LV Life

Gardner is ‘Real World’ ‘Survivor’

Broadcast students enrolled in television editing will learn from experience. Eric Gardner graduated from USC School of Cinema-Television, and his work experience includes the television series “Survivor,” “America’s Most Wanted” and MTV’s “The Real World.” / photo by Sergio Sandoval
Broadcast students enrolled in television editing will learn from experience. Eric Gardner graduated from USC School of Cinema-Television, and his work experience includes the television series “Survivor,” “America’s Most Wanted” and MTV’s “The Real World.” / photo by Sergio Sandoval

Rick Montañez
Staff Writer

The senior editor of CBS’s “Survivor” has a new challenge: Teaching the art of television editing to seven University of La Verne students.

Eric Gardner, 46, is one of the newest adjunct faculty members at the University. After spending 16 years working in television, Gardner decided it was time to join the classroom again.

“Working in TV doesn’t give you much time to teach a class,” Gardner said. “But the hours at ‘Survivor’ are regular enough that I can make it one night a week to teach.”

Gardner now spends his Wednesday nights sharing his techniques with his students in the television studio.

“I have never had to deal with L.A. traffic in the 22 years I have lived here, until now,” he said.

Gardner was not always interested in television. He started his college work at Columbia University where he studied philosophy. It was during this time that he began to take an interest in filmmaking.

“I used to run around with a bunch of renegade filmmakers,” Gardner said.

He worked on the activities board at Columbia and used it as an outlet to create shows.

Gardner said he once spent the entire years’ budget on one Ramones concert. When they convinced the Ramones to come out for $10,000 they furiously began to sell tickets.

Gardner said despite spending the entire budget to pay the band, they made nearly $15,000 in ticket sales. This began to spark an interest with Gardner.

He then began work with his friends in film. Gardner decided to go to USC film school.

He completed the graduate course work, and while there met ULV Professor of Communications Don Pollock. He stayed in contact with Pollock, which later steered him to the University.

His work in television has taken him to shows like MTV’s “The Real World,” “America’s Most Wanted,” “Alien Autopsy” and a stint at the Discovery Channel. He was also nominated for an Emmy for “Survivor..”

Gardner said he approached directing, editing and producing in the same way. It is all about creating the best show.

Students said he brings a new style of energy to class.

“Every lecture is engaging. He just makes editing so interesting,” said Loren Gomez, a senior broadcast major. “The best part of class is when he laughs, it is contagious.”

“I’ve learned a lot from Eric. He is just fun to have in class,” said Veronica Andrews, a junior broadcast major at ULV.

Gardner is now working on his fourth season of “Survivor.”

He said they never specifically ask him to come back for the next season; it’s just assumed, which he likes.

“It feels like home there, I’ve never had that on other shows,” Gardner added.

He is just one out of 12 editors on the show.

Rick Montañez can be reached at phidelt139@hotmail.com.

Rick Montañez
Other Stories
Sergio Sandoval
Other Stories
Previous article
Boutique offers fashionable finds
Next article
Students benefit from required volunteering

Latest Stories

Related articles

News

Campus Times, La Verne Magazine win national awards

The Campus Times and La Verne Magazine have received top honors from both the Columbia Scholastic Press Association and the Society of Professional Journalists for 2024-25, and 2025, respectively, plus numerous individual awards in the associations’ annual contests.
Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor

The student-run grassroots organization Lordsburg Liberation urges the University to reform its inadequate ICE policy in response to escalating aggression of immigration enforcement in the surrounding areas.
News

Radio students recognized in international contest

The Broadcast Education Association awarded senior journalism major Taylor Fukunaga and 2025 communications alumnus Zachary Grech awards for their work in audio, the organization announced last month. 
News

Journalism publications dominate in regional and national contests

The Campus Times and La Verne Magazine have each won the Columbia Scholastic Press Association's Gold Medal award, the association’s top honor for overall journalism excellence – for college Newspaper/Online Hybrid, and college Magazine/Online Hybrid, respectively, for the 2024-25 academic year, the New York-based association announced late last month.