Say Yes – A Summer at IMG

McKinnon at Interface Media Group

By Dean’s Intern McKinnon de Kuyper at Interface Media Group.

NOTE: McKinnon was selected as SOC’s first Scripps Howard Foundation scholar. Through a generous grant award of $3,500, the Foundation provided McKinnon with the opportunity to work with Interface and broaden her professional skills in multimedia and digital communication.

I have a desk. I’ve sat at it once in three weeks. When surrounded by the talented staff at Interface Media Group, there is no reason to be stationary. Instead, I buzz about the various departments attempting to soak in as much information and advice as I possibly can. I could say I’m an intern, but I’m more like a sponge.

For my first few weeks at IMG, I’ve rotated through departments to shadow and assist employees. I’ve journeyed through operations, audio, graphics, editing, production, sales, digital media, facility assistants, and studio. The entire time I’ve scribbled down notes that I’m now referring to to write this, but it’s difficult to summarize the million things I’ve learned. To name a few, I now understand the process of landing a bid with clients, the steps that go into creating a museum kiosk, and how to navigate the workflow of a multimedia production company who churns out hundreds of projects a year.

As the first SOC Dean’s Intern at IMG, I should summarize a bit of who they are, what they do, and how they do it. Whether an operator or salesperson, there are two things IMG-ers utilize everyday— creativy and collaboration. To me, this is what makes the content they produce and working there so great.

Many clients come to IMG with an idea of what they would like their final product to be. The moment they contact the company, gears start turning. This client’s idea serves as a roadmap for the team to build upon as they begin to plan. There is back and forth between IMG and the client as they set plans for production. When all line items are approved, operators become involved and the gears turn faster. Whether it is a website, video, program, or audio webcast, clients and staff collaborate to produce a final piece. Projects aren’t always so straightforward and sometimes they are quick, like digitizing a few old tapes or modifying captions, but as one of the project managers told me, “IMG is a ‘say yes’ company.” They are excited to take on work and I am excited to support them in making it happen.

Who knows how qualified I am to offer it, but if you’re looking for advice from a peer in this field— say yes. You can learn something from anything. I wish it was a norm to have a “Random Skills” section on our resumes; we all have some niche knowledge.

Also, if you’re like me, do what you love. I didn’t start out in SOC because I always thought that making videos was a hobby. To my 17-year-old self, it was not a realistic career path. However, during my sophomore year, a lightbulb went off. I love to storyboard, shoot, edit, and code, and because I love it, I work hard and I improve. So I began to study it and hopefully it’s more than my naïvité that tells me I will one day make a living in this field.

The greatest part of this summer is that I get to work amongst people who are living my dream. Their creativity and excitement to collaborate with one another is so inspiring.  I can’t wait to see what the rest of the summer brings!