Category: Journal Entry

The promotional videos and website banner I have worked on have gone up on social media. There seems to be a positive reaction to the videos, which I am glad to see. I had a slight worry that the intended audience would not enjoy the videos. But, thankfully that is not the case. I spent a lot of time working on these and making all the revisions that were given to me by not only my supervisor but by the client as well. It seems that the remainder of my time will be dedicated to working on things that will be at the event.

I view this internship as an opportunity to get back into the workforce, add more to my resume and also as a way of creating a new network. Every person your meet is a new connection, and if utilized well, can become a new network that can lead you to meeting even more people. I try and do my best to complete my tasks to the best of my ability. Leaving a good impression is important because it will help with creating a good network and keeping your name in good light.

I am still working on the videos for the event and have created a website banner announcing the event and details. My videos have been sent to the group committee for their thoughts and I have been given some revision notes. So that is what I am working on now. They would like to have the revisions and different aspects ratios by this Thursday or sooner since they will be selling tickets soon. Afterwards I might be working on things that might be used for the event such as a step and repeat banner.

Some things I have learned while working in this internship is to be flexible. Often times when I thought we reached the end of the revision process, there was new information that needed to be added or the committee hosting the event made a last minute change. Another thing I learned was to not get too attached to what I am doing. Some of the suggestions that were given to me were not decisions I may have made myself, but it was what the client wanted. In the end even if I do not completely agree with what the client wants, I have to give the client a satisfactory product.

One last thing I learned was to take into consideration any possible computer issues or delays. After Effects is very heavy on RAM, and at the same time the internal processor and export method can be finicky at times. There were times where I had to make multiple attempts to export a file because of some internal error that After Effects had while processing and encoding the file. Switching from the render built into After Effects and Media Encoder or the reverse was something needed to be done to get the exported file. It’s strange because sometimes it was not my computer or the settings, but rather After Effects being open for too long. Personally, I have just gotten used to Adobe having these strange and fickle moments. I had to be quick on my feet often to figure out a different method because I wanted to receive feedback by a certain time to meet my deadlines.

According to the schedule, I believe that the promotional videos and banner will go up soon within the week on their social media. I am very excited to see my work being used and seen by a wider audience!

The work culture where I am interning at is very casual. Since I am working remote, all of our meetings are done over zoom. I dress in appropriate business casual clothes. I am currently the only intern at the studio, so the only other person I interact with is with my supervisor. Working from home is different. I wake up, get ready, then head to my computer to begin working. It is just me and my desk. Since I only work for five hours, I do not take a lunch break. Instead, I do lunch after I finish with work at 1:30pm. I do wonder how different working in an actual office alongside coworkers would be compared to how it is now working remote at home.

Currently at my internship I am working on making promotional videos for social media for an upcoming photo shoot event. I met with my supervisor over zoom this week to discuss some changes for the videos and discuss some possible future assignments. These videos will go on the group’s social media pages such as Facebook and Instagram. Once the videos are done and get approved by my supervisor then they will be relayed to the group committee hosting the event for approval. I have a bit more creative freedom at my internship here. It is nice to brainstorm and come back with some ideas. During our meetings we go over what is working and what can be improved or changed. I take notes on any revisions suggested for me to make and go over what else could work. Sometimes there are sudden changes needed since the event is being planned while we work, so sometimes we have more photographers needed to be added, or information changes. Overall I enjoy so far what I am doing.

Week two of this summer semester was when I began working at Rain River Images. When I applied last week, the owner emailed me back and asked if I was available for an interview on Friday. Due to the pandemic, the interview was done over zoom. I prepped for whatever question he may ask by practicing my responses to common questions and doing some research on his studio. The interview itself was very casual and I was given the internship on the spot. I started the internship officially on Monday June 7th, and we began with a zoom meeting to go over the project details and expectations for what my role will be in this internship. From here on out we will be conversing through Slack and we will be meeting over zoom once a week.

Currently I was asked to create some quick rough thumbnails and ideas using the copy given to me. Later on in that same week, we had another meeting to check in on my progress with the ideas. I made some rough storyboards to show what I had in mind. We discussed which ones worked better and which ideas needed more work. Eventually it was decided which direction I would go with and move forward to creating some rough cuts.

The internship searching process was a handful. Not only did I have to apply like crazy to different internship positions, I also had to update my resume and give my portfolio website a whole new makeover. I applied to many places but I being on a tight deadline I was becoming worried that I wouldn’t get one but luckily I was hired. It was at the very end of the week so that was definitely a close call. It is a private photography studio that specializes in creative portraits using props, the environment or both to give an idea as to who the person in the photo is. There is also professional cosplayers that display their skills in professional costume design who are photographed by the owner. Looking at the photos on his website, I am really impressed by the use of colors and focus on the expression of the subject. I am looking forward to what I will be doing for this internship in the coming weeks.