Weekly Blog Question #10– Has this experience been a rewarding one for you? How has the reality of your internship matched or contrasted your expectations? What is the most important learning you did in your internship?
This experience has been rewarding because i have learned more than i expected about marketing and working in a creative atmosphere while being professional. This experience is rewarding because I am able to tap into my creative mind at anytime and use anything as creative fuel. Lastly, this experience is rewarding because i get to see the behind the scenes of how shows are put together; the hard work and dedication from everyone in this building isnt something just anyone walking by the business or watching the show are able to experience.
The reality of my internship has matched my expectations and contrasted my expectations. The amount of work that goes into promotion and organization is very tedious but i totally expected that in the beginning. What contrasted my expectations is the amount to interactions i have with the directors and dancers. Also just being able to sit and observe the dancers during rehearsal has contrasted my expectations because i didn’t think i would be able to do work while studying what is going on in the rehearsal space.
The most important learning i did during my internship is professionally interacting with others. Before i would keep everything brief and awkward when interacting but now I’m able to balance personality and professionalism. Also i have learned that every thought counts in the art world, every idea can be used to add or take away from the piece but sometimes what seems to be pointless ideas, can potentially add some element to your project.
Weekly Blog Question #9: What have you seen or experienced in your internship that has inspired you the most on your own journey? Has this experience changed your artistic ambitions? how?
I have seen amazing shows be built from an idea to a reality. At Wonderbound they explore their minds, they aren’t afraid to try new things, unusual things. This inspired me because I have a hard time focusing on what is truly going on in my mind. I tend to hold back certain movements in choreography, certain words when I’m writing a song or free writing, and other life choices due to the the little voice alllllll the way in the back of my mind telling me “ don’t do it , that’s weird.” I need to embrace what goes on in my mind and not hold back when creating. This experience changed my artistic ambitions by making me go back through my plans and reevaluate my life. I need to start setting small goals before jumping straight for the big goals. I need to pay attention to every detail in my projects and in life in general and work out every flaw that is fixable. This experience made me want to learn more about the entertainment industry, what does it take to create and put in a huge show. This internship helped me me realize that I’m truly happen focusing on what I love so I should get out and explore all that life has to offer to use in my artistic projects to add a deeper meaning to the story of the song or choreography. If you truly love something then you should invest majority of you time into doing and bettering your brand/craft/passion.
Weekly Blog Question #8– How is your internship project going? Describe the progress of your project. How did the conversation about your project go with your sponsor? Did they have good insight on how to expand or improve the project? How does your project bridge what you do at your internship and what you like to create for yourself? Has your relationship with your sponsor evolved as you’ve engaged in a creative dialogue? Are there any challenges in your project?
Ideas for my internship project is all over the place. Im not sure on how exactly i want to the crowd to feel during this performance due to the vast amount of different emotions that is portrayed in the choreography. Also the song ideas continually change, i want a dark heavy hypnotic feeling from the song but each song i begin creating to, it gets boring.
The first step is finding a good song, something that is hot but something that not too many people have heard before. Then i sit in a quite dark space or go for a ride and just think about choreography and other staging ideas. Once i have a “theme” and an idea of how i want to get my imagination to come to life i begin creating the dance. This process can either take me an hour or a week lol. The progress so far is good, all of the other dancers are on the same page about themes and other ideas finally. Figuring out formations is the hardest part because i want to see something different without reusing previous formations from other performances or ones that are already in the current project.
My sponsor had told me to ask a few dancers from the company to be apart of my project but due to their busy schedules that doesn’t seem too bright. Instead i will ask a few of them to give ideas and what would they like to see in a project that they haven’t seen before.
My project bridges from my internship because i am able to create freely. At Wonderbound watching Garrett direct the dancers, i’ve noticed that the project shows everything that went on behind the scenes. If your mind isn’t in the right spot to create then the result is a piece that shows the un-creativity but if you’re passionate about the piece then inspiration flows from just about anything and the performance will show every creative element. Also, my project bridges from my internship by me having to advertise and sell performance ideas to teachers, tech crew, and the students.
The relationship between my sponsor and I has evolved since i started working on creative dialogue. If i have a question about anything creative i feel free to go to anyone in the building due to the amount of creative minds and the artistic energy that fills the building.
There are not too many challenges in my project but there a few where its difficult to get through. One of the challenges is being able to connect my emotions to the song, surprisingly. Even though I can relate to the music, its hard to add my emotions into the music. The choreography is great for it but I don’t want the project to be full of undeterminable emotions that absolutely do not match the original expectations/ goals for the performance/ choreography.
Weekly Blog Question #7- What is the difference between working on personal art projects and working in a creative business? What have you learned about working in a creative business?
10/22/17
The differences between working on personal art projects and creative projects are is with one you’re freely creating while with the other you’re creativity has a limit. When I work on personal projects I question everything and I put things where want and take control of creativity. But while working in a creative business I have to carry their creative ideas with no say on how they should or shouldn’t execute their ideas and goals. What I have learned working in a creative business is you have to stay on your toes (staying busy), put a lot of attention into what the customer wants to see or what they haven’t seen already (stay innovative), and I have also learned that you can get what you want from others as long as you’re clear and fair about things.
Weekly Blog Question #6- How do people at work treat you? How does it make you feel? If you have in intern for one day will you treat them the same? What have you learned so far from your co-workers and sponsor?
10/17/17
People at work treat me like they would treat anyone else in the office/studio. Everyone is very friendly and open. It is very easy to start new conversations and get to know one another. I’m treated like I actually work there. Lots of respect and trust. I am asked about my personal life at this point in the internship so they can get to know me more personally.
This makes me feel more comfortable at the internship because I know they want to know more about me personally instead of what more can I do to further help with marketing. It makes me enjoy being there that much more. It also makes me feel comfortable because I can ask questions and start new conversations without feeling awkward or leave me feeling regret about starting the new conversation.
If I had an intern for a day I would treat them the same. From experience, I would want them to feel comfortable to be around and work around me. Not hate my presence. I would be open to help them at anytime just like Amber helps me if I have an issue at anytime doing computer work. I would talk to them about their personal life’s to get to know them and also learn how to interact with them.
What I have learned from my co-workers and sponsor is that passion is what gives everything life. Garret knows exactly what he wants when choreographing, the way he explains and shows the steps scream passion. Resulting in amazing story telling choreography. I have also learned that you can be productive while being comfortable. Sometimes I’m way more productive when I’m relaxed. I also learned that if you truly love what you do, it doesn’t matter how much stress it gives you, you push through and work for the best.
Week 5: How do you feel like your internship is going? What are the highlights and “lowlights”? Do you feel like you are making connections with your co-workers? What can you do to improve your experience?
10/9/17
I feel like my internship is alright. It’s a fun learning experience but there could be a little more excitement like interacting with the dancers more for example. I have the computer duties under control, I just need to move around and learn about putting choreography together, how dancers quickly learn the new steps, and expressing creative ideas.
The highlights of the internship are watching the dancers rehearse and learn new choreography. Another highlight would include working in a somewhat quiet space. The city noise and music from the studio are just about the only noise for the most part. There might be an occasional small conversation between co-workers. A lowlight would be the repetition of computer work. I tend to get bored. Another lowlight would be sitting down majority of the time, sometimes I get super hyper and I continuously sway back and forth as Im typing or I look outside of the window and observe the surroundings.
I do not feel like I’m making as many connections as I should or as quickly because I don’t know what to say to people other than “hi, how is your day?” or asking them about the company. I’m not sure how to approach someone on a personal level without asking a “corny” or uninteresting question.
I can continue doing what I am doing with the work portion. I can just find new ways to interact with people in a upbeat way and ask interesting questions about their life’s outside of working in/with the company. I can also start interacting with the directors to learn what it takes to be a good choreographer and director.
Blog Question #4: What are you responsible for at your workplace? What do you think is your main contribution to your work site? What do your day to day duties look like?
10/2/17
I am responsible for posting on event calendars. Posting on event calendars all over the web is a critical part of my internship because how else will the show be promoted/ advertised other than a company member verbally telling few people? I am also responsible for press tracking. Any articles/ other media that mentions Wonderbound in anyway is tracked in a file and word document. The steps are to read the article or watch the video then in the word document, summarize and attach the link. In the mix of all of that, pictures are taken and uploaded to the Wonderbound Snapchat account. At least 3 interesting photos or videos but not to revealing about the show.
I believe my main contribution to the work site is helping promote/ advertise the shows to get more people to attend show dates. Reaching out to other companies, radio stations, news stations…etc by posting on their event pages and listing the details about the show (tickets, times, and contact information. Plus summarizing the show in a very intriguing yet brief way to grab the targeted audiences attention.
My day to day duties are logging on to all google accounts and documents then ask Amber what does she need me to do other than post on event calendars. Sometimes I’ll sit in the studio to watch the dancers rehearse and record very interesting parts. Then I would add new subscribers to the email list to make sure they’re updated with all the fun events hosted by Wonderbound. Sometimes I will have to label pictures with the names of the dancers to help separate them into different folders. If there are new articles and videos about Wonderbound, I am to track it into a word document and summarize plus include the links. Majority of my time is spent posting on event calendars. That consist of summarizing the show in an intriguing way, adding contact information, locations, dates, times, prices, and choosing categories the show fits under.
Weekly Blog Question #3- How do your actions affect your workplace? Do you contribute positively? How do your co-workers actions affect your internship? Witch co-workers are you connecting with?
9/24/17
Everyone has a task to do, if it’s not done I’m not only behind but so is the company. There isn’t any room for slack. It’s a quite chilled workplace but work has to get done just like in any other workplace. If I’m unsure of a task, I simply ask questions instead of assuming what’s the correct order of doing the task and possibly messing something up or end up having to go back and redo every mistake made.
I contribute positively because nothing gets done if one has a negative vibe; anywhere in life. I make sure I complete task up to or beyond standards to make sure I’m doing what I’m supposed to do correctly. Being positive in the workspace or any area attracts positive interactions and creates room for great ideas and topics to be discussed.
The coworkers actions affect my internship by being an example of how to act in the specific work area. Also they affect my internship because they know exactly what to do, so if my sponsor isn’t there I can ask them any questions I have. Eventually leading to communicating more often to everyone in the office other than directly to my sponsor. They’re like watchmen, if my sponsor isn’t there they’re paying attention to how I act/ carry myself in their absents.
I began connecting with Elaine, she makes sure people know about Wonderbound, their show details and many other details about the company. I have also began connecting with the dancers, I consider them co-workers because we’re all committed to bringing the arts and meaning to everyone, locally and nationally. Sometimes a dancer or two would come into the office and have small talk with one of three of us or all of us. Some conversations consist of weather, social media ideas, and other small talk.
9/19/17
Weekly Blog Question #2 –What was the best thing that happened this week at your internship? How did it make you feel? What else makes you excited about your internship?
9/7/17
The best thing that happened this week would include learning about the dancers and the millions of creative things that take place just in their downtown studio alone. Getting the opportunity to view the rehearsals while working is a major plus, I can learn the qualities of the professional dance life and how the creative directors bring their visions to reality. The most exciting thing that has happened this week is the amount of questions I’ve thought of to ask the dancer and staff of the company.
This made me feel more eager to begin my career in the entertainment industry. On a smaller scale it also gave me a boost of creative ideas for shows and choreography. Watching the rehearsal process revealed to me that in a professional dance environment one has to learn the choreography quickly because there isn’t much time to waste continually going over one part of the choreography. This made me feel excited about the creative aspects behind the choreography because due to the fast pace, that leaves more time to develop more creative ideas.
What makes me most excited about the internship is I get a glance of just a portion of what I’ll be doing in the near future. I can start developing business and marketing skills whilst being here and then develop and take these skills every where I go. Also what makes me excited is I get to learn how each dancer has their own style doing the same choreo yet they are in unison, and there is a lot of personalities to work and vibe with adding on to the creative energy in the studio.
Blog Question #1
9/5/17
What did you learn from your first week at your internship? Did anything surprise you? Who did you meet and what do they do? Did you engage in any code switching?
The first day of the internship I learned how to track press articles into two separate programs. First, look up and read the article that’s mention the company’s name and then record the date and attatch links to both Word document and Google Docs. The second and most simple task of the day would be hanging the posters in the frames outside the building. The final lesson of the day was to add subscribers to the emailing list; which was way more simple than I thought would be.
The calm yet busy environment surprised me most. I expected many people to come in to visit and ask questions but it was the total opposite. Questions are answered over phone, maybe one to two people will pop in once in a while. The traffic creates the busy and alert feeling.
It wasn’t until my third visit I got the chance to meet the Producing Director and Vice President of Wonderbound, Dawn Fay. As I worked behind the desk Dawn would walk by every once and a while making small talk between co-workers and I and other times she was rushing out and back in the
door on the phone making sure everything is organized.
Throughout the first day I engaged in code switching by instead of going about my business due to the fact I knew what I was doing, I sat back and observed everything going on infront of me and took notes mentally, on my note pad, and on Word document. Also observing how everyone communicated to co-workers and visiotors in a inviting and professional manner.