Zach Lykins
Communication Studies
Film House
Nashville, TN
This summer I had the unique privilege of interning at Film House, a film production company in Nashville, TN.
At the start of the internship experience, I had three main goals that I wanted to achieve by the end of the summer.
Through my internship at Film House I hoped to gain practical, real world experience in all aspects of video and film production, gain insight into the position of director, and identify and develop my own skills and passions in the field of film production.
I succeeded in gaining valuable experience in the film production process.
I worked as a production assistant on many studio and on-location shoots throughout the summer.
I also spent a great deal of time in the post-production studio editing together and preparing film for clients.
I got the opportunity to work with advanced equipment and software and learn from people who have been using this equipment in the real world.
I was not able to work as closely with a director as I would have liked.
The two directors working for Film House typically were present only on shoot days, and on those days were generally too busy to work with and answer questions from an intern.
I still learned a great amount from watching the shoot process many times.
By the end of the summer I was able to see that while I am still very interested in film production, I am simply not getting the kind of education that would best serve me to enter into the creative process.
A strictly film or arts degree would better prepare me for the creative aspect of the film production process.
Still, I was able to see a broad overview of the entire production process, and even though I might not be adequately prepared to go into the creative end of things, I could still see that the education I have and am receiving at Furman is better preparing me to work on the business or managerial side of the industry
.
I think that the three most important skills that I developed this summer have nothing to do with film production.
While the skills I did learn in editing or on set are certainly helpful, they are going to be hard to translate into many other fields.
More than anything I learned the importance of hard work, a willing spirit, and a positive attitude.
Every intern at Film House before me had been either a film or art school student.
I came in with years less experience and knowledge than each of them.
But by the end of the summer I had co-workers coming up to me and telling me I was the “best intern” they had ever had.
Coming I knew one thing – that I really didn’t know much.
But I also knew that I was going to work hard every day, say yes to working on or learning anything that was asked of me, and be nice to everyone I worked with (even the mean ones).
It sounds silly and simple (and it is), but by the end of the summer I could do so much more than I could at the beginning, everyone I worked with was willing to teach me something new (and be patient with me as I learned it), and work got done a lot smoother and a lot faster.
People have joked that Furman doesn’t teach you anything except how to think, but (at least with my major) I almost think that’s true.
I have no idea what I’ll do in year, where I’ll be or what I’ll be working on, but I honestly can’t think of three better abilities I’d rather take with me after graduation.
With the education I have now, I would not be a great fit for this type of career.
I’m just not getting the right education to lead me into the film industry.
So I’m glad I did this internship – it told me a lot about myself, what I would be best working at, and what I need to do to get there.
I still enjoy the creative aspects of filmmaking – I just don’t think I have the level of experience working with that set of equipment that I would need to enter into that field right after graduation.
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