Senior Film Studies major Colin Williams spent his summer gaining valuable experience as a film intern for NFL Films at the company’s Mount Laurel, New Jersey, headquarters.
A pioneer of modern sports coverage and hailed as teaching America how to watch football, NFL Films is devoted to producing commercials, television programs, feature films, and documentaries on the National Football League.
As a film intern, Williams did research, edited short pieces, and logged new and archive footage for various shows.
“For the first month or so of my internship, I did a lot of research for the NFL Network show, Top 100. I also assisted on the Super Bowl Championship Film, 3 Games to Glory,” Williams said. “Then as the internship progressed, I had the opportunity to edit segments of Top 100 episodes, and sit in on layback for the finished episodes.”
Because television is such a collaborative medium, Williams worked with a wide range of talented individuals. From the camera department, editors, sound designers, voice-over talent, social media team, and musicians, each day presented a new opportunity to interact and learn from someone at the top of their craft.
“Interning at NFL Films was a great experience and unlike anything I could have hoped for,” Williams said. “Being surrounded by people at the top of their profession, and working in an environment that was collaborative and welcoming was such a great opportunity to have while still in school.”
One of the best things about the internship, Williams says, was that there was no typical day. Every day was different and presented a new set of challenges.
“The work environment was really loose, but serious. People work hard but have fun at the same time,” Williams said. “And having an internship program that allowed me to do real work, was well worth it.”
As part of his experience with NFL Films, Williams participated in seminars that covered a wide range of topics, from how to handle personal and professional financing to searching for work in the industry.
Williams advises other students to do their research when looking for internship programs, explaining that it is important to choose a company you want to work for and not just jump at the first job description that fits you, and to not be afraid to use the Spartan network.
“A lot of people want to help fellow Spartans,” he said, “so don’t be afraid to reach out!”
