Not a Job for Late Risers
Vanessa Civiello can justifiably be described as an “early bird”. Her work as presenter of RTL’s early morning magazine show “Punkt 6” starts at three o’clock in the morning and she is in front of the camera from six to nine AM. We accompanied her on a typical working day.
Into the program without morning coffee
3 AM: The working day starts very early for RTL Punkt 6 presenter Vanessa Civiello. While the viewers of her program are still in bed, she is already on her way to the editorial office. Getting up early is no fun, says Civiello. But she doesn’t find it as difficult as most people. “Going to bed early is actually more annoying.”
Almost everything is still dark at the station in Cologne-Deutz. Civiello starts the planning programs and gets an overview. Always with her: drinks. But for many people, the obligatory morning coffee is missing. Because: “I no longer drink any coffee at all in the morning,” says the presenter. “That works quite well too!”
The editors of the early shift of “Punkt 6” are on their feet even earlier than Civiello. They have already prepared the schedule and decided on the topics for the program. The presenter works her way through the texts that she will present in front of the camera in a few hours – live on air.
Preparation is the be-all and end-all: Civiello also looks at the clips that will be shown later in the program. “In fact, it’s often not that easy to find the right introductions,” explains Civiello, “because the Mazen, as the clips are called, often stand alone.” However, she tries to incorporate a lot of personal aspects into her moderations.
All-around care in the makeup room
At 5 o’clock, Civiello goes to the makeup room, where stylists take care of the presenter. The styling team is not only responsible for the presenter’s makeup, but also for her wardrobe. “There is one stylist per presenter. They are always picking out outfits and every few weeks I try on 10-20 outfits in one day,” emphasizes Civiello.
Powder, mascara, eye shadow. There are a few things to bear in mind with make-up: The lighting in TV studios can affect the color rendition. Therefore, colors should be chosen that look natural in studio lighting. Each show also has its own rules: “In make-up, there are certain guidelines from those responsible for the respective show. In ‘Punkt 6’ for example, we shouldn’t look too styled. But that’s fine with me personally.”
Civiello and the stylists are a well-rehearsed team. It takes an hour to an hour-and-a-half to get the presenter’s makeup ready for the show. “Many presenters use this time to get a good night’s sleep,” reveals Civiello, adding with a laugh: “But I won’t say any names. I use the time to chat with the stylist. Often about the topics that will later appear in the show. That helps me to get different opinions.”
Good morning at “Punkt 6”
5:50 AM: Ten minutes to go until the start of the show. Civiello gets ready in the studio, conducts a short rehearsal and goes through the topics of the show once again.
6:00 AM: “Good morning here at RTL ‘Punkt 6’”. Civiello will now host the show live for three hours – until 9 AM. At her side: her colleague Daniel Fischer, also a long-standing “Punkt 6” presenter. The topics of the program couldn’t be more different: “When presenting ‘Punkt 6’ for three hours, it’s important to get involved with the many different topics. We often jump from the news from Israel to Pietro Lombardi’s sex life. That’s the biggest challenge,” says Civiello.
9 AM: Done! The technical controls are turned down. Civiello and Fischer leave the studio. At the end of the day, there is a short feedback session in the editorial office.
At 9:30, it’s “good night”. Vanessa Civiello says goodbye and hands over the baton to the next shift. An opportunity for her to catch up on some sleep. Because the next show is already scheduled for tomorrow – and that means the shift starts at 3 AM.
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Leonie Welters
Leonie Welters was born in Mönchengladbach in 2001. Ever since she saw Frauke Ludowig on television for the first time, she wanted to become a journalist and presenter. She started out as a working student in the studio at RTL Germany before moving to the “Punkt 6/7/8” newsroom. Breaking news situations always give her an adrenaline rush. She doesn’t shy away from night shifts and likes to get up at midnight. Because she can’t get enough of the atmosphere at the station, she likes to stay a few hours longer and use the free rooms to study.