Stetson Softball Media Day

My first week of the internship was a lot of hands-on experiences that pushed me outside my comfort zone creatively and technically. The first project I worked on was Softball media pictures and hype video. I helped set up professional lighting equipment, including multiple expensive lights that I had not previously handled on my own, and helped build my confidence working with higher-end production gear. During the shoot, I used my own camera to capture behind-the-scenes photos of both the media day and the hype video. This was my first time shooting with colored lighting and a fog machine, but I was surprisingly happy with how the images turned out. After the shoot, I edited all of the photos in Lightroom and sent them to both the softball team and Stetson Athletics for use across their social media platforms. 

More Photos: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCGsLd

Stetson Lacrosse Hype Video

Another project I worked on this week was the Lacrosse Hype Video. I am on the lacrosse team so it was especially meaningful to be involved in the behind the seasons creative process. Since the hype video team had never worked with lacrosse before, I sent some inspiration ahead of time and shared examples to help visualize what a lacrosse specific hype video could look like. I started with helping with lighting and overall set setup again. Rodrigo, who leads video production, taught me how to set up and operate the video camera, monitor, and tripod. This was my first real experience working independently with video. I had my own filming station, separate from the main camera. While my background is primarily in photography, this project allowed me to gain valuable experience in videography. 

Stetson Basketball Game

Later in the week, I covered for Rodgrigo at the Stetson basketball game on my own using a larger film camera and monitor, without a tripod, which I had not done before. This experience differed from the earlier projects, which were more collaborative and guided. They knew I had limited experience with basketball videography, but were okay with me learning in real time. Sitting on the court and filming live was both exciting and challenging. It took time to figure out what moments to capture, how to follow the ball, adjust focus and zoom, etc. By the second half of the game, I felt myself improving but it was definitely a good trial-and-error process.

Overall, this first week was a good introduction to the internship. I gained hands-on experience with advanced equipment, helped with the creative process, and got to work both collaboratively and independently in fast-paced environments.