The Sport of Production
My name is Tyler. I’m currently a second year student at Northeastern University. I’m a Media and Screen Studies major and I’m presently participating in a six-month internship at Red Summit Productions in NYC. I don’t really know what I want to do after college; I just know that I like making things with my camera. But what I’ve learned so far at my internship is that I know nothing. And it’s this quick realization that has sent me into a panic. Well, maybe not a panic, let’s just call it a healthy dose of nervousness. I have no idea how to light a set, my editing skills need to be 10x faster and I’m pretty sure cameras have about a million different features I didn’t know existed. In the midst of all these things I don’t know, I felt like the only thing I could do is to look back at what I do know.
I grew up in sports. I know that grass stains, Gatorade and game days are practically ingrained in my DNA. Sports have broken my bones, chipped my teeth and have even gotten me sucker-punched square in the face. But more importantly, sports lent me an incredible foundation for understanding what it means to work hard. Things like early morning warm-ups and freezing cold winter practices taught me about commitment, while winless seasons and championship victories showed me how to a part of a team no matter the successes.
Because of my upbringing on fields and courts, one of the first places I wanted to visit when I first moved to NYC was Pier 40. Pier 40 is arguably the place to go to for soccer in the big apple. And, while I’m a fond observer of all sports, soccer has always been my passion. Soccer has provided me with countless friendships and intangible lessons that I’ll forever be thankful for. So naturally, I looked to Pier 40 and my history in soccer to help me figure out how the heck I’ll ever make it in production.
As I gazed upon some young kids attempting, and I say attempting with some grace, to kick a ball around the field, I tried to remember the soccer player I was at that age. I couldn’t kick a ball very far and generally wasn’t all that great. But I loved it. I trained day in and day out and eventually, I became a pretty good player. But it wasn’t something that just happened overnight, it took awhile. It took early morning warm-ups and cold winter practices. It took a lot of wins and way more losses. But after years and years of practice, kicking a ball and playing soccer became muscle memory.
It was then that a warm moment of serenity overcame me (or it was just a hot breeze from a sewer drain I couldn’t tell). I’ve been in this situation before. I’ve been ‘not good’ at something before. And to get better, I practiced and I hustled and I pushed. It took time and it took tons of energy but it worked. Right now I don’t know how to light a set, know how to edit in the fastest way possible or know all the different features of a camera.
But with a little hard work and elbow grease, one day I just might. It’s not rocket science; I’m just not good at those things yet. I have to practice and practice and practice until eventually coloring footage, mixing sound and exposing a shot all become muscle memory.
Until eventually, I can work a camera better than I can kick a ball.
If you enjoyed this story, click the 👏 button and share to help others find it!
This was article was written by Red Summit Productions Intern Tyler Dolph.
Follow Red Summit Productions on Facebook / Instagram / Twitter
