Two visual and sound media major students were able to immerse themselves in film production through internships with Awesome Films.
Awesome Films, a video production service based in Pittsburgh, PA, has been working with the University for years to create videos about campus life and events.
Claire Wolfe, a junior, and Liam Plate, a senior, started working with Awesome Films in September 2021; they are the first two Seton Hall students to intern at the company.
Wolfe said the Awesome Films internship had the opportunities she was looking for.
“I really wanted something with a hands-on camera and something that was in-person,” Wolfe said. “After we interviewed with them, they were so warm and welcoming; I just knew it was going to be a great fit.”
Plate said he applied to the internship because of the job description and its proximity to campus.
“The title description was video production internship, so that was perfect,” Plate said. “I was really interested in it because there's a lot of behind-the-camera work. I could do both on-air and behind the camera, but I was really looking to get more experience behind the camera.”
Awesome Films produced multiple videos for the University on different events, such as cultural heritage months, the return to campus and freshman convocation. Wolfe and Plate have worked on videos for Seton Hall Weekend, the Christmas tree lighting ceremony, sports media, and a commercial that aired during men’s basketball games.
Wolfe said her favorite video with Awesome Films was the Christmas tree lighting ceremony because it was the first time she was able to do a project on her own.
“We had gotten to do little snippets of things here and there, but this was the first project that they let us create on our own, so it was really exciting to see it go from what we were thinking of in our heads to actually seeing it through its various stages,” Wolfe said.
Plate said he enjoyed working on the commercial, although it was a shadowing experience, since it was for national television.
“It was cool to do some side things like set lights or whatever help they needed and to see that you played a part in the final project,” Plate said.
Wolfe said interning with Awesome Films has opened doors for her plans when it came to her future career.
“It's definitely cool to see an inside look of what goes on on set and how everything kind of goes into it versus what we just learned in class,” Wolfe said. “I’m going down the route of maybe a producer, a director or something behind the scenes, but definitely in a leadership role where I know everything that's going on and constantly communicating with people.”
Wolfe added that other students should apply to internships, even if they are unsure of the opportunity.
“Even if you don't think you're going to like something, say yes to everything,” Wolfe said. “You never know if you are gonna end up loving it or you're going to learn a great lesson that’s like, ‘Hey, that's not for me, but, you know, I would rather try this other thing.’”
Plate said while he enjoyed working with Awesome Films, he wanted to stay in sports media and has learned from the camera operators, Jeff and Jason.
“Talking to them about their experiences and how they film sports has gotten me into something I want to do,” Plate said. “I've taken tips from them when I've worked with Pirate TV and covered games, too.”
Plate added students should get involved on campus with organizations they are interested in to help build their career experience and connections at the University.
“The main reason I was able to get this internship was because of the video production work I did with both Pirate TV and WSOU in different positions I have there,” Plate said. “Working in those organizations, you make great friends because you're always working with each other and those friends turn into connections as you’ll go on to do great things in the professional field.”
Dareen Abukwaik can be reached at dareen.abukwaik@student.shu.edu.
