Over the summer, two University of Richmond undergraduates stepped into roles working in entertainment — not as stars in front of the camera, but as interns learning the ropes. One student found herself navigating the buzz of the red carpet at a National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences event, while the other dove into the creative process at an independent film production company.

Their experiences, though different in setting and scope, shared a common thread — real-world immersion that built on their academic foundation, helping transform classroom concepts into career-shaping skills.

Filming on the streets of Philly

Jolie Schreiber fell in love with film during the COVID-19 lockdown. Months before the end of this past spring semester, she made a conscious decision to spend the summer building her portfolio and gaining insight into what her career as a filmmaker could look like. The sophomore, who will likely declare film studies as her major, spent the summer getting hands-on experience with Hidden Gem, a small film production company based in her hometown of Philadelphia that specializes in commercial and creative work.

Schreiber was quickly immersed in the day-to-day efforts of the independent company that has a client list that includes Google, Toyota, and GrubHub. “I joined weekly meetings to learn about clients and research potential connections, improve their social media presence, and design pitch decks,” she said. “They are also in the process of funding a feature film, so in addition to learning new business and commercial skills, I saw into the beginnings of indie filmmaking. Through these meetings, I read scripts, learned about cinema cameras, and contracts.”

The internship occasionally took her outside the City of Brotherly Love. For instance, Schreiber joined the team as a production assistant for a day of on-location filming at NRG Stadium, the home field of the NFL’s Houston Texans.

Perhaps her most memorable opportunity was directing a creative music video shoot. “My bosses wanted me to leave with something to show the skills I developed,” she said. “I picked a song from an artist I liked, came up with the concept, figured out the shots, and we filmed all the footage in one day. I edited it myself. And we used a real movie camera. I had never seen one in person before.”

Schreiber said her Richmond film coursework played a significant role in the project. “I learned about different types of shots and how to create a narrative sequence,” she said. “Then I actually had to do those things for my music video. It was pretty cool.”

Schreiber knows filmmaking is in her future, but would like to experiment with different genres and formats, including documentary.

From Richmond to the red carpet

Landon Essig, a senior business administration major with a concentration in marketing and a minor in visual arts and media practice, interned with Smithhouse Strategy, a boutique communications and public relations agency with teams in New York, Los Angeles, and Miami.

Essig, who is from Fairfield, Connecticut, heard about the agency through a hometown friend who worked for them. She secured an interview over winter break and was given a role working remotely for the New York team beginning in mid-May.

The internship led Essig into the heart of the entertainment industry, giving her behind-the-scenes work on high-profile accounts — including CBS, National Geographic, and Telemundo. She worked on daily news reports, researched speaking opportunities for the agency’s clients, and supported PR strategies for prominent events.

"My greatest accomplishment was helping shape the PR strategy for HIV Unwrapped, a New York Fashion Week event pairing designers with scientists to raise awareness,” Essig said. “I contributed research, media list development, and competitive analysis that directly informed outreach plans and partnerships."

Essig also helped the Smithhouse team at the premiere of Amazon Prime’s series The Better Sister and the News & Documentary Emmy Awards.

“We pretty much just worked the red carpet to make sure things ran smoothly,” she said. “I helped make sure both our in-house photographers and all of the invited photographers, like Getty Images, had a clear line of sight to get their shots. We also coordinated who was going down the carpet at what time. It was really about making sure the timing flowed so the carpet didn’t get backed up.”

Essig said taking a Microsoft Excel class at Richmond gave her a boost. “I did a lot of Google sheets over the summer dealing with journalists and keeping things organized,” she said. “It gave me an edge because I’m very comfortable with creating and organizing data quickly.”

Essig’s remote internship with Smithhouse will continue this fall. “My role is focused on PR and media strategy support — things like compiling and updating coverage reports, maintaining media and influencer contact lists, and helping with award research and submissions. Essentially, I’ll be making sure the team has reliable research and coverage updates.”