Ariel Shepherd-Hall / Summer Intern On June 11, 2014, I was lucky enough to work with one of the highly respected photography and videography production companies in Sacramento, CA. --Cmediapost. After Google Maps lead me through a maze of directions I finally got to their location in the nick of time. Once I got there, John Christensen, the founder of Christensen Media, not only showed me what he was doing but he also included a brief description and threw out a few vocabulary words for me to remember. He enters the garage and I follow behind, at this point I knew it was "go time". Unloading and packing equipment for the photo shoot wasn't as daunting and difficult as I thought. He gracefully gave me instructions such as “this is a softbox-light put this in the cab on the right side directly behind your seat”. It was simple yet specific. Everything had its place in the car. We packed all the necessarily equipment like a game of Tetris and made way towards the dentist office where the photo shoot took place.
Arriving at the office, I was ready to go. Tell me what to do and I will put all of three photo posts, two bags, and sand bags in the office in under thirty seconds. John had me slow down and think what kind of post was it? What was its purpose in life? And learning why it is called a C-stand. I felt like a ball-obsessed dog stuck on a leash while tennis balls were being thrown. It was beneficial though because how can a successful crew member communicate with each other if they don’t know the terms or the basic knowledge? I quickly stopped my overactive mind and came to terms the beneficial reasons. As we set-up the photo shoot, there was an odd although positive energy in the room. Everyone seemed to be at ease. There was no fuss between the photographer and the dentist staff, everything flowed. Even the most recognized and highly respect dentist (Dr. Binon) began talking about my future endeavors in Paris, which I'll be studying at by the end of Summer. While holding the reflector that was gargantuan, it struck me how personal and passionate John is. This man not only takes your photo but he develops a foundation of relationships amongst his clientele. He wants to create an ambiance full of laughter and creativity yet stay on task and get the job done. I thought to myself, “Here are two passionate men interacting during what normally is a stressful photo shoot but they're laughing showing each their accomplishments. How lucky am I to work with a cameraman who is passionate about his work but also invests enough care with his clients so that they become a friend rather than a stranger.” The photo shoot ended with happy faces and attitudes. I was also a happy intern with a happy attitude as well.
Arriving at the office, I was ready to go. Tell me what to do and I will put all of three photo posts, two bags, and sand bags in the office in under thirty seconds. John had me slow down and think what kind of post was it? What was its purpose in life? And learning why it is called a C-stand. I felt like a ball-obsessed dog stuck on a leash while tennis balls were being thrown. It was beneficial though because how can a successful crew member communicate with each other if they don’t know the terms or the basic knowledge? I quickly stopped my overactive mind and came to terms the beneficial reasons. As we set-up the photo shoot, there was an odd although positive energy in the room. Everyone seemed to be at ease. There was no fuss between the photographer and the dentist staff, everything flowed. Even the most recognized and highly respect dentist (Dr. Binon) began talking about my future endeavors in Paris, which I'll be studying at by the end of Summer. While holding the reflector that was gargantuan, it struck me how personal and passionate John is. This man not only takes your photo but he develops a foundation of relationships amongst his clientele. He wants to create an ambiance full of laughter and creativity yet stay on task and get the job done. I thought to myself, “Here are two passionate men interacting during what normally is a stressful photo shoot but they're laughing showing each their accomplishments. How lucky am I to work with a cameraman who is passionate about his work but also invests enough care with his clients so that they become a friend rather than a stranger.” The photo shoot ended with happy faces and attitudes. I was also a happy intern with a happy attitude as well.
The first lesson learned on the first day was rapport. The well-established relationship and care John gives to each of his clients. The positive charismatic words of encouragement to his crew members and the people he is shooting. How astonishing to maintain a foundation of relationships and trust with clients and coworkers. I am lucky to work with a well-respected production company, and I cannot wait until the next shoot on Friday.
[Ariel studies French at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and will be an exchange student in Paris by the end of Summer. She chose to intern with Christensen Media in the mean time to better her skills in media production.]
[Ariel studies French at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and will be an exchange student in Paris by the end of Summer. She chose to intern with Christensen Media in the mean time to better her skills in media production.]
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