He says he's a political media consultant ("media consultant on off-political years") crafting campaign messages, "a lot like an ad agency, but highly specialized."Meath may create political TV ads by trade, but he's a writer at heart. He knows the ins and outs of the political media and has become a leader in his field, but his eyes light up when he tells you about his screenplay. "It's the sad story of many screenplays," he says. It got great reviews and won awards. It was even optioned, but now it's just sitting there."

After graduating from Hampden-Sydney with a BA in English, he attended a film workshop in Maine and then went to Columbia University to learn screenwriting. His screenplay, "Push Down and Twist," won the New York Film Festival and the Austin Heart of Film Festival's Screenwriters' Competition.

Those writing honors helped him land a spot on the team setting up a television show run by the Republican National Committee. "I saw it as a great opportunity to be a part of something brand new. It was sort of an historic thing for a political party to have this kind of a broadcasting operation." This led him to the 1996 Republican National Convention in San Diego, California, where he was Creative Director of "Unconventional Convention," a new style of network coverage for the convention. The Republican Party used its experience and facilities to circumvent the traditional media outlets.

Meath's creative career has taken some twists and turns. "What's crazy about Washington is that no job is really forever. No politician's job is forever. When you go work for a committee and the regime changes, the chairman gets switched and you go on to the next thing-which I kind of like." After the 1996 Republican National Convention he did a series called The Feds for the Discovery Channel. From then on, he has been deeply embroiled in creating the image of Republican candidates across the country, including President George W. Bush.

Jason Meath '92 in his production studio.

His studio is five stories above bustling K Street in Washington, D.C., but it is dark and quiet. The blinds are shut with light sneaking around the edges and through the slats. Two large monitors display the work in progress as Meath's editor selects different images. They try a couple of different shots, and quickly settle on one. The ads have to be accurate, effective, and created quickly. There is no deadline like election. While reviewing a television ad that shows the differences between President George W. Bush and Democratic candidate for President John Kerry, Meath takes the opportunity to defend his work from critics. "There are no negative ads," he says focusing on the monitor. Then he sneaks a smile. "There are contrast ads."

The studio is undoubtedly a workspace, but Meath keeps the mood light-cartoon drawings of the Peanuts gang and Walt Disney's Pluto hang above his desk. Scooby Doo explodes with color from a computer mouse pad. It's his creative side coming out. On the monitor, though, it's completely business. Millions of dollars and possibly the future of the country are at stake.Creating a political ad can take months of work. Data are analyzed. Ideas are tossed around between consultants and campaigns. Scripts are tested and refined before finally ending up on your television. "It's great when you get one that finally leaves the nest because you realize it's the end of the larger process that's gone into it."

As a campaign changes from inception to election, the media campaign changes, too. Meath says his group started writing scripts when former Vermont Governor Howard Dean looked as if he would be the Democratic candidate. "We started taking a real hard look at him. We spent months doing that . . . for naught."

Being organized is a vital part of the job. He has to manage his staff while working on campaigns, often a few different ones at a time. "You want to make sure the process is running smoothly. There's no time for error, especially when you're dealing with ads that are being scrutinized by The New York Times or The Washington Post." Without organization, Meath cannot produce the kinds and quantity of TV and radio ads his clients require. He illustrates this point by comparing a political media campaign to a corporate marketing campaign. "Most of the time they have a five- or six-year plan. We have to do it in six months because there's a deadline where somebody wins the contest."

On Election Day his schedule comes to a screeching halt, but only for a day or two. In years past he has gone into the office the day after an election, but there is very little to do: no more focus group data to analyze, no more polls to track, and no more scripts to write. So, this year he is taking a few days off, maybe to write a few more pages of his next screenplay.