Some wait a lifetime to win an Emmy. Others only need a year.
New York born-and-raised, Julia Murphy ’18 came down south in hopes of joining Auburn’s Equestrian team, but once she set foot on campus, there was no going back – recruited or not.
“I had visited several other schools and I hadn’t had ‘the feeling,’” she said, “I just loved Auburn so much that I couldn’t leave.”
The Equestrian team did recruit her, but she moved on to focus on school after her freshman year. Like many Auburn students, Murphy changed her major multiple times between her freshman and sophomore year, ultimately deciding on political science. Now an Emmy-winner and associate producer at DailyMailTV, many people ask her how she went from a political science major to where she is today. “I had this feeling that I wanted to do TV, but I wanted to lean towards the political side of things,” Murphy explained.
While Murphy was considering a career as a political correspondent, she was searching for a way to dip her toe into the broadcast television side of things. One of her Gamma Phi Beta sorority sisters, Ellie McCoy, told her about Eagle Eye, Auburn’s student-run television station. After popping in one day and observing the studio, Murphy decided to become a part of something that would change her life forever.
During her time at Eagle Eye, she went from working as an anchor to learning the ins and outs of TV production, gaining experience in directing, producing, writing, graphic design and much more.
“It’s an incredible organization and I don’t think that anything could’ve prepared me better for working in the TV industry.”
With Eagle Eye on her resume, Murphy scored an internship at Entertainment Tonight the summer before her senior year. “I don’t think I would’ve gotten that internship had I not had Eagle Eye on my resume,” she said.
The woman that hired her at Entertainment Tonight left halfway through Murphy’s internship to work on season one of the entertainment news startup, DailyMailTV. Soon after Murphy graduated, she got a call from the same woman about a job opportunity to work on season at DailyMailTV. Murphy submitted her resume and cover letter to interview for an executive assistant position. She certainly didn’t expect the email she received about the job. “I was actually confused,” she laughed, “I thought it was a mistake.”
DailyMailTV had reviewed her resume and offered her the position of associate producer. “My experience at Eagle Eye boosted me up to a position that takes people years to get to.”
As associate producer, Murphy holds the responsibility of gathering and creating all of the visual elements and effects seen on each segment. This includes taking pictures, shooting videos and developing graphics.
Working closely with the editor and the graphics team, Murphy thrives on bringing each piece to life by 2 p.m. EST every day. “We’re on a huge time crunch in the mornings,” she said. “Everything is so fast-moving, the pace keeps me alive.”
Her favorite part of her job, though, is producing her own daily show for GlobalMail. GlobalMail has correspondents in five major cities, and are assigned one of those locations to produce a story on from start to finish. “That’s my piece; that’s my favorite part. It’s something that I get to be really proud of.” One of her most recent segments was an exclusive on Meghan Markle called, “The Duchess of Sussex.”
That’s not the only thing Murphy should be proud of. Nearly just a year after graduating from Auburn, DailyMailTV won an Emmy for Outstanding Entertainment News Program, something most people in the TV industry only dream of.
“I kid you not, I think my jaw hit the floor,” she said, “For us, a show that’s only in our second season, to win an Emmy was just the most incredible thing.”
Holding the Emmy was surreal for the team, and especially for Murphy. “It’s something that has always been on my mind, to win an Emmy one day — but to have won an Emmy one year after graduating was not something that I had on my radar.” With one Emmy under her belt, Murphy couldn’t be more thankful for her experiences at Auburn. This includes the advice she received from people like Billy Farris, her advisor at Eagle Eye. “He knew what I wanted to do in my career and he helped me get there,” she said, “Eagle Eye and Billy Ferris, they were the two biggest factors that helped me get to where I am today.”
Murphy certainly loves her current job producing at DailyMailTV, but isn’t limiting herself to the possibilities of other positions she explored during her time at Eagle Eye and producing her own segments at DailyMailTV. “I have always wanted to do on-air talent,” she said, “I think that, in my heart, I would really like to get back to that.” She would also love to become an executive producer and create her own bigger segments one day. While the fast pace of New York continues to motivate her, Murphy sometimes misses the slower pace of Auburn. “In Auburn, everyone takes the time to be kind to each other, you just feel this sense of togetherness with everyone in the Auburn Family.”
A slow pace like Auburn’s is unlikely for Murphy, though, as she strives to climb up the ladder as one of the youngest associate producers in the entertainment industry.