Alan Chapman built a list of behind-the-scenes show business jobs before joining marketing company Avatar Labs as a production designer.

A degree in TV production with an emphasis on graphic design from Pepperdine University scored the then-22-year-old an internship at MTV in the standards and practices division: “I would just sit and watch TV all day.” From there, Chapman moved on to a job at syndicated entertainment news program “Entertainment Tonight.” A subsequent stint in the NBC page program led to a production assistant position at “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno.”

The Texas native has since traded in the small screen for the computer screen, joining online marketing company Avatar Labs as production designer.

“I liked being a part of ‘The Tonight Show,’ but I felt that with a college degree I wasn’t getting anywhere being a production assistant,” Chapman said. “It’s like going from walking a dog to flying a space shuttle. I’m actually using my brain and I have the ability to be creative every day,”

In his new position, he assists in conceptually putting ideas together and pitching them to Avatar clients. The firm primarily works on motion picture campaigns for major studios.

The writers’ strike spurred Chapman’s move into the marketing world. His knowledge of Flash software programs was a standout calling card.

“It was actually my animated comic strip that showed Avatar Labs what I can do with Flash. It’s called ‘A Boy and His Monkey’ and it started as a comic strip while I was in college,” Chapman said.

Chapman had some doubts about his career path after working at “Entertainment Tonight,” and he actually moved to San Diego to give insurance sales a try.

“The insurance company that I worked for wanted to promote me, and I agreed. But two days into my training, I quit I didn’t like it,” he said.

Chapman is single and lives in Studio City. In his free time, he works on his standup comedy act.