Film and Video - Internships

Overview

IMPORTANT
For a list of companies and organizations that GV FVP students have worked at in the past - go to the bottom of this website. It's a good place to start looking for internships. You can also search opportunities on Handshake. If you have any questions or want to discuss finding an internship - reach out to your FVP internship coordinator at [email protected]

INTERNSHIP PURPOSE
The primary purpose of an internship in the Film and Video Production major is to provide a student with real-life work experiences related to the student's major. An internship is part of the student's total academic experience and is not a job per se; it is a learning opportunity having direct relationships to the student's program of study and career interests. All internships require that a trained and experienced media production professional supervise the student intern.

STUDENTS and EMPLOYERS: See the Internship Policies at the bottom of this page.

Setting Up The Internship

1. Read the INTERNSHIP POLICIES at the bottom of this page.

2. Fill out the Internship Agreement
Once you have secured an internship with an approved employer (with a trained and experienced media production professional as the internship supervisor) begin the process by filling out an online Internship Agreement.

3. Register
Once your Internship Agreement is approved you will receive an email confirmation from the Internship Coordinator, saying that the permit has been placed online and you are ready to register. You then go to ADD/DROP and place the correct CRN# in the box at the bottom of the page and submit. Be sure to register in the semester that you will COMPLETE the internship. Internships can happen at any time but you must register BEFORE completing the internship to receive credit.

Check with your academic advisor regarding the number of credits for which to register. Internships may be done for 1 to 6 credits. For each credit, interns are expected to perform 50 hours of work in an internship setting.

NOTE: You only need 1 credit to fulfill the FVP Internship Requirement. You can register for more credits if you need the credits. While you have to work a minimum of 50 hours per credit hour, you can work more. So, if you register for one credit - that does not mean you can work only 50 hours - you can work more hours at the company. See below for a chart that shows how the minimum hours translate into average hours per week.

NOTE: You can register for the internship AFTER the drop/add period during a semester. See FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS below for the process.

4. Complete the Internship
Work at your job. All internship students will meet as a class 3 times during the semester. The first meeting will be scheduled at noon during the first Friday of the semester. You will receive emails about the other two meetings.

5. Evaluations
Midway through the semester and shortly before the end date of the internship (which you indicate on your Internship Agreement) you and your employer/site supervisor will receive an email asking you to complete an online evaluation.

6. Essay (Internship Experience Report)
You must also write a 700-1,000 word essay about your internship experience--discuss what you did, what you learned, how the internship experience related to the Film and Video Production major, and how the experience has informed your future career goals. The essay should be uploaded to the course bb site by exam week of the semester.

Once the evaluations have been received online and the essay has been submitted and reviewed, the Internship Coordinator will enter a grade. Internships are graded credit/no credit. If any of the above are not turned in when grades are due, you will receive an "I" (Incomplete).

Film & Video Production Internship Coordinator is: Professor Suzanne Zack Email if you have questions or just want to talk about internships.

Other contacts:
Career Services Office, (616) 331-3311

Career Center Internship Award

The Career Services Office of Grand Valley State University is committed to increasing student participation in internships, practica, and co-ops.
As a result, they offer two awards to help off-set the costs of working in unpaid internships, for students who have demonstrated financial need.
Career Center Grants

How to find an internship

Many students are able to find internships through networking and/or family and friend contacts. Before choosing an internship, it's recommended that you research all available opportunities so that you find the best match for your experience level and interest.

All employers are asked to register their internships with Handshake, so that is often the best place to begin. You can also look for jobs, rather than internships, while attending GVSU and also after you have graduated.

Go to Handshake

Study Abroad

Check out the opportunities for both Study Abroad and Internships Abroad for Film & Video Production!

Padnos International Center

International Internships

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I register for an internship after the drop/add period?

Yes. To add the internship after the drop/add period within a semester, here are the steps:

Please complete all of the following steps listed below in sequential order:

Obtain proper paperwork to complete the late add process.
1. The “Registration and Drop/Add Form” can be found online HERE or at the Student Services window. Complete the Registration and Drop/Add Form.
2. Compose a letter addressed to the Associate Dean for Curriculum, Pedagogy and Academic Opportunity explaining the need for the late add [that you received an internship approval after the drop/add period, and note the place of business where you will be performing the internship.]
3. Email a pdf of the two documents to your Internship Coordinator.
Gather the proper signatures, in order:
1. Internship Coordinator (who will sign as the Instructor)
2. Unit Head (located in the Calder Art Center)
3. Dean's Office: Deliver completed Drop/Add form with letter attached with proper signatures to the Dean’s Office in B-4-232 MAK. The request will be evaluated by the Associate Dean within approximately 2 business days.

Keep in mind that late registrations may involve additional fees. You may be assessed $25 for adding a class (in this case, the internship late (after the drop/add period.) In addition, there is a $32 course fee applied to this course, so be aware of this additional $57 fee that will need to be paid for at the Registrar's Office in the Student Services Building.

Once you have submitted this form and paid the fees, you will be allowed to register for the internship.

Do I need to do anything else besides filling out the internship agreement online?

You must still register in Banner and pay for the credits --the agreement approval does NOT mean you are registered.

During the internship, you will meet with the class three times during the semester.
At the end of the internship, you are required to submit a 700-1,000 word essay to the Internship Coordinator.

You and your employer are also required to complete the online evaluation mid semester and at the end of the internship.

The essay and online evaluations should be completed the week before finals week.

How do internships work during the summer break?

There are THREE semesters in the spring and summer. "Spring" is first six weeks (May-June), "summer" is second six weeks (July-August) and 'spring/summer" is 12 weeks, May-August. The permit entered in Banner is for the SPECIFIC SECTION of 490 that matches the semester you put on your agreement and the number of credits you requested. Spring is sections 1-6, summer is sections 7-12, spring/summer is sections 13-18. The sections are for internships ranging in credits from one-six for each semester.

How many hours of work must be completed per credit?

Each credit is earned by 50 hours of work in an internship.

Credit	Total Hours	Average hours per week
1	50	3
2	100	6
3	150	10
4	200	13
5	250	16
6	300	20

When will my internship coordinator approve my internship?

When you submit your online internship agreement, it automatically goes to the Film and Video Production Internship Coordinator. Once the Internship Coordinator approves it, it automatically goes to your employer. After it is approved by your employer, it returns to the Internship Coordinator, who gives the final approval and places a permit online and notifies you that it is time to register. This usually takes approximately 48 hours, but mostly depends upon how quickly your employer responds. If you haven't heard anything within 72 hours of application (during the business week, Monday - Friday) then contact the Internship Coordinator for a status report.

For any questions regarding internship opportunities, your internship coordinator is your GVSU resource. Feel free to contact them to assist you anytime during this process. Your internship coordinator for Film and Video Production is:

Suzanne Zack
Film & Video Production Coordinator
[email protected]

Internship Policies

People Involved in the Internship

The Student: Film and Video Production internships are initiated by the student, who plans the work experience with the academic advisor, the Internship Coordinator and the work supervisor at the work site.

The Faculty Internship Coordinator: The Internship Coordinator approves the internship as a part of the student's degree program, works with the student to ensure a solid academic component to the internship, and awards credit/no credit for the experience. (Students should see their major advisor for questions about required credits needed.)

The Employer: The supervisor is the contact person at the internship site who is responsible for the day-to-day activities of the intern and who evaluates the student's performance toward the completion of the work experience. The supervisor must be a trained and experienced media production professional.

POLICIES

1. An internship is a supervised experience directly related to an academic discipline. It typically lasts for one semester, and it must be planned and approved before it takes place. With prior approval, students may begin an internship at any time and enroll for credit in a following semester.

2. Internships vary from one to six credits, with three credits being the most typical. University guidelines require 50 work hours per regular semester for each internship credit enrolled. For example, students must work 150 hours during a regular semester to satisfy a three-credit internship.

3. Six credits is the maximum allowed at a single internship site.

4. Fifteen credits is the maximum number of internship credits that may be applied toward graduation.

5. The internship may be full or part time, and may or may not be a paid work experience. Unpaid internship opportunities, however, may discriminate against students with little or no financial reserves. The intern should be paid in some manner, if possible. Ways to accomplish this include: (a) an hourly or weekly wage; (b) tuition reimbursement for internship credit(s); or (c) a single payment.

This is up to the employer.

6. Employers are responsible for providing equipment and software that will enable the student to complete the work for the organization.

7. A single work experience may not be used by a student to generate both internship credit and other forms of credit such as an independent study credit or course equivalency beyond the 490 course credit.

8. Students are generally eligible to take an internship after they have successfully completed at least 60 academic credits. However, they may also be required to complete specific preparatory course work, usually at the 300-level. Internships are to be the application of skills and concepts learned in class.

9. Film and Video Production interns must write a 700-1,000 word Internship Experience Report (essay), which is the required academic component.

10. Academic credit for internships is awarded on a "Credit/No Credit" basis. See the current GVSU Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog for information concerning the maximum number of credit/ no credit courses permissible.

11. Internships may be done anywhere in the world, including other US states and other countries.

Employers - Internship Supervisors

Thank you for your interest in providing real-life work experience to our students in the Film and Video Production major!

General information About internships

They should provide meaningful work experience.
Assignments should go beyond clerical work to include research, writing, creative, technical and other hands-on tasks related to Film and Video Production.
There should be one primary supervisor to whom the intern should report (this person must be an experienced media production professional).
Employers should provide any equipment and software that the student will use to complete the work for the organization.
1 credit equals 50 hours of work in an internship. Students do internships for anywhere from 1- 6 credits, which can take place at any time of the year and for whatever schedule best suits the employer.
Pay is not required, but paid internships do draw more students. Info on federal law and paying interns.
Credit for the internship is assigned by Film and Video Production Internship Coordinator, not the employer. However, employers will be asked to fill out a short online form evaluating the intern at the end of the internship period.

The Process of Getting an Intern
We believe the internship should simulate a real job as much as possible, including the interviewing and hiring experience. That's why we encourage employers to submit an internship opportunity announcement or job description, encouraging students to apply. Handshake is the GVSU's Career Services database of jobs and internships (see https://gvsu.joinhandshake.com/login, Please register and post your internship and job opportunities directly. Once you have completed the Handshake opportunity announcement, share the details and Handshake # with the Internship Coordinator so that the internship opportunity can be distributed to all of our Film and Video Production majors via the student listserv.

Your internship opportunity announcement should include:

Name of your organization
Title/type of internship
Qualifications expected of student and duties required
Time frame, duration of internship
Payment, if any
To whom students should apply, with contact information

The GVSU Career Services Office has an Employer Internship Toolkit with helpful resources for employers hosting interns. Contact them at (616) 331-3311.

GVSU CAREER CENTER EMPLOYER GUIDE

Organizations that have offered Internships to our students

WEST MICHIGAN
Television:

Film Festivals and Film Reviewers:

Production and Post-Production:

Corporate / Business / Organizations:

Audio Production:

Sports:

Metro Detroit Area:

Lansing:

WLNZ Radio

Flint:

Sinclair Entertainment

Holland:

Holland Cable TV

Jackson:

Evart:

Spring Hill Camp

Gladwin:

The Springs Ministries

Kalamazoo:

Public Media Network

Lansing:

WLNZ Radio

Muskegon:

Wesco

Sturgis:

Hype Your Brand

Traverse City:

Twin Lakes:

Gerber Scout Reservation

Walloon Lake, Mi:

Tommy's Boats

Brant Lake, NY:

Point O'Pines Camp

Chicago, IL:

Cleveland, OH:

NASA Safety Center

Rock Island, IL:

Fresh Films

Los Angeles, CA:

New Orleans, LA:

New Orleans Film Society

New York, NY:

Virginia:

Plant 3r

International:

Internship Videos

Watch these videos to learn about the variety of internship experiences available to students.

Lowing Light and Grip

Lowing Light and Grip is West Michigan’s resource for motion picture lighting and grip equipment rentals. Dave Lowing is a GVSU alum and he has made internship opportunities available to GVSU FVP students. Intern Kara McCallef found the internship was an invaluable addition to her education and professional ambitions. This internship profile video was filmed by FVP alum, Margo Shaw and Photography major Chris Bergeron and edited by Jordan Skutar, a current FVP student. lowinglight.com

Mary Free Bed

Managers in the Mary Free Bed marketing department talk about the value of working with interns, and GVSU Film & Video student, Gabrielle Vernon talks about how much she learned as an intern at Mary Free Bed.

Chop & Hue

Chop and Hue Production Company Partner (and GVSU Film and Video Alum) Dustin Foster talk about their internship program. Student Jack Stanley and Leah Mazzara share their hands-on experience and the ability to learn from the partners and ask questions.

SOUNDPOST STUDIOS

Sound Post Studios creates music and sound design for television, radio, advertising, film, audiobooks, and software for local and global clients. GVSU Intern, Blaine Brown created this video profile about his internship experience at Sound Post. Owner and Sound Designer, Stuart Poltrock discusses the value he places on working with interns.

Page last modified August 15, 2024

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