The man behind the hockey show

Brice Perkins finds his dream job working on the national stage

At only 22 years old, Brice Perkins already has more than seven years’ experience in the television industry. Combined with his education at Assiniboine Community College, that experience has helped him land his dream job.

As Technical Director for Dome Productions, Perkins works with the group that produces the National Hockey League games carried on Rogers Sportsnet.

Perkins joined Dome Productions in October 2017, after working for Bamboo Shoots, an independent video production company, and Global Television in Saskatoon, where he worked as a camera operator and video editor.

But his heart was always in live sports television production. “I have always been interested in becoming a technical director. The pressure and excitement of doing everything live adds extra motivation to try and always get it right,” he said.

The technical director is one of the most stressful positions on the live production crew, primarily responsible for changing dozens of camera angles and graphics packages on the fly, while ensuring the integrity of the broadcast. For Perkins to reach such a position this early in his career is unusual and a testament to his drive to be successful in a highly competitive industry.

“It’s a high-speed environment, in which you have no way to go back and fix mistakes. I found my passion for switching live production while working for WCGtv in Brandon and continued it into my time attending Assiniboine.”

Perkins began volunteering at age 15 for Westman Communications Group in Brandon, which runs WCGtv, the local cable access channel for the region. He parlayed his volunteer experience into a job at WCGtv, as well as freelance work with the Western Hockey League’s Brandon Wheat Kings, a team with a long, storied history of success in the CHL (Canadian Hockey League.)

During that time, Perkins began working with Assiniboine Community College instructor Greg Sherris, who has a long history of live production experience. Sherris helped Perkins develop expertise in many of the roles he still plays at the NHL level.

Perkins had nothing but praise for his alma mater for helping to get him to where he is today.

“The small class sizes, and access to freelance opportunities with organizations in Brandon helped me to build my skills. The faculty have so many connections with the industry. It was a top-notch experience. By the time I graduated, I had worked in documentary production, live television, radio, and sports production. Since graduating, I have had the good fortune to become friends with my instructors. They view me as a peer in the industry, which is special.”

This experience bore fruit, as Perkins got a job in his field of study, a common experience for Assiniboine graduates.

“I was hired to work for Global in Saskatoon before graduating. I was able to leave the program a bit early to take the job with Global, returning home to graduate after having already spent time in the industry.”

His career highlight came two short years later when he sat in the technical director's chair for Dome Productions, to switch his first National Hockey League game, a matchup between the Edmonton Oilers and the visiting Carolina Hurricanes.

The hometown Oilers dropped a 5 to 3 decision to the Hurricanes. But Perkins was more focused on the task at hand, to produce an error-free show for the viewer, his goal with any live production.

Even though he has landed his dream job at such an early point in his career, Perkins isn’t willing to rest on his laurels.

“My learning will never stop. I will always keep working to make myself better and try new things. School doesn’t end when graduation comes. It is only the beginning. You must always continue to learn, be open and adapt.” That adaptability has served Perkins well throughout his early career.

If Perkins could impart any wisdom to people considering a career in the field, it would be to make connections.

“Take all the jobs you can get so that you can work towards your dream job. Put yourself out there, talk to future employers and never lose the passion for what you do, because there is someone behind you who would love to do what you are doing.”