As the summer season is coming to a close, I wonder how time flies by. It felt like it was a few weeks ago coming into internship orientation. I can still remember during spring, the application process for the summer internship season. As a rising junior at DePaul University, I felt that I was ready to apply for an internship. I am majoring in journalism, and minoring in communications, and I wanted an internship that focused heavily on writing, media, and communications. One internship I applied for is for Kindling Group, a non-profit documentary film company in Chicago. The role I applied for was a digital campaign intern. This role is in charge of outreach, communication, and writing for the release of documentaries. This company focuses on creating social justice documentaries to inspire change. I found out about this internship through Handshake, a website where DePaul University students can apply for jobs, and internships. I applied for the position in March, and in April I was notified. This ten week internship began the first week of June with internship orientation.
As a digital campaign intern, one of the main duties is to promote outreach to various organizations regarding the films release. Kindling Group released a documentary called No Small Matter last fall. I had to be in charge of promoting this film in various ways. No Small Matters informs the audience why early childhood matters in the overall success of the person they become. The way this film deliver this message is through looking at the tragic cost of what happens during childhood. Kindling Group had screenings for the show spanning for about two weeks during the last weeks of June at the Gene Siskel Film Center. In order for people to come see the show, the campaign interns were responsible for promoting the films and helping out with outreach. There were different ways we promoted the film. First off, we sent calls and emails to local organizations such as preschools and other early childcare centers to spread the word Also, we posted flyers at various coffee shops and community centers. The interns also could personally invite any organizations or networks they know that deal with early childhood education.
After calling local organizations and spreading the word about the screenings, the interns were allowed to help out through volunteering at the screenings. Some ways we were able to help out at the merch table. For No Small Matter, dvds can be preordered at the table. Also sold were swag bags, t-shirts, mugs, and other trinkets. Also, the interns were ushers and also had the chance to see the show. I helped out at one night and I was in charge of helping out at the merch table. At the premiere screening Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker made an appearance.
During the internship, I also did archival work. The main purpose of archival work is for staff members and post-production interns can use the footage for the documentaries. A color coded spreadsheet that staff created allowed for interns to pull out videos on various topics for any upcoming documentaries that are being produced. The subjects varied in terms of archival work. Some topics that we had to research included videos depicting politicians on both sides of the spectrum as villians and heros. Other topics included looking for politicians mocking. Politics aside, lighter subjects had to be researched such as videos and images of children building sand castles. Other smaller daily tasks were given such as DVD shipments, and other office work.
As my time at Kindling Group comes to a close, I wanted to share how I have developed professionalism skills needed in the industry. I also met amazing interns and staff members. I will still keep in touch with them. I wanted to work for a company outside of DePaul in Chicago, and I did achieve that. To see what Kindling Group is up to, check out their website: https://www.kindlinggroup.org/
