What I was seeing I wanted to see in moving pictures, not just in still images. When I got to Virginia Tech, we were still editing on film. I spent all my time editing in the darkroom at Virginia Tech. I just loved it. 

How have you found the interdisciplinary nature of marketing and communication work together in your career?

I found a lot of synergy with marketing and communication. You’re communicating to the masses. One you’re trying to convince. One you’re trying to entertain or inform. Arguably marketing is the same — entertaining and informing. Right now,  we’re seeing a huge convergence of branded entertainment. My worlds have always collided with those two disciplines.

How would you describe the impact Virginia Tech had on you and helping you get to where you are today?  

For me, Virginia Tech really provided a safe place to experiment and to try new things. Experimenting, doing things out of the box, and doing things the way you’re not supposed to do them was really exciting for me. Virginia Tech gave me the blank canvas to do that and try it and fail. I’m very grateful to have that time to figure things out with myself and who I was, but also in media and what I was going to do with it. It all provided a nice backdrop for me. 

Virginia Tech’s motto is Ut Prosim (That I May Serve). What does that mean for you and how you go about your work?

What I can do is help young people. I encourage them to get in touch with me. It’s all about networking. You have to play the game. Because of where I live in Los Angeles, it’s hard to get back to Blacksburg. Any students who want to come out here and learn this business, I’ve really opened myself to them. Come in and you can do an internship. I’ll hire you as a production assistant. I will sit down and have a coffee with you and give you advice on who to talk to.

What would you tell students who are interested in a career similar to yours?

My advice is to manage expectations. You’re going to have to start at the bottom like everyone else and you’ll have to work your way up. Ask for help. Ask questions. Be curious. Find that thing you love. Find your passion and pursue it with everything you have in you. You’ll never regret that. You might not end up doing that, but you’ll learn a lot along the way and use that skill later on. It’s amazing how things come back. People are happy to help you. You just have to ask. 

What gets you out of bed in the morning and keeps you going on this journey?

I love what I do. I really have found something I’m passionate about. I like getting up and tackling my problems. I like figuring out solutions. I like the challenge of doing something I’m passionate about. That has really helped me through my career because I enjoy it. It doesn’t feel like busy work. It doesn’t feel like work if you’re really passionate about something, and I fortunately have found something I’m really passionate about. I don’t mind the downturns because I know it’s just a downturn and there will be a peak over the horizon. It’s been a worthwhile career. I’m grateful to have the opportunity that Virginia Tech gave me.

Some answers were edited and condensed for clarity.