Students Launch GGC News Series for Social Media

Through a first-time internship program, four seniors majoring in cinema and media arts production (CMAP) worked with GGC’s Communications staff to create a special news series for sharing in social media during the spring semester. “GGC in :60,” a periodic, one-minute, video summary of campus happenings, was produced by Patrick Cheek, Christopher Ingram, Harrison Miller and Carl Mills, all of whom will graduate in fall 2021. The students functioned as a team and coordinated plans for the video series with mentoring provided by Jackie Todd, director of public relations, and Allana Walker, digital communications coordinator. The students were responsible for each segment’s production from start to finish, including photography, videography, graphics, imagery provided by others at the college and editing. The interns also provided each other with peer instruction. Walker trained Ingram on the project’s editing process and expectations, and he served as the team’s first editor for two weeks. Then Ingram trained the next intern in line to edit, and so on until the semester’s eight episodes were done. “Definitely, my ability to collaborate and work as a unit has grown throughout this entire project,” said Ingram, who runs his own video-based business through which he films and edits for weddings, commercials, real estate properties, music videos and mini documentaries.

The opportunity to work collaboratively with others was also cited by Ingram’s teammates as valuable experience, in addition to practical skill-building. “I’d say for me personally, I enjoyed working together with my fellow interns,” said Miller. “I also enjoyed learning how to work with editing software.”

The “GGC in :60” internship team members (standing) Patrick Walker, Christopher Ingram, Harrison Miller and Carl Mills are shown with (seated) Jackie Todd, director of public relations, and Allana Walker, digital communications coordinator. The students will graduate in fall 2021 with degrees in cinema and media arts production.

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“I enjoyed editing the most, but filming and taking photos of the events was very enjoyable and a great learning experience,” Cheek said. “I also enjoyed being able to collaborate with my team members.” Internships in any major are important for enhancing employment opportunities after graduation. Internships are particularly important in creative disciplines that require a portfolio of one’s work. “Internships provide students with learning experiences tailored to their interests as well as opportunities to learn about careers and gain practical experience,” said Katherine Balsley, assistant professor of film, who oversees CMAP internships for the School of Liberal Arts. “They learn skills related to film, video and media production, giving them an advantage in a highly competitive field.” “I feel like this project related to my business in all aspects,” Ingram said. “Everyone has to effectively do their part to meet deadlines, so having good communication and time management are important skill sets to have." “It was exciting being a part of a team that worked to introduce something new at GGC,” said Walker. “I’m proud of the finished product and the interns. I saw a lot of growth in them over the course of the semester.” To see a playlist of the students’ eight episodes of “GGC in :60,” visit tinyurl.com/GGCin60.