Lauren Marquette, a senior who is majoring in English with minors in Business and Screenwriting at Michigan State University, balanced two internships – one in-person and one remote – over a period of seven months last year. She worked in person as a Video Production and Project Management Intern for Michigan Creative in Lansing, Michigan, and remotely as a TV and Film Writer for Trill Mag, which is based in New York City.  She shared about these experiences in the following Q&A that originally was published by the Excel Network.

What were your internship responsibilities?

At Michigan Creative, I worked with the video team to develop scripts, video concepts, and social media campaigns that aligned with client branding and marketing goals. I also had the opportunity to learn about production and post-production by getting hands-on experience operating audio, lighting, and camera equipment on shoots. My other tasks included providing miscellaneous administrative support, organizing video assets, and coordinating logistics for video shoots.

For my remote internship with Trill Mag, I pitched, researched, and wrote articles on contemporary TV shows, films, and industry trends. There was a fair amount of independence in this role, so I could develop stories that combine industry research and personal storytelling flair. I also learned about utilizing SEO (search engine optimization) to optimize articles for search engines, gained exclusive access to a variety of sources within the entertainment industry, and took advantage of the provided writing and journalism course that was included in the internship.

How did you obtain your internships?

For Michigan Creative, I emailed them through their website and asked if they were looking for interns. For Trill Mag, I applied through a posting on Handshake.

What did your daily routine include?

At Michigan Creative, I was on a hybrid schedule where some days I would go to the office and others I worked from home. It was really flexible, and I got to choose which days I went in. I also was capped at 20 hours per week, so I got to choose how I wanted to spread those hours out over my week. Early in the week was pretty meeting-heavy, especially in the mornings, but throughout the rest of the day I had plenty of time to do my assignments.  Each week looked different depending on whether there were shoots scheduled or not.

Depending on where our projects were in terms of timeline, some days were more focused on pre-production (scriptwriting, scheduling, creating shot lists, client meetings, etc.), some were actual production days, and some were focused on post-production where I got to practice editing and completed other tasks to close out the client contracts. Throughout the week, I had several tasks outside of video production that I needed to get done (social media posts for clients, internal marketing meetings for MC’s social media, and any extra office work).

The Trill Mag internship was very independent. I put out a 1,500+ word article every three-ish weeks, so how I budgeted my time during the writing process was up to me. To start, I pitched my idea to my editor, they approved or denied it. Once an idea was approved, I began drafting the article. Once my draft was done and met all of the criteria I had to follow, I sent it to my editor and they would either publish it or send it back to me for revisions. After that, I posted on social media about my article and added it to several required portfolio sites, and then I began pitching my next article.

What were your favorite experiences from your internships?

At Michigan Creative, I enjoyed learning about the production and post-production stages of video. I have always felt comfortable with the pre-production planning/writing stage, but I made clear to MC that I wanted to learn about the other stages of video production, and they were really accommodating with my goals and were great to learn from. I also had no video experience, and they were willing to teach me from scratch.

My favorite part of the Trill Mag experience was getting to write about film and TV and having my work published. I liked that there was so much freedom to write what I wanted and that I was building a portfolio as I did it.

What skills did you learn and/or build upon during your internships?

At Michigan Creative, I learned about lighting, audio, camera functions, how to stage shots, and editing software. I built upon my scriptwriting, planning, and creative strategy skills.

Working for Trill Mag, I learned about journalistic writing, SEO, and how to find sources in the entertainment industry. I was able to polish my writing skills in general.

What did you learn about your career path as a result of these internships?

At Michigan Creative, I learned that pre-production/development is where I enjoy being the most during the filmmaking process. I want to continue to learn about production and post-production, but I don’t see myself pursuing those paths as much. I still have a lot to learn, but I’m excited to figure it out as I go.

Working for Trill Mag, I learned that I enjoy knowing the current news and trends in film and TV, but that I don’t want to be a journalist.

What are your future plans?

My future plans are to work at a studio/production company doing TV show/feature development, as well as honing my screenwriting skills.

What advice do you have for other students seeking internships?

Don’t reject yourself, even if you don’t think you’re the best candidate for the job or that it will never go your way. Always send the email, apply for the job, reach out to that person, etc., and let them reject you. You never know what opportunities might be available to you unless you put yourself out there.