The JTWO Intern Experience
I am Christian Gallagher, a Videographer and Visual Effects artist. I am from The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and I was a JTWO intern.
What I enjoyed about the internship at JTWO.
Lots of Freedom
At JTWO they give you a lot of freedom to do what you enjoy and what you want to learn about. During the internship I had the opportunity to be a photographer, photoshop artist, graphic designer, shooter, editor, compositor, animator, and a director.Take advantage of this freedom and explore everything you can.
Responsibility
With freedom comes responsibility. At the start of my second week I was directing/editing a script for focus testing that was actually going out to the client at the end of the week.The fact is that what you are working on here are real projects in production for the company and for real clients. Basically, you can earn different levels of responsibility based on how you work.
OFFICE ENVIRONMENT
We had a tight core group of people that were usually at the office (not to mention the office guard dogs). It’s a fun place to work because you know everyone and usually get to meet everyone that comes through the door. It’s awesome to hang out with the crew and have fun. Then when it’s time to work we get down to business.
Building and doing some test shots with a shoulder rig.
A Day In The Office at JTWO
What I learned during my time with JTWO.
Business Business Business
JTWO is a creative studio, but it is also a business. Just from watching and discussing with the guys I learned a ton about how to deal with clients, how they started the company, and how they continue to run JTWO. Also, learning the balance between being a creative and being part of a business is a highly valuable lesson that I learned during my internship.
Justin talking business with the interns.
The Why Behind A Shot
When shooting I learned to consider what part of the story a shot is really telling. During my first project I would come back from shooting and Justin would ask why I shot something the way I did or in a location that I did. A number of times I was sent back out to reshoot and I started to learn my lesson that every shot needs a purpose and to be deliberate with what I am showing.
Sound Quality
Jelani acing the sound on set with Sara Lee.
Sound makes a huge difference in making a production and it is often overlooked. Learning how to use the sound equipment and to use it properly taught me one of the key ingredients to making a professional piece.
Confidence
The key is to be open to learning and to be confident. Do not expect to be told exactly what to do, how to do it and when to do it. A few times I would make mistakes with things with that I knew how to do because I was concerned about whether I was doing it right or not. A big lesson that I learned is to Be Confident and to make Deliberate Decisions.
Workflow
Learn it well. Name things the right names. Put files in the right places. Don’t mess it up or Travis will hunt you down. Workflows at different companies will not always be the same but learning how to integrate yourself into one is an important skill to develop for any member of a creative team.
Advice to future interns about how they can best utilize their time here.
LEARN EVERYTHING YOU CAN
Take advantage of everything they offer and learn as much as you possible can during your time there. Don’t confine yourself to only one field when there are some many different skills you can develop further here. If you are not comfortable branch out and learn something new. Be a sponge as they say and get everything you can from your time.
Have A Camera All The Time
Try and shoot as much as possible to have content of your own to work with. If you’re on a set shoot Behind-The-Scenes footage during your downtime. If you’re out somewhere practice your composition by taking a photo or learning how to capture timelapses. Then you have your own footage to work with and edit. What I’ve learned is the best way to learn things in this field is to just go do it. Learn from it and then do it again.
BE CONFIDENT. BE DELIBERATE.
Do things with purpose and don’t second guess yourself.
How the experience helped shape my future path.
VIDEOGRAPHY VS. COMPUTER GRAPHICS
My experience at JTWO really got me to question what direction I want to go with my career. My education is in Visual Effects where you may sit behind a computer 8-10 hours a day. My experience has pushed me towards is finding a way to combine my passion for Videography with Visual Effects.
Dealing with Clients
I’ve been doing freelance work for a couple years and after my experience with JTWO it really shifted how I deal with clients I’m working with and how I conduct business with them.
My own studio
Part of the reason I was drawn to JTWO was because I had a desire to have my own studio someday. After my time at JTWO I see myself pursuing that dream much earlier in my career.