Stephen Turner, an instructional video production specialist at the University of Georgia (UGA), plays a key role in sharing the story and impact of the School of Social Work. His work focuses on creating content that highlights the contributions of social workers across Georgia and beyond.
“It’s super fulfilling to know that everything you’re writing, shooting and editing is going to help somebody, whether that’s someone who is working in social work or a student who has that passion and wants to help people,” Turner said. “I’m not out there doing it myself, but I’m hopefully creating content for them to go out and do good in the world.”
Turner’s interest in video production began in high school. He pursued this passion at UGA’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, graduating in 2013. After college, he worked in television production for Turner Studios and NBA TV before moving to Zaxby’s corporate office to handle internal communications videos.
He joined UGA’s School of Social Work two years ago after a friend shared the job opening with him. Initially hired through grant funding, his main responsibility was producing training videos for those entering child welfare fields. With previous experience building a video training library at Zaxby’s, Turner found this task aligned well with his skills.
His role soon expanded to include creating videos for the school’s social media platforms, recruitment efforts, and managing audiovisual needs during events. “It’s all about elevating the profile of the school,” Turner said. “To know that you’re creating content that going to be helpful in the future and have an impact on someone’s life in Georgia or even the nation is very fulfilling,” he added.
Recently, Turner contributed significantly to media coverage during the School of Social Work’s 60th anniversary celebration by producing video interviews with all five current and past deans. He is also developing projects focused on student practicums and virtual reality assessments within social work education.
“The end goal is to make social work more approachable,” he said.
Each project begins by identifying its objective and audience—formal training materials for state agencies require a different approach than energetic recruitment pieces designed for prospective students. Turner drafts concepts through detailed briefs before moving into filming or editing stages.
“It’s interesting to take something and know you can make five different stories out of it and create five different emotions,” he said.
Outside his university responsibilities, Turner produces content for local hockey teams such as Athens Rock Lobsters at Akins Ford Arena and works on several podcasts. He spends much of his personal time with family.
Reflecting on his work, Turner emphasized storytelling as central: “The most important part of my job is being able to get stories out there to people who might not understand what it’s like for everyone else. It’s highlighting how people unlike yourself live,” he said. “It’s amazing to have my eyes opened in that way and take that and spin it into story form. My goal is to shed that light for other people, too.”
