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from the issue of October 11, 2007
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Fine and Performing Arts, Journalism, and NET forge new internship progra
Campus collaboration
BY TROY FEDDERSON, UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
The Johnny Carson legacy is providing a spotlight for an inter-disciplinary collaboration.
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| | | CARSON INTERNS - The work of students in the College of Fine and Performing Arts, College of Journalism and Mass Communications and Nebraska Educational Telecommunications internship program will be showcased during the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film dedication. Interns who led the video project are (from left) John Albrecht, Josie Azzam and Trevor Hall. Not pictured is Justin Peterson. Photo by Troy Fedderson/University Communications.
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Four students - Josie Azzam and John Albrecht with film and new media, and Trevor Hall and Justin Peterson with broadcasting - have created a 19-minute documentary that showcases Carson's career. The film will premiere during an Oct. 12 private dinner, part of a series of Homecoming events that will dedicate the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film in the renovated Temple Building.
The documentary (which will be shown to members of the Carson family) is a high-profile product of an internship program forged between Fine and Performing Arts, Journalism and Mass Communications and Nebraska Educational Telecommunications.
"This documentary is one of a number of projects being worked on by the interns in this program," said Mike Farrell, manager of TV production for NET. "We have actually just started our second year."
The internship program grew from a few calls seeking to draw Farrell into the broadcasting area of Journalism and Mass Communications. Teaching appealed to Farrell, but he wasn't ready to leave NET for the classroom.
"It got us talking about possibilities - ways we could encourage partnerships between campus departments and provide opportunities for students that they normally would not have," Farrell said.
Looking to strengthen the collaboration - and extend access to NET's digital technology to a larger group of students - an invitation was extended to and embraced by the Film and New Media program in Fine and Performing Arts. Then, the three campus entities went to work on details.
"If these students are working alongside professionals, we decided this program should be just like a real job," Farrell said. "The interns use our parking lot. They wear the same employee badges. They sign a time sheet. They get a paycheck. And, they get to work on professional projects that provide materials for their resumes and highlight reels."
Farrell serves as manager of the interns and, also as part of the program, he teaches an advanced documentary course.
To cover costs, a proposal for Programs of Excellence funds was submitted to the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. The proposal failed to draw POE funds. However, the idea appealed to Barbara Couture, vice chancellor for Academic Affairs, and she provided $100,000 in discretionary funds to fuel the program's first two years.
The program opened fall 2006 with four interns, growing to eight in spring 2007 and 12 this fall.
Interns work on a number of video projects - including short bios on Nebraska World War II veterans (which ran on NET-TV to supplement Ken Burns' "The War" series). Hall, a graduate student in broadcasting, worked as associate producer on the Carson project and is also working under NET producer Joel Geyer on a video on funding for the arts.
"When I received my bachelor's degree, I thought I was pretty ready to take on a job," Hall said. "But, this internship has been a wonderful opportunity to advance myself in production and learn other aspects of the business.
"It's pretty rare that a 24-year-old is allowed to work as an associate producer, with video and sound people working under you."
NET's facilities - upgraded to digital technology two years ago - also provide important experience for the interns.
"I've had a lot of internships, one working at the Discovery Channel, but none of that compares to what I've learned right here in Lincoln, Nebraska," said Azzam, a junior in Film and New Media. "NET has much better equipment than anywhere I've been. And, it's 15 minutes from (City) campus.
"It's brilliant to have a program that takes advantage of what NET has to offer."
NET officials are also hoping to gain something - aside from high quality documentaries that can be used for broadcast.
"This program allows us to be involved with the university's primary teaching mission, and it allows us to identify fresh new talent loaded with ideas," Farrell said. "Our hope is that this program offers these students experiences that get their careers off the ground. And, when that happens, we hope they think about coming to work at NET."
GO TO: ISSUE OF OCTOBER 11
NEWS HEADLINES FOR OCTOBER 11
Campus collaboration
Carson dedication is Oct. 12
Carson gifts power program improvements
Forum to examine ethanol
Scarlet available in pdf format
Stress eating, hospital visits turn Wetzel to wellness tide
Engineering inks deal to offer dual degree
Student Affairs to host empowerment forum
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