West Virginia State University senior Chris Klingler is just about to wrap up a semester-long internship at MotionMasters. We asked him to describe his time with us. (Here Chris, on the left, is working with Editor Doug Morris.)
“On Monday, January 12, 2009, I began an internship with MotionMasters. I expected that I would be involved in several months of shooting and editing video. What I am getting from this internship is so much more.
The MotionMasters team meets each Monday morning in the conference room, led by owner Diana Sole Walko, to go over current work in progress as well as what’s coming up on the schedule. Some Mondays the group discusses one of the two books they are currently reading, “One Year to an Organized Work Life” and “Caffeine for the Creative Mind: 250 Exercises to Wake up Your Brain.” Other Mondays we view and discuss commercials and video clips currently airing, interesting printed materials team members have come across, or anything else that may stimulate creativity.
After the Monday morning meeting, and throughout the rest of the week, things are busy at MotionMasters. Over and above the video shoots and editing that I’d expected, there was much more happening at MotionMasters.
So what did I do and learn while here?
· I worked a couple of video shoots, loading and unloading the equipment for the shoot as well. One was at a local area hospital and the other shoot was at a coalmine prep plant. · I spent several days with Doug and Wes in the editing room, watching, listening, and asking lots of questions (these guys are extremely talented!!!). · MotionMasters truly believes in keeping up with technology, and while here I was expected to do the same. Like the others here, I was charged with going online and doing self-training on anything from Dreamweaver web design software, to Macromedia Flash training, to cascading style sheets (CSS). · I spent a lot of time working with Brian as he worked on maintaining the many websites he keeps up for various companies in the area, as well as the MotionMasters website, which they are currently redoing. Brian also put together brochures and PowerPoint presentations on safety or training to go along with several of the videos they’d done for clients. · On a few occasions I went to Admix Broadcast Service to get voice recordings done for a piece. · I spent a couple of days with pk learning about different types of copywriting, again asking lots of questions. She has been in the business for years and has worked in or with every medium. · I was in numerous meetings with clients, which allowed me to see how MotionMasters takes the initial request and digs deep to find out what the client really wants and how MotionMasters can bring that story to life. · I did some writing while here, including shot lists and scripts for a couple of different projects. · Finally, I did some serious eating. Pat Legg, the MotionMasters business manager, doubles as the chef. When clients are scheduled for a meeting at MotionMasters, that usually means Pat’s going to be putting together a meal consisting of things like baked chicken, grilled salmon, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, homemade rolls, and peanut butter pie (the best pie around I might add!).”