Alumni Profile: Fred Kaufman '78

Making himself Indispensible

If Fred Kaufman '78 could offer one suggestion to recent college graduates seeking employment it would be: Get your foot in the door and then make yourself indispensable.

That's what Kaufman did in 1982, when he knocked on the door at broadcasting powerhouse Thirteen/WNET in New York seeking any kind of job they would give him. After wedging his foot in as a production assistant on a new PBS series called Nature, the Bronx native began making sure his superiors would never want him out of the picture.

" By the time I got this chance," said Kaufman, who had spent the previous three years trying unsuccessfully to find meaningful work in the California film industry, "I knew how hard it was to get a good job. No way was I going to let this opportunity pass."

So he worked, by his description, "harder than I thought I ever could." He's still working hard, and he hasn't left Nature, although these days Kaufman is the series' executive producer and has been for more than a decade. Under his guidance, Nature has evolved into television's longest-running natural history series, winning more than 250 awards, including two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Informational Series.

Working with natural history filmmakers, broadcasters and production companies throughout the United States and around the world, Kaufman has produced a number of memorable films. These include Realms of the Russian Bear, Nomads of the Wind and The Urban Elephant, which won two news and documentary Emmy Awards in 2001. Next year, a Nature presentation on snow leopards -- five years in the making and called by Kaufman "a stunning achievement" -- should add to his string of successes.

Kaufman also has served as executive producer of In The Wild, an acclaimed series in which celebrities such as Robin Williams, Debra Winger and Julia Roberts traveled to remote destinations to interact with orangutans, pandas and lions.

" Involving entertainers stirred things up and brought us a new audience," said Kaufman. The celebrities, he added, voiced unanimous insistence that the animals, not they, get first billing.

Kaufman isn't surprised the nature programming he produces continues finding appreciative audiences. "TV these days seems so scripted," he said. "Anything that isn't jumps out as attractive."

Although his job has taken him to Africa, the Arctic, Tahiti and other exotic locales, Kaufman prefers staying close to his New York office. That's where his talents can flourish. "My job is more about making quality TV shows than knowing about animals or spending time in the field," he said.

On any given day, Kaufman may be asked to evaluate film proposals, review film footage or trade ideas with film makers, music composers or marketing executives. "The work changes constantly," he said, "but the object always is to spot the best talent and make the best possible program."

A journalism major at Binghamton, whose wife Mona Slade '78 also attended the University, Kaufman looks to the future and sees more of the same, only better. "I'll just keep moving forward, always striving for excellence, never stopping," he said.

In other words, making himself indispensable.

-- Rick Marsi