Welcome to the TCF Media Production Internship Program!

On this page is information on how to find and enroll in an internship, as well as the required internship enrollment forms.

The TCF Media Production Internship Coordinator is Dr. Rachel Raimist. Any questions that you have regarding media production internships should be directed to her at:

Dr. Rachel Raimist
Room 430C
Telephone: 205.348.6350
Email: rramist[at]ua.edu

Steps to securing your Internship

Do your Research!

What do you want to do?

• Take time to decide your interests and strengths. Do you like to work independently – you editing on a computer, alone in a dark room, or are you most comfortable on-set or in a fast paced behind the scenes environment? What technical skill set do you have? What are you good at? What do you want to do professionally, in the future? Spending time thinking about who you are, what you are capable of, and what you would like to do for a career, should help to inform what sort of internship you seek.

• Once you can narrow down your interests and strengths, you can find an internship that best meets your needs.

Where do you want to work?

• Search sites that post NATIONAL internship opportunities, such as:

Mandy
Entertainment Careers
Entertainment Jobs
2-Pop

• For LOCAL and CAMPUS-wide internships, try the following sites:

WVUA
Center for Public Television
UA Creative Campus

• For internship opportunities in BIRMINGHAM or the state of Alabama, visit these links:

Alabama Public Television
High Noon Films
Diamond Studios
Outpost Pictures

SOME CURRENT LOCAL OPENINGS:

1. TCF  WEB INTERN: Help us update our website by gathering content, organizing photos, gathering video clips. Knowledge of wordpress is helpful but not required. 1 – 3 credit positions available.
2. RADIO DJ INTERN: Intern with DJ Daddy Jack. Click HERE for all the details.
3. COMCAST RADIO INTERNSHIP with TCF Alumn. See Dr. Raimist for details.
4. UA’s Creative Campus DOME PROJECT: Seeking an intern with film/video and/or podcasting skills. To apply for the summer internship we would simply like for an applicant to send an e-mail to thedomeua@gmail.com with the information included in the attached document, any specific ideas they might have, and any other pertinent information such as a resume. If you have any students who you think could benefit from this opportunity please feel free to forward them this e-mail or e-mail us at thedomeua@gmail.com with any questions. Click HERE for more information.
5. UA PROJECT INTERNS: Work with various units on campus to produce videos for departments, offices, and campus initiatives.

• Also search the websites of your favorite NATIONAL and INTERNATIONAL companies to see what opportunities that they may have available to apply for, but remember students nationally, will compete for these positions:

Viacom
MTV
Paramount
NBC Universal
Comcast
Fox
BET

If you are interested in documentary, POV offers great internships.

google your favorite media companies, production companies (look for logos and titles at the end of your favorite films and television shows), and search for human resource pages and job opportunity pages.

Prepare Your Application Materials

• Write and rewrite your resume until becomes an outstanding representation of your abilities.

• Visit UA Writing Center for help with writing your resume.

Now Go For It. Apply!

• After you have found the right internship for, you apply!

• Please understand that some internships may be very competitive! If you do not hear back, do not take this as a personal setback. There are millions of exciting internships waiting to be filled. Keep searching!

You Got the Job! Now What? (Signing up for TCF 387)

Make sure that you fill out the required forms – the INTERNSHIP CONTRACT, and enroll in TCF 387, to get the proper credit to fulfill TCF requirements for production majors.

Enroll for TCF 387 (to earn your required credit hours), by following these steps:

• Decide how many credits you would like to enroll in for each semester. You are required to complete three credit hours for an internship, enrolled through TCF 387.

• The three credits can be taken as 1, 2, or 3 credit hours each semester.

• To fulfill required 3 credit TCF 387 hours, you must complete 345 hours working for your internship.

• This can be broken up each semester as follows:

1 credit hour – 115 hours
2 credit hours – 230 hours
3 credit hours – 345 hours

• Plan out your class and internship schedule

• Complete the required INTERNSHIP CONTRACT
• Have Internship Contract signed by employer (internship company)

• Bring your signed form to Dr. Raimist in 430C Reese Phifer Hall for her signed approval. You may leave your form under her door, in her mail box in 484 Reese Phifer, or scan and email or fax to Dr. Raimist at 205-348-5162.

To Enroll for TCF 387 Internship Credit

• Take signed Internship Contract to Mary Lou Cox in 484C Reese Phifer Hall.

• Ms. Cox will authorize a permit to enroll within 24-48 hours of contract submission

• Through the MyBama online class registration, enter the CRN (Course Identification Number) for TCF 387 by “Adding course Using the CRN Number” option. You cannot simply click “Add class,” but you MUST type the CRN number into the entry field box.

During Your Internship: Required Assignments

Give yourself time to discover what you are learning:

• Keep a brief and informal INTERNSHIP JOURNAL. For every day that you work/intern you should have an entry that details date, hours worked and bullet point of tasks you are assigned and/or accomplish. Be sure to note date and times that you work – this will become a log of working hours, and documented proof of what you did during those 345 hours of internship. Approximately once a week, write a substantive post in your journal, reflecting on what you are learning; let your journal be an honest evaluation of your internship and personal reflections of your experience. Ask yourself things like, “Is this what I expected to do on in this position?, What have  I learned about technology? Professional working environments? My skill set?  What does it takes to do this job? Could this be a place where I’d like to work after graduation? What more do I need to work on, studying in TCF? These prompts are just a guide to help you think through this experience on a day to day level as well as part of a larger experience.

• Write a 4-5 page formal paper by selecting segments from your journal or writing about other relevant job aspects (positive and negative) to reflect on.  If you are enrolled only 1 or 2 credit hours, write a 2-3 page formal paper for each internship position.

• After completing your hours, make sure your supervisor has filled out and sent in the INTERNSHIP/EMPLOYEE EVALUATION SHEET

• Visit Dr. Raimist’s office door – 430C Reese Phifer – to set up a post-internship debrief appointment. During this short meeting (approx. 15 minutes), you will submit your journal, paper, and evaluations for grading. (Please note: your journal will not be returned to you, so please copy any important notes before your debrief appointment.)

Important Considerations

• You must enroll in the TCF 387 internship course by the registration deadline – the last day of the add/drop period of the registration semester, otherwise we cannot grant you credit or enrollment for that semester term.

• You must complete your internship requirements, and complete your debrief appointment before grades are due in the semester you are registered for. Do not wait until the last day before grades are due to schedule your debrief. In fact, consider that you may set up a debrief appointment as soon as you are finished with your requirements, and we will all be less stressed.

• Please note that we cannot give credit for past internships.

Questions?

Dr. Rachel Raimist

Telephone: 205-348-8656

Fascimile: 205-348-5162

Office: 430C Reese Phifer Hall

Email: rraimist[at]ua.edu