Inaugural Arts Video Intern Brandon Galvan By Dositha Rosine Kamugisha
Last fall the Raclin School of the Arts was looking for a student with a specialized skill set to serve as the school’s first videography intern. The school found everything it hoped for and more when Brandon Galvan, BFA ’20 Integrated New Media Studies, applied for the job. The position was designed to help the staff create promotional videos for the many exciting events sponsored by the Raclin School of the Arts such as music and theatre performances, lectures, concerts, and recitals. Galvan was born and raised in South Bend and is wrapping up his undergraduate career at IU South Bend. As a student, Galvan has perfected his project-based work ethic that utilizes his education in video and motion media. His instructors taught him to be creative and cooperative with his colleagues in the School of the Arts. “What I find interesting within my major is being able to create anything that comes to mind and collaborating with other students and bringing different ideas to the mix to be able to create something amazing at the end of the project,” Galvan explains. The field of Integrated New Media Studies (INMS) requires students to work hard to create projects that are different when it comes to video, photography, animations, or 3D printing. Towards the end of students’ academic careers, they should have a grasp of the creative/collaborative process and possess solid skills to support that process. In addition, like Galvan, they will have developed confidence in their ability to craft a product that delivers what the customer is looking for. Department chair of INMS Dr. Michael Lasater, professor of Mass Communication, was one of Galvan’s professors since his start at IU South Bend. “Brandon has a strong sense of photographic composition – he’s a very intuitive visual storyteller, especially in video. He is also careful with all the details – video color matching, audio control,
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camera control and shot selection. The combination of creative intuition plus discipline in the production process – Brandon has that, and it will stand him in good stead in his career,” Lasater explains. With what Galvan learned while studying INMS at IU South Bend, he knows he is equipped with the skills necessary to deliver promotional videos that make him proud of his work. Although the School of the Arts had Galvan for only one year, due to his spring graduation, he has left his mark on how the intern position should be handled. Cory Iwaszewski, Media and Community Outreach Manager for the School of the Arts says, “Brandon came in and did everything we asked for and more. He is an extremely talented student, who has big things coming in his future. I wish we could keep him here, but there is a company that is going to be very happy when they hire him. HIs talent mixed with his work ethic will make him a great asset to any organization. We are very thankful we had him for this past year.” Galvan chose IU South Bend for its affordability and close commute to his home. Now he is putting together the skills he has gained here, along with field experiences such as his internship in the Arts, to craft a career that he can take anywhere. As the school year winds down, he is already looking at what’s next on his journey. His plans after graduation include some freelance work around the area, but ultimately Galvan hopes to move south and join a big corporation in Miami. “Moving to Miami is my biggest dream because I really enjoy the culture and the atmosphere. There is so much to do, and I love the warm weather,” Galvan says. Galvan’s expertise in video editing will start making its debut this upcoming semester, however, if you would like to check out some of Galvan’s work, please see https:// brandongalvan305.wixsite.com/brandongalvan.