For my internship project I created a promo video for the company I did my internship with, BCK Programs. They have various environmental education programs in place at schools throughout San Diego County. Originally the video I was going to create was going to be focused on the company as a whole, then it was decided that the video would focus on SWPPP, the biggest program they have.
The steps I took to create the video were fairly straight forward, for the first two weeks of my internship I focused mostly on getting video and helping my mentor with tasks that she needed to complete. Then for the rest of my internship I forced mostly on editing. I was given an outline for the video and created a draft that followed that, then we continued to revise it, then I got a draft of the script that was close to the final draft. From there I rearranged and eliminated some clips and photos. I found background music, and color graded the video. Next I went and recorded two kids reading the script, this became the voice over. Once I had the voiceover I added that to the video and adjusted the amount of media to fit the length of the voiceover. Finally I exported the video and shared it with the person I had been working on it with. This product was super important because I was able to give the company a video that they can continue to use to showcase their program. It's a fun and interesting way to share what the program does and how it can be beneficial. Final videoPresentation Slideshow
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I have always had a very clear idea of the path I want to take with college and my career. I have known that I have wanted to do something with video/TV production, and internship really didn't change that. Though I did realize that I definitely will not end up being a video editor. I spent 6 days just editing the final product and it was a lot of editing. It very quickly turned into an endless loop of 'select, drag, drop, playback.' And it became very boring. Now I know for sure that going into video editing as a career is not a great choice for me. I also feel like this internship has really solidified that I want do some kind of production as a career. I really enjoyed filming, reviewing the footage, and for some reason I also really had fun color grading the footage.
How did your project go from an idea or inspiration to a final product?
Over the course of my internship the final product hasn't changed that much. It is still going to be a promo video. The only thing that has really changed is what the video is about. It was originally going to focus on the whole company, now it is most likely going to just focus on a single program. In terms of the look of the video, I haven't really begun editing yet so I am unsure if it will exactly match my vision. But the footage I have has so far lined up with the original look I was going for in the video. How was your work as an intern meaningful to your education? I think my work as an intern has been really meaningful to my education. I have learned a lot of random stuff that is super useful both in school and in a work place, for example: don't print 19 copies of something, then realize that theres a typo after all 19 copies are done printing. What new appreciations did you develop while working as an intern? Why? In the past few days I have really developed an appreciation for working from home. I think it is really great because I can set my own schedule. For example yesterday I was able to stop work and go marinade some carne asada, then go back to working. I wouldn't have been able to do that if I wasn't working from home. It has also made it much easier if I need something. Today I was able to go into my garage and look for my GoPro, then just go back to working. How might internship influence the direction of your life? I think internship could influence the career path within filmmaking I end up taking. I have always wanted to executive produce TV shows, but over the past two week I have learned that I really enjoy doing the camera work and just walking around and filming everything I see. So I've begun to think about exploring more of independent film making where I can be involved with all aspects of the production a bit more. So far in my internship I haven't had to use self advocacy that much. All I really have done to show self advocacy is asking clarifying questions, and asking for a new task once I completed the one I was working on. One time I showed self advocacy was when I was correcting the grammar on some essays, I asked my mentor a few clarifying questions about the corrections I should be making. Thats really the only time I feel like I really showed self advocacy.
I think I have done a fairly good job of being an intern that everyone remembers. On one of the fist few days of my internship I created certificates of achievement for some of my mentors students. She showed them to the rest of the instructors and I ended up making certificates for all of the other instructors. I think next week I will have more of a chance to leave an impression on other people at the company, since next week I won't be with my mentor, I'll be working with other people in the company. For my internship project, I will be creating a promo video for the company I am interning with that will hopefully end up on their website. I feel like I already have the skills I need to create an awesome product because I already feel confident with videography and video editing. I think my biggest concern right now is making sure I get enough footage to ensure that the final product is a good length. I think the only support I need will be from the other people within the company, so far I have mostly been getting footage of the schools my mentor goes to, I will need to begin getting footage of the other instructors as well. Other than that I don't feel I will need much other support, once I begin editing I will really only need feedback from others.
Mentor InterviewHow did you end up doing the job that you do? To make a long story short, I have a strong environmental background. BCK Programs LLC recently form in August 2017 by a group of my colleagues who decided it is better to work as a whole than compete with each other for the same contracts. We were all winning contracts with cities and school districts and hiring each other to help. Collectively, we are more impactful than we were as individual subcontractors, and our company is growing rapidly. What skills and training are necessary for your position? I work a lot with students from 2nd-12th grade. Patience is probably the most important. Also, public speaking, organization, people management, self-motivation, creativity, problem solving and of course, a good background in basic environmental issues. How did you acquire these skills? Through school? On the job? I was raised on a 125 acre organic farm that I eventually managed. I went to college and graduated with a degree in marine biology and began teaching environmental education right out of school. Over the years, through various programs, employers and contracts, I have taught all ages a wide range of environmental topics: composting, waste diversion & reduction, environmental science, marine science, climate change, organic gardening, etc. I also co-founded and run an environmental nonprofit organization and have worked with municipalities to reach their environmental goals and compliance. Our programs all solve an issue that the school or city has and allow for student involvement and problem solving. Is there anything you wish you'd realized about the world of work when you were my age? I wish I realized that experience builds. Each job should be a stepping stone to where you want to eventually be or try being. When looking at your resume, there should be a theme of your aspirations, skills and goals that run from one job to the next. Your resume should tell a story about who you are and what you are looking to accomplish in your career. Most employers see hundreds of resumes each year. If they look at your resume and see a strong picture of who you are and what skills you can bring and grow with in the company, they are more likely to give you a shot at an interview and potential job offer. What questions did I not ask yet that I should have? In my career life, what has made me happier? My salary or my position? I would say the best job I ever had was the one I was paid least for. It was teaching environmental education outdoors in the mountains, at the beach, and on a research vessel. It was so rewarding, challenging, and fun. I had to eventually leave it because I needed to make more money, but the variety and experiences, plus the appreciation I received from my employer, the students, and the parents was so worth it. Internship JournalOverall my internship has been really enjoyable and really interesting this far. I feel like I have grown more comfortable being around kids. For my internship I have been doing a bit of everything, it seems like things are constantly changing. One surprising thing was that I had to use my grammar and punctuation skills to help eighth graders edit essays that would be going into a 'Zero Waste Plan' that would be delivered to city officials. I guess the most entertaining part so far was when a kid asked me if opening his umbrella inside would release Kim Jong-un into the room. It took everything I had not to laugh out loud. I just shook my head and held back a smile.
I think the biggest surprise about my internship for me was the variety of the work I would be doing. All in one day I created outlines of ocean animals and trash in Adobe Illustrator, created certificates, wrote peoples names on said certificates, and pried open two drains with a crow bar. Yes, I went from doing graphic design work to using a crowbar to pry open a drain, oh and both of these happened within an hour of each other.
The part of my internship I am most excited for is seeing what each day will bring, thus far every day has had something different. For example, on Tuesday we worked with second and third graders in the morning, then I had to create a map on Photoshop, then I had to format a document, that was then printed out and presented to the Encinitas School Board that night. It's really exciting to wake up and not really know what the day is going to bring. I think the part I am most nervous about is then days when I have to work with high school students. So far I've only worked with them once, but it was still somewhat awkward since we are the same age. Thankfully I am only really doing videography when we are at schools. Overall I am really excited about my internship, I love that I'm doing something different each day, and that things happen so fast. There really isn't any time to get bored about the tasks you are completing when they are constantly changing. Career Day - 5/1/2018 Tuesday, May 1, 2018, the sky is gray, and the air moist. I meet my mentor at her house, we briefly discuss the plan for the day. We will be going to a school in National City, and working with second and third grade students. I am going to get a head start on my internship project, creating a promotional video for the company that showcases the work that they do. I will be pulling kids into a quiet room, and videoing them each individually. The students will introduce themselves, say they are a part of P.A.W.S. or Panthers Against Waste Squad (the program that is in place at the school) then they will explain what P.A.W.S is doing to help the environment, and what they are planing on doing.
After we come up with a plan for the day, we are picked up by a coworker to drive down to National City. We run into a number of obstacles during the drive. First of all the person picking us up is running late, then there is a big rig accident on the freeway, and lastly there is construction as soon as we get off the freeway. We arrive at the school a few minutes late. Once at the school we get checked in and make our way to the classroom. The students are eating lunch when we arrive. We take attendance and break off into two groups. One group puts laminated signs on the trash and recycling cans, and the other group goes to assemble milk carton recycling containers. I begin to pull students individually. The first student takes a bit longer than expected, I end up having to write out what the student is going to say. Since the first one takes so long my mentor leaves me with three students before taking the remaining ones to add signs to trash cans in other rooms. These three students go much quicker then the first one. I end up finishing much sooner than expected, and I am left with three students unsure what to do. After about ten minutes the rest return. Our hour with the students is finished. We clean up and leave the school. On our drive back to North County my mentor and her coworker begin to come up with a plan for next week. It is really interesting for me to listen in to their planing since I didn't get to experience the planing for this week. They decide to break out into more groups so we can get more done. They are going to do a practice run with the milk carton recycling boxes. Based on my experience on career day some skills I anticipate using during internship are problem solving, thinking on my feet, and being flexible. These skills are important when working with kids since kids are very unpredictable. Some days they are more cooperative than other days, and you need to be able to make changes to your plans on site. It is also important to have a backup plan incase things go wrong. The dress code seems somewhat casual, it was similar to High Tech High's dress code. Since we are working with kids we are able to be a bit more casual. My mentor was wearing a sweater and the kids kept coming up to her and petting her, so I will definitely make sure not to wear a sweater when I am working with the second and third graders. In terms of tardiness, things are somewhat strict. I was running about ten minutes late in the morning, and my mentor just told me to call or text her next time I am running late. It didn't end up being a big deal since the person picking us up was also running late. We were also late getting to the school, that was a bit more of a problem since that meant that we had less time to work with the kids, and when you only have them for an hour, every second counts. Overall, I really enjoyed my career day. I was able to get out of my comfort zone by working with kids. I also got a good idea of what I would be doing for internship, and my internship project. And most importantly I learned not to wear a sweater on a day we are working with second and third grade students. |