Arts, Museum & Entertainment

Summer 2016

Position: Intern
Student: Psychology Senior

An internship at a talent agency gives you information about the duties of the mailroom, what assistants do and the jobs that the agent has to handle. You start by learning the basics of what department represents whom and how they do it. In a typical agency there will be the following departments: Talent, Motion Picture Literary, TV Literary, Concerts, Physical Production, Comedy, and possibly Sports. Your duties are to ask smart questions, don’t waste people time and if you’re serious about working there get to know the agents. You will spend the majority of your time shadowing assistants and possibly agents. When you shadow, you want to make sure that you know exactly what each assistant does, since each desk is very different, as each boss likes to do things different ways. Make sure you know the most common mistakes that each assistant does so that you can learn from it. Most assistants will make errors on a daily basis and the trick is to not repeat those mistakes. Also learn all the names at the office, be social, be friendly, act like you like your job even if you don’t and most importantly – have common sense. In a typical day I in the morning I will go check in with the coordinator who will tell me which office I will be shadowing for the day then I will go to that desk and introduce myself. The assistants are usually nice and willing to help so respect their time. They will walk you through what they are doing, what their agent does, and how their boss likes things done. I always take notes on each person’s desk because then I can get a feel for different types of people and it’s easier to read bosses in the future. Around 1:00pm you will go to lunch and then come back at 2:00pm for a meeting or sit in on a meeting. In these meetings the heads of the department will meet and talk to each other about what’s going on in that department. It is your job to be a sponge and learn as much as you can as quick as you can. On the other side, there may be an informative meeting in which a top agent will come in and talk to you about the industry and you will have a Q&A with them. After that, around 4:00pm you will go back to your desk for day and continue to shadow your assistant. You will get a feel of what the most hectic time of the day is by the end of the day. At 6:00pm, no later, your day is over. You may also be required to read scripts and do character breakdowns and write coverage.

Fall 2019

Position: Media & Communications/Business Development Intern
Student: English Sophomore

I work as a Media & Communications/Business Development intern for ACL Live. ACL Live belongs to the larger Austin City Limits company, which also hosts the Austin City Limits Festival and the ACL television show. The branch of ACL I intern for operates out of Moody Theater, a downtown concert venue which hosts concerts and private events throughout the year. Moody Theater is called as “the best address in music” for a reason – the venue is one the premier live music spaces in not only Austin, but the entire nation.

After taking the bus downtown, I begin an average day at work by checking in with my bosses. I work between two separate departments, Marketing and Business Development, so I check base with my superiors in both departments and receive my agenda for the day. Sometimes, I receive straightforward tasks such as posting promotional flyers around downtown Austin or delivering tickets. If I am working on the day of a show, I am often tasked with suite set-up. I ensure that the guest suites inside of the venue are pristine and their seats are labeled correctly. On other days, I spend time maintaining and adding onto the company’s various marketing spreadsheets. I’m sometimes asked to work for a few hours during the evening on show nights. While working nights, I check in guests at will call or take pictures during the show, which are posted on ACL’s social media accounts. 

Apart from these tasks, I have also contributed to several large-scale projects over the course of the internship. For example, when ACL Live switched its ticketing service, I worked to convert data regarding ticket sales from one platform to the other. The stakes of projects such as these were high, but my bosses were always more than willing to assist me and answer any questions. I finish an average day at work by helping out with office-related tasks such as filing invoices or making copies.

Fall 2017

Position: Production Assistant
Student: Rhetoric and Writing Senior

There’s 2 kinds of days at Austin City Limits, there is office hour days and then there are taping days. On the days I go into the office, the first thing I do is distribute the mail to everyone in the office. I then check in on all our social media. I retweet tweets, reply to Facebook messages, and like Instagram posts we were tagged in. Every day is a little different after that; it depends on what all needs to be done. Most of the time I am scheduling and creating social media posts. On Facebook, I will upload videos and create a post about it and then schedule when it needs to post, I do the same for Twitter minus the video. Twitter there is always the most to schedule since its that one we use to make quick announcements. On Instagram, I take a premade photo and create the caption and the date for it to be posted. It’s really cool going on social media and seeing the content you created and getting to see how many people liked it. 

Now taping days are long days. Depending on the band that is taping an episode that day I normally have to get to the venue between 6 or 7 am. From there we help out hospitality. We bring in all the food for the crew, as well as set it up. We make the coffee for everyone and fill the coolers, to make sure everyone is taken care of throughout the day. We also set up the artist’s dressing rooms. Every artist has requests on what they want in their dressing rooms and we are the ones that make sure they get it. After set up we are there for anything anyone will need. Whether it be making more coffee or dropping off set lists to the crew, we are your go to people! Taping days are my favorite. We get to watch sound check which is basically a private concert and then we get to watch the actually show. It makes getting there so early and having to stay late to clean up and break down worth it.

Spring 2016

Position: Research Intern
Student: European Studies Senior

I adore working at the Blanton. I am currently a research intern for the Center for Prints, Drawings, and European Paintings under supervision of the Curatorial Research Associate. I have been aiding in the reinstallation of the permanent collection, so my duties vary but generally fluctuate between organizing files (both physical and digital) and writing object labels for the reinstallation.

Both sides of my job suit me. One is more tedious, but also a meditative form of work. The other side, the more intellectual side, is as rigorous as it is rewarding. I have spent a lot of time researching Old Masters, both at the library and on the computer. Researching at the Blanton has taught me how truly useful the UT libraries are, specifically the Fine Arts Library. There have been countless times I have been searching for a rare text and have incredulously found it on our campus.

I love researching new paintings because it taps into my childhood dreams of being a detective. I try to find everything. I run down every rabbit hole and collect all the evidence I can. At the end, I look at all the information I've gathered; on the subject, on the artist, the technique, context, and composition, etc., and then I try to condense it down to 150 words. It's amazing, really, the amount of work that goes into one wall panel. Weeks of acquainting oneself to an outdated altarpiece, then suddenly you're not staring at a 400 year old painting, but a 4 year old screen, and you must contain that painting in that screen. 150 words or less. It's a trip.

One of the best aspects of working at the Blanton is the environment. I go to the galleries every chance I can. To go over a file, to read a book, to compose a label. If my painting is in open storage, I'm in front of it. My work is hard, but it isn't stressful. It's life-giving. Visual arts will only become more important, and the ability to develop a concrete understanding of Old Masters under the care of professionals has been truly priceless.

Fall 2018 

Position: Intern
Student: Plan II & IRG Senior

I am an undergraduate intern at the Briscoe Center for American History at the University of Texas at Austin. My primary duties include processing incoming collections and aiding the Center in exhibition and curatorial work.

For students unfamiliar with archives or librarianship, most of that last sentence might seem like foreign concepts. As an American history research center, the Briscoe acquires ‘collections’ (materials relating to a particular topic, event, or person) for research purposes. The goal of processing is to catalog the contents, re-organize materials to ensure preservation, and organize the collection in a way that makes sense for research purposes. The process sounds simple, but it can get complex when you are dealing with a dozen or so boxes of research materials that need to be sorted through.

The reality of my day-to-day work varies a lot depending on what I am doing and how far in a collection I am. In the beginning, I comb through materials, then move on to preservation, re-organization, then inputting the materials into online archival databases so they are searchable for whoever might be looking to study them. I work under minimal supervision, checking in with my supervisor and colleagues when I have questions. The Briscoe has struck a great balance with me between allowing me freedom to work independently but also checking up every so often and being receptive to whatever questions or concerns I have in performing my work.

Overall, I have learned a great deal throughout my time at the Briscoe and have grown to love archival work. It can seem tedious at times, but the Center has a wide array of materials spanning Texas and American history. In allowing me relative freedom in choosing which collections I work on, I am able to ensure that I find my work both interesting and edifying.

Spring 2016

Position: Senior Metadata Intern
Student: Liberal Arts Honors Senior

As to be expected, the Briscoe Center for American History delivered an educational, engaging, and professionally beneficial internship. The digital humanities are a blossoming field. Thus, it has become increasingly important that students gaining a liberal arts education verse themselves in the technology surrounding the modern world. This internship does just that. Chris Newfield, a leading scholar in the critical universities field, argues that none commercial tech must be injected into the liberal education for it to be considered universally liberal today. The Briscoe understands this and does a brilliant job of education its interns through technological conduits while still showcasing classical cataloging systems and educating interns on the world of archival practices.

While the work itself, at times, becomes tedious the lessons learned outweigh the unpleasant aspects of the workplace. The paid compensation also helps to elevate any unpleasantness. Moreover highly educated, empathetic, and engaging supervisors double as academic coaches, editors, and mentors at the office. The project lead has taught at the university level before coming onboard with the Briscoe Center while our intern supervisor holds two masters degrees and decades of professional experience. Meaning that these two have fathoms of advice for undergraduates like myself. The work allows for a comprehensive and experiential education. Interns work with metadata in every stage of its journey from paper to screen.

Spring 2018

Position: Ethnographic Intern
Student: African and African Diaspora Studies Sophomore 

Before I started at California African American Museum (or CAAM) as an ethnographic intern, I was incredibly unsure about how beneficial this experience would be for me. Sure, I’m a Black Studies major, so I would learn about Black culture in Los Angeles, but the museum aspect of the work had me a bit troubled. I have never been an art appreciator or creator. The inherent classism in the United States art community has always been off putting for me, but I was ready to give CAAM my best shot. Looking back at it now, I am so very glad that I went into this experience with an open mind.

On my first day, I was shown around the museum, allowed to walk through the galleries and observe on my own, and eventually made my way into the back offices where I met with Chelo, my supervisor. She asked me what I wanted to get out of my experience at CAAM, she asked about my family and my goals, my studies, and I fell right into place at CAAM.

For the next four months I spent my time interacting with the most amazing coworkers that I could have asked for. From Sybil, a visual artist who always has the brightest smile on her face and never has a negative thing to say about anything, even her sometimes five to six hour commute, to Tyree, the History Curator who is the definition of a dream boss, someone who will make you feel your worth with every interaction that you have with him. These are the people who make CAAM what it is, an institution that brings light and creativity to people from all walks of life.

As a gallery attendant, which was my primary position, you will get to engage with visitors on a daily basis. Because the museum is a state museum, admission is free. This allows people from all classes to become enriched by the exhibitions at CAAM. Sometimes the museum functions as a place for the houseless community to get a drink of water, use a clean restroom, walk through the galleries, and take a step out of what can too often be an incredibly hectic life. Other times the museum hosts members of the legislature or world renowned artists. Everyone interacting in a space that makes class a little bit less important.

Fall 2019

Position: Media & Communications/Business Development Intern
Student: English Sophomore

I work as a Media & Communications/Business Development intern for ACL Live. The branch of ACL I intern for operates out of Moody Theater, a downtown concert venue which hosts concerts and private events throughout the year. Moody Theater is called as “the best address in music” for a reason – the venue is one the premier live music spaces in not only Austin, but the entire nation.

After taking the bus downtown, I begin an average day at work by checking in with my bosses. I work between two separate departments, Marketing and Business Development, so I check base with my superiors in both departments and receive my agenda for the day. Sometimes, I receive straightforward tasks such as posting promotional flyers around downtown Austin or delivering tickets. If I am working on the day of a show, I am often tasked with suite set-up. I ensure that the guest suites inside of the venue are pristine and their seats are labeled correctly. On other days, I spend time maintaining and adding onto the company’s various marketing spreadsheets. I’m sometimes asked to work for a few hours during the evening on show nights. While working nights, I check in guests at will call or take pictures during the show, which are posted on ACL’s social media accounts. 

Apart from these tasks, I have also contributed to several large-scale projects over the course of the internship. For example, when ACL Live switched its ticketing service, I worked to convert data regarding ticket sales from one platform to the other. The stakes of projects such as these were high, but my bosses were always more than willing to assist me and answer any questions. I finish an average day at work by helping out with office-related tasks such as filing invoices or making copies.

Spring 2016

Position: Research Intern
Student: European Studies Senior

I adore working at the Blanton. I am currently a research intern for the Center for Prints, Drawings, and European Paintings under supervision of the Curatorial Research Associate. I have been aiding in the reinstallation of the permanent collection, so my duties vary but generally fluctuate between organizing files (both physical and digital) and writing object labels for the reinstallation.

Both sides of my job suit me. One is more tedious, but also a meditative form of work. The other side, the more intellectual side, is as rigorous as it is rewarding. I have spent a lot of time researching Old Masters, both at the library and on the computer. Researching at the Blanton has taught me how truly useful the UT libraries are, specifically the Fine Arts Library. There have been countless times I have been searching for a rare text and have incredulously found it on our campus.

I love researching new paintings because it taps into my childhood dreams of being a detective. I try to find everything. I run down every rabbit hole and collect all the evidence I can. At the end, I look at all the information I've gathered; on the subject, on the artist, the technique, context, and composition, etc., and then I try to condense it down to 150 words. It's amazing, really, the amount of work that goes into one wall panel. Weeks of acquainting oneself to an outdated altarpiece, then suddenly you're not staring at a 400 year old painting, but a 4 year old screen, and you must contain that painting in that screen. 150 words or less. It's a trip.

One of the best aspects of working at the Blanton is the environment. I go to the galleries every chance I can. To go over a file, to read a book, to compose a label. If my painting is in open storage, I'm in front of it. My work is hard, but it isn't stressful. It's life-giving. Visual arts will only become more important, and the ability to develop a concrete understanding of Old Masters under the care of professionals has been truly priceless.

Spring 2018

Position: Ethnographic Intern
Student: African and African Diaspora Studies Sophomore 

Before I started at California African American Museum (or CAAM) as an ethnographic intern, I was incredibly unsure about how beneficial this experience would be for me. Sure, I’m a Black Studies major, so I would learn about Black culture in Los Angeles, but the museum aspect of the work had me a bit troubled. I have never been an art appreciator or creator. The inherent classism in the United States art community has always been off putting for me, but I was ready to give CAAM my best shot. Looking back at it now, I am so very glad that I went into this experience with an open mind.

On my first day, I was shown around the museum, allowed to walk through the galleries and observe on my own, and eventually made my way into the back offices where I met with Chelo, my supervisor. She asked me what I wanted to get out of my experience at CAAM, she asked about my family and my goals, my studies, and I fell right into place at CAAM.

For the next four months I spent my time interacting with the most amazing coworkers that I could have asked for. From Sybil, a visual artist who always has the brightest smile on her face and never has a negative thing to say about anything, even her sometimes five to six hour commute, to Tyree, the History Curator who is the definition of a dream boss, someone who will make you feel your worth with every interaction that you have with him. These are the people who make CAAM what it is, an institution that brings light and creativity to people from all walks of life.

As a gallery attendant, which was my primary position, you will get to engage with visitors on a daily basis. Because the museum is a state museum, admission is free. This allows people from all classes to become enriched by the exhibitions at CAAM. Sometimes the museum functions as a place for the houseless community to get a drink of water, use a clean restroom, walk through the galleries, and take a step out of what can too often be an incredibly hectic life. Other times the museum hosts members of the legislature or world renowned artists. Everyone interacting in a space that makes class a little bit less important.

Fall 2022

Position: Production Intern
Student: Government Senior, UTNY Participant

My internship is with The Daily Show with Trevor Noah. I found this internship while searching on Google; my tasks are mainly grunt work, but on some occasions, I could be asked to do something a little more interesting. This included tasks like transcribing footages, recruiting participants for field shoots, audience loading and show runs. 

Fall 2016

Position: Detour Film Productions Office Intern
Student: English Sophomore

This semester I interned with Detour Filmproductions. This internship is run under the famous actor, director and writer, Richard Linklater. This company is his personal production company within Austin Film Society. This internship is a great place to start for aspiring film or television writers, directors or producers.

Here is a day in the life of my internship experience. I am the only intern scheduled from Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 2:30 pm to 7:00 pm. I come in and sit at the main desk by the entrance. Kirsten is the intern supervisor so she usually gives you something to do during your shift. Since she’s been away with Linklater filming his new feature film, the interns communicate with each other about things that Kirsten has instructed us to do.

Our jobs as interns are to take care of the small details so that the “big fish” do not have to worry about them. So since the crew has been gone, every week I mail off a package with the accumulation of mail throughout the week. We interns, pick up mail, make deposits, and make sure the office is in tiptop shape for the other crewmembers that are helping with the project.

On a slow day, I do homework and if I’m lucky I’ll answer a few calls that come to the office. It is essential that you have a car when interning here because there will be some days where Kirsten will send you to pick up supplies for the office and other menial tasks that require reliable transportation. 

This internship is a great experience and is a good way to network, which is a huge part of this business.  You get a chance to read scripts and get familiar with filmmaking. By having the right attitude and mindset, this internship would be very beneficial to the aspiring filmmaker. 

Summer 2016

Position: General Staff Assistant
Student: Sociology Senior

Detour Filmproduction is located on the north eastern side of Austin at, what used to be a runway for the old Austin Airport. Now, the area houses multiple trailers and portable offices. Most of the offices are related to the entertainment industry in Austin, such as the video game company Rooster Teeth or the Austin Film Society. Detour’s office is small and compact. Most of the time, there are only 2-3 people here. The company is run by it’s only two official employees: director, Richard Linklater, and his assistant, Kirsten McMurray. There is also an extra room containing a full editing suite that is often times rented out to local editors.
The job title of my internship was “General Staff Assistant.” Throughout the entire day, I would sit by the entrance at the front desk and answer the phones. Every phone call that would come into Detour would pass through me first. It was my job to direct the call to the appropriate party or take a message. My other job was to keep the office clean and, occasionally, do dishes. The most important role that the intern plays is in keeping a general presence within the office. By succeeding in this allows Richard and Kirsten to better focus on their own tasks. In between answering the phone and cleaning, I would read scripts and provide coverage in the form of a plot, synopsis, and logline. In addition to this, I also run errands to pick up mail downtown or drop packages off with Fedex.

Summer 2017

Position: Intern
Student: Psychology Junior

I loved my time spent in the brand partnerships department of Epic and Sony Music Entertainment. Each day began at around 1030-11. I would come into the office, check in with my supervisor, and see if there were any tasks that needed to be completed right away. Then I would head to my desk. At the beginning of the week, it was my job to review all latest music videos for product placement. Whether it was various brands of alcohol, vape pens, clothing brands, and/or cars, it was my responsibility to document everything I saw. If there were brands featured that the brand partnerships department hadn’t worked with before, it was my job to find contact information. This objective took up a majority of my days. In fact, it was very difficult to find detailed information for certain companies. I was required to find the headquarters address, headquarters number, and a list of 3 relevant individuals (head of marketing, head of brand partnerships, head of management, etc.) and their emails. I did this for various water brands, alcohol brands, vape brands, and others. If I completed this job, I was also given the opportunity to search for new, up and coming brands that epic artists could possibly work with in the future. Consequently, I would find their contact information as well. Although my daily schedule was filled with lots of research, I rarely found the job tedious. I felt I was making a positive impact on the company and forging the way for new partnerships in the future. I also learned a great deal about Sony’s past brand partnership positions. For example, Jennifer Lopez, an Epic signed artist, signed a deal with Sprint in her latest video “Ni Tu Ni Yo”. It was exciting to see Epic signed artists directly working with these brands in such a fruitful way. My days usually ended at 6. I was always exhausted, but I felt very satisfied with the work I completed.

Fall 2017 

Position: Design Apprentice
Student: Sociology Sophomore

I was offered an apprenticeship with Funsize towards the end of summer. I was beyond stoked to be considered to work with a studio that I had a real identification with from both a professional and cultural perspective. I didn’t know what to expect, but I was eager to learn.

During the first week, I was on boarded to the company tools and process. It was highly important to me to be a sponge and soak up all the knowledge surrounding me and push myself to contribute in meaningful and useful ways. To get the ball rolling with learning how the Funsize team works, I sat in on as many meetings as I could to listen and see how everyone communicated ideas and process. Once I got adjusted, I would usually have one or two meetings a day then the rest of my time would be spent heads down going through data and synthesizing it.

By the second week, I was ready to dig my heals in and began working on both large and small projects. One of the first projects I worked on was a startup where I learned how to record project needs and how they would relate to the scope of the project. We ran a client workshop so we could go over both high level goals and project details. Once we identified target demographic, based on client and stakeholder input, I did ethnographic research and drafted interview questions. Our team conducted user interviews and I synthesized the results into personas, which are distilled versions of all the user research for the designers to reference.

Other research assets I created for projects were Market Maps (identifying where the business sits in the market in comparison to the competition), Mental Model Maps (charting out a thought diagram based on how someone would think about a certain process), and Journey Maps (identifying either ideal or current steps people are taking through a website or application to achieve a piece of information, then identifying where time can be saved or confusion can be reduced).

These assets are all handed to the designers at the end of the discovery and research phase of a project to summarize and visualize the data. Then, the designer takes these assets and begins their work. My job as an apprentice was to synthesize valuable insights from all the research and make that data as clear as possible. The job requires a lot of listening and thought, a lot of meetings, and a lot of workshops, but ultimately it is productive and rewarding.

Spring 2021

Position: Research Intern
Student: Anthropology Junior

The Prehistory Research Project is an archaeological research institute currently based out of the University of Texas at Austin devoted to the research and analysis of Clovis and Pre-Clovis cultures in the Americas. I came to intern at the Prehistory Research Project laboratory through my department; an e-mail sent to all anthropology students requesting interns for the organization. My main duties in the lab were assisting in the identification and cataloging of lithic artifacts from a variety of collections and sites, along with aiding with physical labor and organization tasks. After the outbreak of COVID-19, I was redirected to doing an online, research survey on how the collection I was working with fits into the larger area of study of Clovis lithic analysis. It’s been an absolute joy to intern at the Prehistory Research Project laboratory, being able to get hands-on experience with artifacts was an especially unique and interesting experience!

Fall 2019

Position: Multimedia Team Intern
Student: Health and Society & Humanities Senior

The work I do at KUTX 98.9 can best be described as creating music videos similar to NPR’s Tiny Desk. While there are opportunities to pursue a separate project of your choice, the initial portion of the internship focuses on music videography.

For the first month a typical day looks consist of heading straight to the studio to set up cameras and tripods in preparation for the incoming studio session. For the first month the editors do a great job of helping you understand what factors to consider while setting up. They never tell you what to do, instead, they always ask you questions about your choices. “Why did you place the camera there? Are those the best camera settings? Why did you choose that lens?” Their intention is to help you think critically about your decisions so you can justify your work. 

During each film session they teach you how to film and control the camera during video shoots. After the session is over, artists head to photography studio where you take photos of the artist to go on the KUTX website. During that first month you shadow your editors to understand how to control lighting, camera settings, where to position the artist and a variety of other factors. Once the artist leave, you load all of the footage on a computer for editing. In the editing lab, you are taught how to use Adobe premiere to create a music video. They also give you feedback on your filming and editing so you can constantly improve.

Much of the initial training prepares you to assist KUTX 98.9 at ACL in October. Throughout, the semester you are able to complete photography assignments of other events throughout Austin. The best thing is that with each assignment you practice your skills, learn how you can improve, and bolster your portfolio.

Summer 2017

Position: Intern
Student: Psychology Junior

I loved my time spent in the brand partnerships department of Epic and Sony Music Entertainment. Each day began at around 1030-11. I would come into the office, check in with my supervisor, and see if there were any tasks that needed to be completed right away. Then I would head to my desk. At the beginning of the week, it was my job to review all latest music videos for product placement. Whether it was various brands of alcohol, vape pens, clothing brands, and/or cars, it was my responsibility to document everything I saw. If there were brands featured that the brand partnerships department hadn’t worked with before, it was my job to find contact information. This objective took up a majority of my days. In fact, it was very difficult to find detailed information for certain companies. I was required to find the headquarters address, headquarters number, and a list of 3 relevant individuals (head of marketing, head of brand partnerships, head of management, etc.) and their emails. I did this for various water brands, alcohol brands, vape brands, and others. If I completed this job, I was also given the opportunity to search for new, up and coming brands that epic artists could possibly work with in the future. Consequently, I would find their contact information as well. Although my daily schedule was filled with lots of research, I rarely found the job tedious. I felt I was making a positive impact on the company and forging the way for new partnerships in the future. I also learned a great deal about Sony’s past brand partnership positions. For example, Jennifer Lopez, an Epic signed artist, signed a deal with Sprint in her latest video “Ni Tu Ni Yo”. It was exciting to see Epic signed artists directly working with these brands in such a fruitful way. My days usually ended at 6. I was always exhausted, but I felt very satisfied with the work I completed.

Fall 2022 

Position: Fashion Intern
Student: Human Dimensions of Organizations Senior, UTNY Participant

The company I am working for this semester is called Findings Inc. It is a showroom in Soho, New York. The showroom has high-end ready-to-wear clothes and accessories. I found this internship through Indeed, but I had heard of the company because the store I had worked at all through high school is a customer of theirs. The biggest project I've done is helping through market week. This is where companies will come in and look at the lines we carry. This involves back-to-back appointments, dressing models, and making sure the showroom is clean. My favorite thing thus far has been all of the amazing people I have met along the way. I have met buyers of large companies, designers of brands, and amazing people within the fashion world.

Fall 2017 

Position: Design Apprentice
Student: Sociology Sophomore

I was offered an apprenticeship with Funsize towards the end of summer. I was beyond stoked to be considered to work with a studio that I had a real identification with from both a professional and cultural perspective. I didn’t know what to expect, but I was eager to learn.

During the first week, I was on boarded to the company tools and process. It was highly important to me to be a sponge and soak up all the knowledge surrounding me and push myself to contribute in meaningful and useful ways. To get the ball rolling with learning how the Funsize team works, I sat in on as many meetings as I could to listen and see how everyone communicated ideas and process. Once I got adjusted, I would usually have one or two meetings a day then the rest of my time would be spent heads down going through data and synthesizing it.

By the second week, I was ready to dig my heals in and began working on both large and small projects. One of the first projects I worked on was a startup where I learned how to record project needs and how they would relate to the scope of the project. We ran a client workshop so we could go over both high level goals and project details. Once we identified target demographic, based on client and stakeholder input, I did ethnographic research and drafted interview questions. Our team conducted user interviews and I synthesized the results into personas, which are distilled versions of all the user research for the designers to reference.

Other research assets I created for projects were Market Maps (identifying where the business sits in the market in comparison to the competition), Mental Model Maps (charting out a thought diagram based on how someone would think about a certain process), and Journey Maps (identifying either ideal or current steps people are taking through a website or application to achieve a piece of information, then identifying where time can be saved or confusion can be reduced).

These assets are all handed to the designers at the end of the discovery and research phase of a project to summarize and visualize the data. Then, the designer takes these assets and begins their work. My job as an apprentice was to synthesize valuable insights from all the research and make that data as clear as possible. The job requires a lot of listening and thought, a lot of meetings, and a lot of workshops, but ultimately it is productive and rewarding.

Spring 2021

Position: Research Intern
Student: Anthropology Junior

The Prehistory Research Project is an archaeological research institute currently based out of the University of Texas at Austin devoted to the research and analysis of Clovis and Pre-Clovis cultures in the Americas. I came to intern at the Prehistory Research Project laboratory through my department; an e-mail sent to all anthropology students requesting interns for the organization. My main duties in the lab were assisting in the identification and cataloging of lithic artifacts from a variety of collections and sites, along with aiding with physical labor and organization tasks. After the outbreak of COVID-19, I was redirected to doing an online, research survey on how the collection I was working with fits into the larger area of study of Clovis lithic analysis. It’s been an absolute joy to intern at the Prehistory Research Project laboratory, being able to get hands-on experience with artifacts was an especially unique and interesting experience!

Spring 2024

Position: Architecture Intern
Student: Urban Studies Senior

During my internship at h+uo architects, also known as Hatch + Ulland Owen Architects, I was immersed in an environment celebrated for its client-centric and ethically responsible design philosophy. The firm, established in 1978 by Tom Hatch, FAIA, has consistently demonstrated its commitment to visionary, sustainable, and socially conscious designs with the goal of fostering strong, vibrant communities. This dedication has remained steadfast as the firm has evolved, maintaining a focus on sustainable and community-oriented architecture.

My opportunity to intern at h+uo architects arose through persistent networking. After repeatedly encountering one of the firm's employees at various events, I was able to establish a rapport that led to learning about the internship opening. Intriguingly, the firm sought candidates with a passion for architecture beyond traditional architecture students, recognizing the diverse perspectives and enthusiasm others could bring to the field.

At h+uo architects, my responsibilities have been diverse and educational, ranging from early site plan conceptualization to material selection for both interiors and exteriors, alongside utilizing various software tools. This variety ensures a rich learning experience rather than mundane, repetitive tasks. I have particularly enjoyed the firm's collaborations with non-profits, which allow us to indirectly contribute to community service, aligning with my values and the firm’s mission.      

Fall 2019

Position: Multimedia Team Intern
Student: Health & Society and Humanities Senior

The work I do at KUTX 98.9 can best be described as creating music videos similar to NPR’s Tiny Desk. While there are opportunities to pursue a separate project of your choice, the initial portion of the internship focuses on music videography.

For the first month a typical day looks consist of heading straight to the studio to set up cameras and tripods in preparation for the incoming studio session. For the first month the editors do a great job of helping you understand what factors to consider while setting up. They never tell you what to do, instead, they always ask you questions about your choices. “Why did you place the camera there? Are those the best camera settings? Why did you choose that lens?” Their intention is to help you think critically about your decisions so you can justify your work. 

During each film session they teach you how to film and control the camera during video shoots. After the session is over, artists head to photography studio where you take photos of the artist to go on the KUTX website. During that first month you shadow your editors to understand how to control lighting, camera settings, where to position the artist and a variety of other factors. Once the artist leave, you load all of the footage on a computer for editing. In the editing lab, you are taught how to use Adobe premiere to create a music video. They also give you feedback on your filming and editing so you can constantly improve.

Much of the initial training prepares you to assist KUTX 98.9 at ACL in October. Throughout the semester you are able to complete photography assignments of other events throughout Austin. The best thing is that with each assignment you practice your skills, learn how you can improve, and bolster your portfolio.

Summer 2017

Position: Curatorial intern
Student: Spanish and Portuguese Senior

While applying for this internship, I was told it would contain a decent amount of production management and exhibition set up – meaning it would be a rather hands on experience. As I researched, on my own, more about the upcoming exhibitions scheduled for LACE’s gallery through the summer and into the fall, I found that most of the themes and artists I would be dealing with would relate to Spanish. With this in mind, I presumed LACE would be a great place to expand my knowledge of the art industry while maintaining a relationship with the Spanish language and culture throughout the summer; and overall, I was correct in my presumptions. I spent most of my days working for lace doing hands on instillation set up and helping the curator as well as artist with putting together each physical component of the show. Needless to say, I quickly learned the dress code for working at this gallery encouraged my thrift store overalls rather than your typical business casual attire. Whenever I wasn’t sent downstairs to help out with production matters in the gallery space, I remained in the office space upstairs in order to help with a variety of computer related tasks for the upcoming shows. For example, I learned a good deal about website management, marketing strategies, and web-based archival systems which allowed the LACE team to record and keep track of the works being used in each event. Although this sounds like a lot for one intern to do, I actually had the help of two or three additional interns who worked with me each day – dividing the work rather evenly between us.

To give you an idea of my daily routine, I woke up around 9:30 in the morning to begin getting ready for work. In Los Angeles, many art galleries do not open till eleven or twelve in the morning so I had the luxury of being at work by 11:00 am. It took me twenty minutes to walk to work – a very sweaty twenty minutes I might add. Once I arrived, I head upstairs to the office space to put away my self-packed lunch and inquire about any dire tasks I could help with before going downstairs to set up the exhibition. During the month of June, the gallery remained closed to the public as artist Jimena Sarno worked to create her installation and LACE curator Daniela Quintanar set up her exhibition of Teatro Campesino. For this, I spend most of June helping both women construct and install each exhibition. However, in July, both exhibitions were completed and on display for the public to see; therefore, my productions days were fewer and far between. Each day I arrived at work, I went downstairs to turn on the exhibitions (turn on the sound, lights, digital displays that accompany the installations) and set up post at the gallery’s front desk. From here I could work on my computer as the director and curator emailed me with daily tasks and research opportunities as well as administer tours and information of each exhibit to those who visited the art gallery. Then, at six o’clock, it was time to close down, turn off, and lock up the gallery before I made the twenty-minute trek home.

Of course, each day was a little different; and each month held different priorities – requiring different skillsets; but that’s what made it interesting. Towards the end of my internship, I even had the chance to assist with preparations for a bilingual program called Se Habla Español which was LACE’s first attempt toward becoming a continuously bilingual art institution. This allowed me to give guided tours in both English and Spanish, translate informational LACE documents from English into Spanish, and contact various Spanish speaking institutions and community groups about upcoming LACE events.

Fall 2017

Position: Trades and Special Projects Intern
Student: English Senior

As a Trades and Special Projects Intern, I work with the team here at Marvel that is based much more in the comic book and publishing sector and requires lots of research. My job is to obtain assigned comics from the comic book library and read those comics, searching for new and/or minor characters that have not yet been cataloged into the Marvel character database. When I come across such a character, and have double checked that it is not in the Marvel system, I input that information into an excel spreadsheet for the series, along with relevant information about the character and the comic it appeared in. Sometimes the series is short. Other times, like with Rampaging Hulk 1977 black and white magazines, it takes me two weeks. I have worked on Marvel’s Spotlight, Deadpool, Hulk and Silver Sable to name a few. This is very independent work, and for someone who prefers to work in a group, I suggest applying for the social media or editorial internship positions.

Spring 2020

Position: Post-Production Intern
Student: Iberian/Latin American Culture and Language, Spanish 

Revelator is an Austin based production company that produces a variety of content to various brands and agencies. They work all the way from pre-production when contacted by a client to post-production and project finalization. I found their post-production intern position on Indeed when searching for a Spring semester internship. My duties varied from media archival test edits, footage selects, and research. Even though my experience was cut short, I was starting to become more comfortable with accepting feedback and criticism on my assemblies. I was also learning about and becoming more comfortable with the more technical aspect of post-production work.

Fall 2017

Position:  Live Action Post-Production Intern
Student: French Senior

My internship site took place at the old Austin Airport, in two giant redesigned aircraft carriers –which many sound weird, but they’re a weird company so it works. The Austin Film society rents out these giant rooms to Rooster Teeth and we’ve turned the space into a collaborative and creative spaces, which green screens, editing suites, film sets and more.

Rooster Teeth is a production company here in Austin that makes Live-Action shows, shorts, features, anime and other animated shows. I’m the current Live-Action intern so I’m basically like a production assistant on the day to day who also works in the editing suite when needed.

A usual day in the life of a Rooster Teeth intern would be waking up at 4:00am to go and pick up coffee and breakfast tacos for the crew, and to be on set by 5:30am. Then, I load off the truck and all the equipment, including expensive cameras, the art department bins and the wardrobe department’s racks. We carry them on site, set up the lights, rig the cameras and then I go get ice for the coolers and set up the craft station in order to keep the cast members happy (because a happy crew is a happy film set, seriously).

Once I return, we hand out scripts and go over changes that I note down and we begin shooting by around 9:00am. Cast has arrived by now and we go through the various shots from the shot list and make sure that everything is smooth and there are no continuity problems (eg. Someone’s makeup is the same in each shot). I assist the director and the lead producer in any tasks that they don’t really want to do themselves, and try to get as much hands-on experience with the cameras as possible.

A few hours later, we wrap up and break down the entire set. We reload the trucks, check all the equipment and then release the talent home once they’ve all signed NDAs. We drive the trucks back to set and then I take the memory cards from what we shot that day and start to ingest the footage to our editorial department. I also take the separate audio recordings from out sound department and give them to our audio engineer to ingest. It’s then my job to synchronize the various cameras with the audio, which is called a multi-cam session. Normally around now there’s Live-Action meeting where we go over the day, and then we’re allowed to go home. The footage and audio will run overnight so that in the morning the following day, we can begin to edit and compress the files.

Position: Broadcast Intern
Student: Economics Senior

Taking a broadcast internship at Rooster Teeth is a fantastically brilliant way to experience a new field of work outside of the classes you would normally be able to take in the college of Liberal Arts. The staff that will oversee your internship is super kind and helpful and they will help teach you any aspect of broadcasting to a live audience that you may have an interest in.

In general, you will most likely be tasked to be a camera operator. Before a show, you will have to adjust the pedestal, tilt or pan the camera to frame up you subject properly, and adjust the zoom and focus to make sure the shot looks good. On average, you will have about two shows to work on per day whichever day(s) you work. But camera operating is not your only option. You can also learn how to tech direct, live mix sound, run live graphics, help manage the floor, edit, produce, or color correct. Rooster Teeth is pretty flexible, so you can take almost any position that piques your interest and you will be given the opportunity to try that position. All you have to do is ask to learn about something and your manager and they will readily set you up with an informative example or let you outright try it.

Summer 2017

Position: Programming and Distribution Intern
Student: Economics Senior

Rooster Teeth is a company that creates content for various platforms and also hosts live events. For example, some of the content that Rooster Teeth creates centers around YouTube videos and podcasts and we also host an annual convention called RTX focuses on internet culture and gaming. The site of Rooster Teeth was actually the most interesting part of this internship. It is located at the old airport located on E 51st Street in Austin, TX. During the course of my internship, I was able to watch productions get filmed as well as being able to meet some of the talent that starred in them. Watching the shooting was more interesting than meeting the talent though because I could watch films that have not been released yet.

During my internship as a Sales and Business Development Intern, I went into the office four days a week for five hours each day and was also expected to attend the RTX convention that was held July 7-9th. For the first few weeks of the internship, I was instructed to watch the content that Rooster Teeth produces and also assist in various projects. The projects included contacting potential new clients and identifying the champions in our sponsorship companies and to try and establish a connection with them. I also updated spreadsheets on how many advertising spots we had left and updated the talent deck on how large the reach is of each member of our talent on each platform of social media (Instagram followers, YouTube subscribers, etc.). After a few weeks of doing that, we had RTX in Austin and my job was to follow the team and assist with whatever projects they may have with the convention at the Austin Convention Center downtown. I was also asked to attend events outside of the convention center such as the industry party and a couple of concerts that Rooster Teeth sponsored. Overall, it was a very interesting internship and I was able to improve my communication skills, get my foot in the door, and enjoy my time this summer.

Spring 2016

Position: Intern
Student: Sociology Junior

To start out, I feel like I should first give a rough description of what Rooster Teeth is as a company. Rooster Teeth is a creative production studio responsible for award-winning online videos such as Red vs. Blue, the longest running web series in history; the reality gamer series The Gauntlet; comedy series Rooster Teeth Shorts; the upcoming animated series RWBY; and Immersion, a show that tests video game concepts in the real world. Rooster Teeth founded and operates the gaming website AchievementHunter.com and produces the award-winning Rooster Teeth Podcast, voted Best Gaming Podcast at the 2012 Podcast Awards. With a dedicated worldwide fan community, Rooster Teeth created RTX (Rooster Teeth Expo), an annual gaming and Internet convention held in Austin, TX which attracts thousands of gamers, online video fans, and Rooster Teeth community members from around the world.

The Rooster Teeth YouTube channel became the 8th most viewed YouTube channel in the world (non-music) in 2012, now with over 5 million YouTube subscribers and 2.2 billion views, and the Rooster Teeth website has 5 million unique monthly visitors with 1.4 million registered community members. Rooster Teeth has won multiple awards, including 2011 and 2012 Best Animated Series (Red vs. Blue) from the IAWTV, and has been featured by hundreds of major publications and networks including MTV, G4, The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Rolling Stone Magazine, Wired Magazine, and many more. Your daily work day as an intern is to be apart of the creative process for all of these attributes of Rooster Teeth Productions. You do it all.

Summer 2015

Position: Animation Intern
Student: Government Senior

As is the defining cliché in a film job, there really is no such thing as a typical day. I’ve done a lot of different things, but in the last couple of weeks, one of the biggest things that has been my job this semester has been subtitling. Very importantly I kind of got that job by accident. I was helping a quality assurance team for the RvB 13 Blu-Ray, spotting errors, trying to make the disc stop working, and we were noticing a lot of the subtitles were mistimed, misspelled, and in some cases, were the wrong line. When I brought this to the editors working on it, I got given the job of trying to fix some of the subtitles, because they were due the next morning, and the person that they had contracted to do them couldn't be trusted to fix the issues. So I started off small, a few episodes, and by the end of the day had managed to do the entire Blu-ray, almost about three hours of content.

After that, I was the subtitle guy, and I spent the next couple weeks fine tuning the Blu-Ray and DVD, as well as adding subs to just about every animated feature shown at Rooster Teeth's convention RTX. Depending on how the year works out, I might get contracted to do subs for the RWBY Blu-ray. But that might be the most representative thing about my internship; you say yes to anything and find what you are good at. For me, I have a background in editing, and subtitling is basically an odd form of editing. So I was able to take those existing skills and use them to carve my own niche. I never thought about subtitling before, but now I could try and start my own subtitling service, if I wanted to.

That’s the best way to think about my day to day. It’s being able to do new, different things on the fly. In addition to that I’ve done sound work, pipeline management, animation tests, worked on a script and so much more, because you get rewarded for just saying yes, and for me I just like doing work. This is a job that is perfect for workaholics who are workaholics because they'd rather be doing this than anything else. It's for the kind of people who don't notice that they've worked into the middle of the night, and even if they did, they frankly wouldn't care, because they can't imagine being anywhere else.

Spring 2015

Position: Animation Intern
Student: Government and History

For the last three months, I have been one of the spring animation interns at Rooster Teeth Productions. Rooster Teeth is best known for creating the show Red vs Blue, a web based machinima that is the longest running American science fiction show. It is hard to define what my day to day experience, because a lot of what I do varies from day to day.

The main things I do are such. One, I watch episodes in varies stages of production to ensure that no errors were missed, and if there are errors I notify the relevant person. Two, I do script breakdowns, where I go through a script and highlight any asset that the script calls for, such as characters, props, visual effects, among others, so that at first glance anyone can see what assets they need for any particular scene. Three, I compile data form the render process and use that to calculate the efficiency of the process with particular device so that our render time can be as short as possible, as well as to create the best render farm possible.

Additionally, I work in the sound booth and mark selects during the sound recording process, which is to say that I sit behind the director and mark down which take he liked the best so that it’s easy to sort later, and then I go through the recording data and cut out the bloopers for future use. Those are the tasks I do most often, but by no means are the only tasks I do.

At various times I’ve also filmed the motion capture sessions, installed a fan, did a couple of runs for equipment, and even occasionally was able to be a machinimator, which means that I was basically a puppeteer for the show. If this doesn’t sound like something you’d want to do, there is not much else I could say that could convince you that this job is for you. However, if you want hands on experience, working with hilarious and awesome people, in a professional online film environment, I cannot think of anywhere better.

Position: Trades and Special Projects Intern
Student: English Senior

As a Trades and Special Projects Intern, I work with the team here at Marvel that is based much more in the comic book and publishing sector and requires lots of research. My job is to obtain assigned comics from the comic book library and read those comics, searching for new and/or minor characters that have not yet been cataloged into the Marvel character database. When I come across such a character, and have double checked that it is not in the Marvel system, I input that information into an excel spreadsheet for the series, along with relevant information about the character and the comic it appeared in. Sometimes the series is short. Other times, like with Rampaging Hulk 1977 black and white magazines, it takes me two weeks. I have worked on Marvel’s Spotlight, Deadpool, Hulk and Silver Sable to name a few. This is very independent work, and for someone who prefers to work in a group, I suggest applying for the social media or editorial internship positions.

Fall 2022

Position: Gallery Coordiantor
Student: Human Dimensions of Organizations Senior

The company I work for is Laura Rathe Fine Arts, or LRFA. We are a leading contemporary art gallery with 3 locations, and clientele world-wide. Since the gallery's inception in 1998, LRFA has established itself as a leading contemporary art venue, offering an impressive range of exhibitions and programming to its patrons in both cities. LRFA represents a dynamic roster of established and mid-career contemporary artists working in a variety of media, many of whom have been acquired into world-renowned private, corporate, and museum collections. I have been connected to this gallery personally the better half of my life [through my mother as a leading artist] within LRFAs roster and a pioneer in the field of abstract porcelain installation art. Growing up in such an environment I grew to love the fast pace and excitement of the gallery world. I applied as a gallery coordinator last spring. My job as a gallery coordinator includes duties such as customer service, sales, event coordination and administrative work. Galleries on average are small companies and employ a select few people- therefore you must wear many hats, which is my favorite part of the job as it keeps everything challenging and exciting.

Fall 2017

Position: Trades and Special Projects Intern
Student: English Senior

As a Trades and Special Projects Intern, I work with the team here at Marvel that is based much more in the comic book and publishing sector and requires lots of research. My job is to obtain assigned comics from the comic book library and read those comics, searching for new and/or minor characters that have not yet been cataloged into the Marvel character database. When I come across such a character, and have double checked that it is not in the Marvel system, I input that information into an excel spreadsheet for the series, along with relevant information about the character and the comic it appeared in. Sometimes the series is short. Other times, like with Rampaging Hulk 1977 black and white magazines, it takes me two weeks. I have worked on Marvel’s Spotlight, Deadpool, Hulk and Silver Sable to name a few. This is very independent work, and for someone who prefers to work in a group, I suggest applying for the social media or editorial internship positions.

Fall 2022

Position: WNBC New York Live Production Intern
Student: Government Senior, UTNY Participant 

My internship is with a lifestyle show, New York Live on News 4—a local New York  TV station, housed in the NBCUniversal studios. I found this internship through the UTNY Partnership page on canvas—these relationships established help students have a better shot at getting interviewed by the company’s recruiters. As an intern, I pitch segment ideas, shoot, and edit social media content, co-produce show segments, assist professions wherever necessary, and much more. My favorite thing about this internship is the fact that I have a lot of hands-on experience; I also have a whole network of people to connect with—ask questions, seek advice, get training, etc. Interning at NBCUniversal is just the beginning of many opportunities. 

Fall 2022 

Position: Design Intern
Student: Urban Studies Junior, UTNY Participant

I intern at an organization called OpenBox. It is an urban design and research studio. They have a studio in Red Hook, Brooklyn. They value human centered design and research. I found the internship by searching for urban design jobs on Google Jobs. I have a couple of hours of meetings a week, including weekly checkups, status meets, design collaboration, and shadowing. My main responsibilities are project conception and proposal writing. I also assist in various studio tasks. My favorite part of the internship is the team at OpenBox. They took a risk with hiring me - and then they continued to be supportive and welcoming. I’m really grateful that my first internship was with OpenBox.

Fall 2023

Position: Comic Writer

Student: English First Year

I work for Resilience, Inc as a Comic Writer. I found this internship on Handshake. I have one weekly meeting with the other writers on the team to discuss work we’ve done, questions we have, and continue doing work together for roughly an hour. I have a second weekly meeting with the rest of the team, including the writers, artists, and supervisor discussing the work we have done that week, along with suggestions from our supervisor, questions from the artists, and assignments for the next week. My favorite thing about the internship is the good environment brought from my team, where we can discuss things outside of work comfortably.

Spring 2020

Position: Post-Production Intern
Student: Iberian/Latin American Culture and Language and Spanish 

Revelator is an Austin based production company that produces a variety of content to various brands and agencies. They work all the way from pre-production when contacted by a client to post-production and project finalization. I found their post-production intern position on Indeed when searching for a Spring semester internship. My duties varied from media archival test edits, footage selects, and research. Even though my experience was cut short, I was starting to become more comfortable with accepting feedback and criticism on my assemblies. I was also learning about and becoming more comfortable with the more technical aspect of post-production work.

Fall 2017

Position:  Live Action Post-Production Intern
Student: French Senior

My internship site took place at the old Austin Airport, in two giant redesigned aircraft carriers –which many sound weird, but they’re a weird company so it works. The Austin Film society rents out these giant rooms to Rooster Teeth and we’ve turned the space into a collaborative and creative spaces, which green screens, editing suites, film sets and more.

Rooster Teeth is a production company here in Austin that makes Live-Action shows, shorts, features, anime and other animated shows. I’m the current Live-Action intern so I’m basically like a production assistant on the day to day who also works in the editing suite when needed.

A usual day in the life of a Rooster Teeth intern would be waking up at 4:00am to go and pick up coffee and breakfast tacos for the crew, and to be on set by 5:30am. Then, I load off the truck and all the equipment, including expensive cameras, the art department bins and the wardrobe department’s racks. We carry them on site, set up the lights, rig the cameras and then I go get ice for the coolers and set up the craft station in order to keep the cast members happy (because a happy crew is a happy film set, seriously).

Once I return, we hand out scripts and go over changes that I note down and we begin shooting by around 9:00am. Cast has arrived by now and we go through the various shots from the shot list and make sure that everything is smooth and there are no continuity problems (eg. Someone’s makeup is the same in each shot). I assist the director and the lead producer in any tasks that they don’t really want to do themselves, and try to get as much hands-on experience with the cameras as possible.

A few hours later, we wrap up and break down the entire set. We reload the trucks, check all the equipment and then release the talent home once they’ve all signed NDAs. We drive the trucks back to set and then I take the memory cards from what we shot that day and start to ingest the footage to our editorial department. I also take the separate audio recordings from out sound department and give them to our audio engineer to ingest. It’s then my job to synchronize the various cameras with the audio, which is called a multi-cam session. Normally around now there’s Live-Action meeting where we go over the day, and then we’re allowed to go home. The footage and audio will run overnight so that in the morning the following day, we can begin to edit and compress the files.

Position: Broadcast Intern
Student: Economics Senior

Taking a broadcast internship at Rooster Teeth is a fantastically brilliant way to experience a new field of work outside of the classes you would normally be able to take in the college of Liberal Arts. The staff that will oversee your internship is super kind and helpful and they will help teach you any aspect of broadcasting to a live audience that you may have an interest in.

In general, you will most likely be tasked to be a camera operator. Before a show, you will have to adjust the pedestal, tilt or pan the camera to frame up you subject properly, and adjust the zoom and focus to make sure the shot looks good. On average, you will have about two shows to work on per day whichever day(s) you work. But camera operating is not your only option. You can also learn how to tech direct, live mix sound, run live graphics, help manage the floor, edit, produce, or color correct. Rooster Teeth is pretty flexible, so you can take almost any position that piques your interest and you will be given the opportunity to try that position. All you have to do is ask to learn about something and your manager and they will readily set you up with an informative example or let you outright try it.

Summer 2017

Position: Programming and Distribution Intern
Student: Economics Senior

Rooster Teeth is a company that creates content for various platforms and also hosts live events. For example, some of the content that Rooster Teeth creates centers around YouTube videos and podcasts and we also host an annual convention called RTX focuses on internet culture and gaming. The site of Rooster Teeth was actually the most interesting part of this internship. It is located at the old airport located on E 51st Street in Austin, TX. During the course of my internship, I was able to watch productions get filmed as well as being able to meet some of the talent that starred in them. Watching the shooting was more interesting than meeting the talent though because I could watch films that have not been released yet.

During my internship as a Sales and Business Development Intern, I went into the office four days a week for five hours each day and was also expected to attend the RTX convention that was held July 7-9th. For the first few weeks of the internship, I was instructed to watch the content that Rooster Teeth produces and also assist in various projects. The projects included contacting potential new clients and identifying the champions in our sponsorship companies and to try and establish a connection with them. I also updated spreadsheets on how many advertising spots we had left and updated the talent deck on how large the reach is of each member of our talent on each platform of social media (Instagram followers, YouTube subscribers, etc.). After a few weeks of doing that, we had RTX in Austin and my job was to follow the team and assist with whatever projects they may have with the convention at the Austin Convention Center downtown. I was also asked to attend events outside of the convention center such as the industry party and a couple of concerts that Rooster Teeth sponsored. Overall, it was a very interesting internship and I was able to improve my communication skills, get my foot in the door, and enjoy my time this summer.

Spring 2016

Position: Intern
Student: Sociology Junior

To start out, I feel like I should first give a rough description of what Rooster Teeth is as a company. Rooster Teeth is a creative production studio responsible for award-winning online videos such as Red vs. Blue, the longest running web series in history; the reality gamer series The Gauntlet; comedy series Rooster Teeth Shorts; the upcoming animated series RWBY; and Immersion, a show that tests video game concepts in the real world. Rooster Teeth founded and operates the gaming website AchievementHunter.com and produces the award-winning Rooster Teeth Podcast, voted Best Gaming Podcast at the 2012 Podcast Awards. With a dedicated worldwide fan community, Rooster Teeth created RTX (Rooster Teeth Expo), an annual gaming and Internet convention held in Austin, TX which attracts thousands of gamers, online video fans, and Rooster Teeth community members from around the world.

The Rooster Teeth YouTube channel became the 8th most viewed YouTube channel in the world (non-music) in 2012, now with over 5 million YouTube subscribers and 2.2 billion views, and the Rooster Teeth website has 5 million unique monthly visitors with 1.4 million registered community members. Rooster Teeth has won multiple awards, including 2011 and 2012 Best Animated Series (Red vs. Blue) from the IAWTV, and has been featured by hundreds of major publications and networks including MTV, G4, The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Rolling Stone Magazine, Wired Magazine, and many more. Your daily work day as an intern is to be apart of the creative process for all of these attributes of Rooster Teeth Productions. You do it all.

Summer 2015

Position: Animation Intern
Student: Government Senior

As is the defining cliché in a film job, there really is no such thing as a typical day. I’ve done a lot of different things, but in the last couple of weeks, one of the biggest things that has been my job this semester has been subtitling. Very importantly I kind of got that job by accident. I was helping a quality assurance team for the RvB 13 Blu-Ray, spotting errors, trying to make the disc stop working, and we were noticing a lot of the subtitles were mistimed, misspelled, and in some cases, were the wrong line. When I brought this to the editors working on it, I got given the job of trying to fix some of the subtitles, because they were due the next morning, and the person that they had contracted to do them couldn't be trusted to fix the issues. So I started off small, a few episodes, and by the end of the day had managed to do the entire Blu-ray, almost about three hours of content.

After that, I was the subtitle guy, and I spent the next couple weeks fine tuning the Blu-Ray and DVD, as well as adding subs to just about every animated feature shown at Rooster Teeth's convention RTX. Depending on how the year works out, I might get contracted to do subs for the RWBY Blu-ray. But that might be the most representative thing about my internship; you say yes to anything and find what you are good at. For me, I have a background in editing, and subtitling is basically an odd form of editing. So I was able to take those existing skills and use them to carve my own niche. I never thought about subtitling before, but now I could try and start my own subtitling service, if I wanted to.

That’s the best way to think about my day to day. It’s being able to do new, different things on the fly. In addition to that I’ve done sound work, pipeline management, animation tests, worked on a script and so much more, because you get rewarded for just saying yes, and for me I just like doing work. This is a job that is perfect for workaholics who are workaholics because they'd rather be doing this than anything else. It's for the kind of people who don't notice that they've worked into the middle of the night, and even if they did, they frankly wouldn't care, because they can't imagine being anywhere else.

Spring 2015

Position: Animation Intern
Student: Government and History

For the last three months, I have been one of the spring animation interns at Rooster Teeth Productions. Rooster Teeth is best known for creating the show Red vs Blue, a web based machinima that is the longest running American science fiction show. It is hard to define what my day to day experience, because a lot of what I do varies from day to day.

The main things I do are such. One, I watch episodes in varies stages of production to ensure that no errors were missed, and if there are errors I notify the relevant person. Two, I do script breakdowns, where I go through a script and highlight any asset that the script calls for, such as characters, props, visual effects, among others, so that at first glance anyone can see what assets they need for any particular scene. Three, I compile data form the render process and use that to calculate the efficiency of the process with particular device so that our render time can be as short as possible, as well as to create the best render farm possible.

Additionally, I work in the sound booth and mark selects during the sound recording process, which is to say that I sit behind the director and mark down which take he liked the best so that it’s easy to sort later, and then I go through the recording data and cut out the bloopers for future use. Those are the tasks I do most often, but by no means are the only tasks I do.

At various times I’ve also filmed the motion capture sessions, installed a fan, did a couple of runs for equipment, and even occasionally was able to be a machinimator, which means that I was basically a puppeteer for the show. If this doesn’t sound like something you’d want to do, there is not much else I could say that could convince you that this job is for you. However, if you want hands on experience, working with hilarious and awesome people, in a professional online film environment, I cannot think of anywhere better.

Summer 2023 

Position: Gallery Intern 
Student: History and International Relations & Global Studies/Art History and French Studies Minors Senior, UTNY Participant

Susan Eley Fine Art is an art gallery located in New York City and Upstate New York that represents over 20 contemporary artists. I found this internship by connecting with a UT alum who participated in the UTNY Program and interned at SEFA. Throughout my summer internship, I took on a large-scale project that involved cataloging around 300 pieces across multiple databases and drafting professional proposals to museums and sculpture gardens across the United States to showcase a specific artist's work. Additionally, I completed routine gallery tasks. My favorite part of the internship was learning how to professionally install the artwork for an exhibition and aiding in curatorial processes. 

Fall 2018 

Position: Intern
Student: Plan II and International Relations and Global Studies Senior

I am an undergraduate intern at the Briscoe Center for American History at the University of Texas at Austin. My primary duties include processing incoming collections and aiding the Center in exhibition and curatorial work.

For students unfamiliar with archives or librarianship, most of that last sentence might seem like foreign concepts. As an American history research center, the Briscoe acquires ‘collections’ (materials relating to a particular topic, event, or person) for research purposes. The goal of processing is to catalog the contents, re-organize materials to ensure preservation, and organize the collection in a way that makes sense for research purposes. The process sounds simple, but it can get complex when you are dealing with a dozen or so boxes of research materials that need to be sorted through.

The reality of my day-to-day work varies a lot depending on what I am doing and how far in a collection I am. In the beginning, I comb through materials, then move on to preservation, re-organization, then inputting the materials into online archival databases so they are searchable for whoever might be looking to study them. I work under minimal supervision, checking in with my supervisor and colleagues when I have questions. The Briscoe has struck a great balance with me between allowing me freedom to work independently but also checking up every so often and being receptive to whatever questions or concerns I have in performing my work.

Overall, I have learned a great deal throughout my time at the Briscoe and have grown to love archival work. It can seem tedious at times, but the Center has a wide array of materials spanning Texas and American history. In allowing me relative freedom in choosing which collections I work on, I am able to ensure that I find my work both interesting and edifying.

Fall 2017

Position: Classroom Instruction Intern
Student: English Senior

The Harry Ransom Center is a humanities research library and museum. We hold collections related to subjects such as literature, film, photography, and visual and performing arts. The Ransom Center features a new exhibit every semester, so this is one way that visitors can engage with the Center’s collections. Other ways that patrons interact with the collections include research and study, publications, and a rich variety of program offerings including readings, talks, symposia, and film screenings.

As an undergraduate intern in classroom instruction, I work to support undergraduate and graduate classes that come to the Ransom Center to engage with our collections. We find materials in the collections that relate to a particular class and then request for those items to be paged. During the research process, you might start by looking at the “Guide to the Collections,” which provides a list of the major holdings within a specific academic area of study. For a more advanced search, you might then turn to the finding aid and try different keywords. Usually, we select about 12-15 items for a single class, so you want to pick only the most relevant items. After these items get paged, you begin the flagging process, which involves reading and thinking more about the items you selected. You select a certain page of a book or a particular file in one folder that you want to display, then the books go on display inside one of our three classrooms. You will talk briefly about the items you chose and how they relate to the class, so your contributions help guide discussion and encourage a more active learning experience. In addition to research, you will work on other assignments that relate to pedagogy and curriculum development.  

Fall 2011

Position: Humanites Research Center- Public Affairs Intern
Student: Plan II and Religious Studies Junior
The Undergraduate Humanities Research Center Internship is available to Plan II and Liberal Arts Honors students. The internship takes place in the Harry Ransom Center here at the University of Texas at Austin. Students interested in the internship are to apply through the Plan II website.

Accepted applicants list 3 departments in the Ransom Center in which they would like to be placed. While the departments needing interns varies from year-to-year, the departments available at the time of my internship were: Public Affairs, Film and Photography, Manuscripts Archive, and internships with specific curators working on upcoming exhibitions.

A typical day in the Public Affairs department where I work varies from day to day. When I arrive, I checked in with my supervisor, Jen Tisdale the Director of Public Affairs, and asked her what projects she would like me to work on for the day, or to update her on my on-going projects and the ones I had finished. Most of my responsibilities involved the promotion of the Harry Ransom Center’s exhibitions, both current and up-coming ones. This was primarily done through blog posts I wrote that would be published on the Ransom Center’s blog “Cultural Compass.” My other responsibilities were researching commercial media contacts, as well as other contacts that might be interested in our exhibitions, in order to target them in our promotional projects. These contacts included state and national newspaper writers, local and state-wide academic institutions, and non-profit organizations. I also acted as a liaison between Artists Rights Society and other similar organizations concerning the Ransom Center’s use of materials under copyright. Finally, I have begun work with the Marketing department in a project that involves on-campus and student-geared promotions of the Ransom Center.

After working on any number of these kinds of projects, my day usually ended with a quick update of the day’s progress with Jen or the Public Affairs associate Alicia before checking out.

Fall 2017

Position: Design Intern
Student: Health & Society Senior

This semester, I obtained an internship with a residential interior design firm. The firm is run through Wendow Fine Living, a furnishings store, owned by Shannon Dowell (a former longhorn). I was interested in this design internship, as I have learned about the significant role that our surroundings play in our physical and emotional health, being a Health and Society major. I became impassioned by the supportive research on this topic and thought striving to expose more members of our society to the benefits of design would be a rewarding and stimulating goal.  For these reasons, I chose to see if an internship in the design industry would give me a better sense of whether I could seamlessly and successfully work in this industry after graduation.

Design entails knowledge of psychology, creative ability, and problem-solving skills. My internship gave me the opportunity to exercise these areas on a daily basis by communicating with Ms. Dowell, textiles representatives, and Ms. Dowell’s clients. I was often given the task of selecting textile options, materials, and creating layout ideas for various spaces in clients’ homes. Once Ms. Dowell critiqued and approved of these decisions, I would then reach out to sales representatives and create purchase orders of these items. Once delivered, I was in charge of inspecting them and reaching out to companies if the items were delivered in poor condition. On select days, I would travel with Ms. Dowell and take notes for her while she brainstormed design ideas at job sites. In addition, we would attend the businesses of wholesale distributers to seek out textiles and rugs. I would work for Ms. Dowell ten hours per week, and although I felt responsible for many tasks, she was very helpful and supportive of my efforts.

Spring 2023

Position: Gallery Assistant Intern
Student: History and International Relations and Global Studies Junior

My internship at Vaughn Art Agency + Gallery has exposed me to essential processes of gallery management and operations. I found this internship through networking connections, but I am working with my supervisors to make this internship position more widely accessible to UT students in the future. My duties at Vaughn include cataloging, art handling in terms of organization and shipment, and aiding in the planning and execution of public exhibitions for artists represented by the gallery. My favorite part of this internship is being able to interact with contemporary art and making valuable connections with artists, clients, and others who work in the gallery sphere.

Fall 2017

Position: Design Intern
Student: Health & Society Senior

This semester, I obtained an internship with a residential interior design firm. The firm is run through Wendow Fine Living, a furnishings store, owned by Shannon Dowell (a former longhorn). I was interested in this design internship, as I have learned about the significant role that our surroundings play in our physical and emotional health, being a Health and Society major. I became impassioned by the supportive research on this topic and thought striving to expose more members of our society to the benefits of design would be a rewarding and stimulating goal.  For these reasons, I chose to see if an internship in the design industry would give me a better sense of whether I could seamlessly and successfully work in this industry after graduation.

Design entails knowledge of psychology, creative ability, and problem-solving skills. My internship gave me the opportunity to exercise these areas on a daily basis by communicating with Ms. Dowell, textiles representatives, and Ms. Dowell’s clients. I was often given the task of selecting textile options, materials, and creating layout ideas for various spaces in clients’ homes. Once Ms. Dowell critiqued and approved of these decisions, I would then reach out to sales representatives and create purchase orders of these items. Once delivered, I was in charge of inspecting them and reaching out to companies if the items were delivered in poor condition. On select days, I would travel with Ms. Dowell and take notes for her while she brainstormed design ideas at job sites. In addition, we would attend the businesses of wholesale distributers to seek out textiles and rugs. I would work for Ms. Dowell ten hours per week, and although I felt responsible for many tasks, she was very helpful and supportive of my efforts.