If you're looking for Carter Perry, one of Old Dominion's TV/video producer/ directors, you might find him "playing with the toys" in the university's new television studio at the Gornto TELETECHNET Center. Or perhaps you'll see him behind the camera at the President's Lecture Series or any number of other university events. And if you happen to stay up late on the first Saturday of the month, and are still awake at 3 a.m., you can see him dressed as a monster on the local WB affiliate, Channel 33.

Perry, who has been doing video production for Old Dominion since 1996, has indeed been on the move since he became interested in the production field when he was in high school and, as he said, "never really looked back."

"That was in the days when people used to do local television shows," said Perry, 39. "Channel 10 had a late night horror show that I used to watch."

He became so interested in that horror show - "Doctor Madblood" - that he wrote to the producer and was invited to the studio to see how things were done. "By the time I was going to college," he said, "I knew I wanted to do television. Once you get it into your system, it's hard to let go."

Today Perry is still involved with the campy horror show, which is now produced monthly at Channel 33 in downtown Norfolk, as a producer, rotating director, actor and writer. According to Perry, the show allows him to have fun and do a little of everything he is interested in. "That's where we really get to just go out and be wild."

Perry plays the part of a monster named Ernie. But you wouldn't know it was he, since he dons a full-body costume for the taping. "It's the only way I'd get in front of the camera," he said.

The show, which will celebrate its 25th anniversary with a special show next Halloween weekend, is actually produced by a group of people, including employees at WHRO-TV, as well as other TV/video production people from Old Dominion. "It's something we all do for free," said Perry. "It's a chance for us all to get together and have fun." (The show's Web address is members.aol.com/pungomd.)

Before coming to Old Dominion, Perry spent a brief period of time working as a promotions producer at WVEC-TV and then six and a half years as a production manager at Channel 33. He came to Old Dominion, he explained, because he had gotten tired of doing commercials. "I wanted to do something a little more necessary."

He enjoys the variety of his duties at Old Dominion. "When I did commercial television, I could almost tell exactly what my month was going to be like," he said. "Here there's so much going on and there's so many different things I can do. I like that it keeps me on my toes. There's always something new.

"My job is pretty much multilayered. We record a lot of university events, the lecture series, press conferences. We were there at the Bush rally. But we also do work with the individual departments."

Perry is also involved in the production of the annual university video, a 15-minute piece that highlights Old Dominion's many accomplishments and areas of excellence. The videos are shown to visitors, area leaders, prospective students and others interested in the university.

Perry also works with the TELETECHNET program, making promotional videotapes and taping classes and labs. "We've taped lab sessions for students who couldn't be there," said Perry. "We show (the sessions) on video so the students can actually, even without the hands-on experience, get as much out of it as possible."

All things considered, it's more than an 8 to 5, Monday to Friday job, said Perry. The President's Lecture Series talks, for example, are normally held Thursday evenings. But he's not complaining.

"We work some weekends and evenings," he said, "but the sort of people we have here are real television people. It's something that we love; we don't mind the hours because it's something we really want to do."