testimonial and multimedia by Cam Penner
Halfway through my spring semester, I was starting to get worried.
I had no idea what I was going to do for the summer when all my friends already had their internships lined up. Or so I felt right up until I received an email about an organization called Hear Nebraska. I wasn’t familiar with Hear Nebraska, but as I read their stories and watched different videos from past interns, I became excited. How I didn’t become exposed to HN’s work sooner is beyond me because it’s exactly the kind of organization I wanted to join.
Andy and Angie Norman, HN's cofounders, and Michael Todd, the managing editor, pushed me to produce content that I would be proud of. The story that challenged me the most was my profile of For-Zero-Too Records about the punk rock scene in Lincoln during the late ‘90s and early 2000s. It drove me to tell a story about a time period I wasn’t old enough to experience firsthand. I couldn’t have produced the story without the edits and ideas from Andy and Michael.
The highlight of my summer internship was my trip to Warped Tour in Kansas City. It was surreal to be walking backstage among bands I looked up to. I can’t even explain the feeling of interviewing Josh Moore of We Came As Romans, the band that inspired me to start playing music again. Being able give a thumbs-up to the security guy at each stage and walking up to the front to take pictures was one of the coolest feelings I’ve experienced. Hear Nebraska gave me this opportunity.
PHOTOS:
From Cam's experience at Warped Tour:
More photos from Cam's summer multimedia internship:
For me, the most important part of the internship — besides listening to great music all summer — was that I had the chance to make it my own. If I wanted to drive to Kearney on a Wednesday night to go to a hardcore show, I had the freedom to do that. Nebraska is a really cool place for music right now, and Hear Nebraska is full of people excited by that same culture.
I can’t say enough good things about Hear Nebraska and what this internship has done for me.
VIDEO REEL:
For-Zero-Too Records | Video Feature
"More Time to Kill" by Gerardo Meza | HNFM Performance
“15 Years” by The Bottletops | HNFM Performance
RECOMMENDATION:
by Michael Todd, Hear Nebraska's managing editor
Cam is a smart, productive photographer and videographer, but perhaps most of all, he's a joy to work with. Over the course of 12 weeks as a summer multimedia intern with Hear Nebraska, he proved himself as a driven workhorse with excellent communication and online-first skills.
Through the 26 multimedia-driven stories he helped produce, Cam submitted more than 200 compelling photos and a number of well-edited videos. Always receptive to edits, he was a quick learner, and showed a dedication to submitting his best work.
With a willingness to offer his advanced HTML and CSS knowledge, Cam also worked to expand his duties throughout the summer. It is with full confidence that I recommend Cam to any media organization.
INTERNSHIP INFO:
Nebraska's nonprofit music media company is looking for crack-shot, enterprising, self-starting, multimedia content-producing interns. We aim to hire at least one Lincoln multimedia intern, one Omaha multimedia intern and one design intern starting in January. We also have opportunities for editorial, editing, marketing and broadcasting interns should the right candidate apply.
Your computer will be your workplace, and you will help us cover, promote and document the state's music culture for 15-20 hours/week. Journalism, marketing or English majors are preferred, though others are accepted if they possess the following skills and attributes:
— Ability to produce quick, accurate copy, multimedia or designed materials on deadline that, critically, do not bore;
— Understanding of social media and a proven ability to use it effectively;
— Diverse multimedia abilities (video, photo, audio, social);
— A knack for storytelling;
— Ability to communicate effectively and stay on task remotely;
— Desire to grow professionally and socially;
— Ability to generate engaging, compelling story ideas;
— Love of music (especially local).
The chosen candidate(s) will get:
— Tough edits that will make them stronger, more-skilled and -polished journalists;
— A portfolio full of dynamic multimedia clips;
— An opportunity to manage one of HN's social media channels;
— A flexible, production-focused schedule;
— The chance to be in the team and on the ground floor of a young, growing nonprofit;
— Free entrance into all HN-sponsored shows, and other concerts when possible.
CONTRIBUTORS
In addition to internships, we also encourage all writers, photographers, videographers, designers and other creative talent to help us achieve our mission to cultivate Nebraska's vibrant, fertile music and arts community as contributors. Please email Michael Todd at michaeltodd@hearnebraska.org with your interest and details of what you'd like to cover. Join our HN family and learn from skilled multimedia-producing journalists and music lovers.