Name: Christian

Year: Sophomore

Major(s): Journalism

Minor(s): Business Institutions

CFS Program: Field Studies in the Humanities

Employer: Spirit Juice Studios

I write this post from my car (parked, of course) after completing my fourth exciting and enriching week interning for Spirit Juice Studios, a top Catholic film production company and an absolute dream internship for me. In complete honesty, the realization that I’ve already completed 40% of my time as an intern is a bit unfortunate – I’d much rather spend my whole year here.

I’d been following Spirit Juice Studios for several years until my decision several months ago that I was ready to aim high and apply as an intern. While I didn’t receive the summer position I’d been hoping for, the company offered me a fall internship instead. I hadn’t been anticipating that option, but certainly wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity. With the help of Chicago Field Studies I found a way to make it fit my schedule.

The experience thus far has been nothing short of outstanding. After winning their second Emmy this past year, Spirit Juice is growing rapidly and I’ve had an inside look at their film sets, production meetings, and postproduction strategy. Early in my internship I’d often shadow on set, take behind-the-scenes footage, run social media analytics, reset equipment, and assist with general office tasks. But just a couple weeks in, I was unexpectedly offered the opportunity to work as an editor on a promotional film for one of the largest service organizations in the world. The following weekend, I was tasked with using a Canon C300 to film a wedding for a larger project on marriage preparation, and I’ve since continued to do regular editing work in the studio. I never could have imagined that just a couple weeks into my internship I’d be taking on responsibilities previously thought to be well out of reach as an intern.

Spirit Juice is located in Alsip, Illinois, a suburb south of Chicago – meaning the commute is a hefty 90 minute drive in each direction, but is well worth it. I’ve found ways to make use of that time, too, by listening to my class readings via audiobook (but only when the Cubs aren’t playing). As I look forwards to a potential career in media production, I can’t imagine a more valuable internship experience than Spirit Juice Studios.