Name: Chip Rittenhouse

Internship, Co-op or Research Site: Renegade Productions

Position Title: Production Assistant/Intern

Major(s)/Minor(s): Media and Communications/ Anthropology

Expected Graduation Year: Spring 2017

Briefly describe your internship, co-op,  or research opportunity, including your day-to-day tasks, responsibilities, and assignments.

At Renegade, I enter a workplace that is full of eccentric creators where an atmosphere of collaboration and creativity are contagious! Not only do I enter each day at Renegade with excitement at what the day ahead may hold, but I also know that I will learn something new each time I am there. Whenever filming a project for a client I am on set as a supportive member of the production team who has input in terms of how something looks on screen but also I gain first hand experience with set design and handling professional level equipment which has been an immeasurable opportunity. Whenever not on set with a client filming, I can be found in the production department seeking out future clients for the company; or taking part in pre-production, where I'm working on sound tracks or stock footage that fit a genre of projects we are working on. On top of that, having the chance to work with directors and producers at Renegade on a day-to-day basis and having the opportunity to ask them questions about the industry firsthand is something I am incredibly thankful for.   

Describe the process of obtaining your internship, research, or co-op opportunity.

I attended a social event in Baltimore city through the Maryland Film Industry Coalition. I also utilized UMBC Career Center to learn how to approach the internship professionally.

What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization/company?

I am working in the field with professionals in the industry of commercial and cinematic production and so having the opportunity to learn from them first hand is what I enjoy most. At times I feel as though I should  pinch myself because all the new things I am learning at such a rapid pace seems unreal.

How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?

Keeping a client's project on schedule making sure it doesn't go over and cost them more money than what was projected is a major goal of mine each time I'm on a live set. However, moments that stick out to me the most is when I am thanked by the others on set for doing my job well; it makes all the hard work that I am doing pay off and it is in that moment where I feel as though I've made a true impact and have represented myself as a valuable member of the production.

What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?

This is a dream internship that I feel incredibly thankful to have gotten. With that said,  I attained this internship through a very unique circumstance. It was complete happenstance that the last person to leave the Maryland Film Industry Coalition event was a director with the Renegade Productions department. Moreover, little did I know this person who I struck a random conversation with would help me in attaining an intern position with Renegade. So I suppose my bit of advice to any other student struggling to find their ideal internship, or an internship in general, perhaps taking a step outside of their comfort zone and thinking outside of the box in terms of reaching out to prospective internships will garner the dream internship they are seeking. Put yourself out there, whether it's in person or having a strong social media presence, and I can almost guarantee that your your name will come across someone’s desk along the way.

P.S. Sending a wide expanse of self introduction emails doesn't hurt your chances either!

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