CT majors are encouraged to look for opportunities outside of the classroom to prepare themselves for the production world. Many of the skills that you develop in classes are part of an extended craft and need continued development. The major requires students to do at least one internship to prepare you for the real world. But there are other opportunities to practice your skills and find your creative voice.

Internships

Communications Technology majors are required to take an internship in order to graduate; minors are encouraged to do one as well. An internship gives a student the opportunity to experience the work environment. Students learn a specific industry’s workflow and form relationships with professionals.

Interns are required to work 20 hours a week for 15 weeks, minimum, for CT internship course credit. Students have the opportunity to take two internships for college credit; CT 490 and 491. While an intern students must submit regular journal entries about the experience and meet periodically with the internship coordinator.

Before taking your first internship students are required to take the one credit workshop CT 399, Portfolio Design. In this course, students prepare a resume, identify and contact interesting employers, and meet with the internship coordinator, Daniel Phelps.

Production Clubs

Fourth Floor Productions is the student film club at York College. CT majors and non-majors collaborate to host film challenges, make New York City area studio visits, run video game contests, and sponsor annual CT major student showcases. It’s an opportunity for like-minded students to meet, create, and have fun.

Pandora’s Box is the student run newspaper at York College. CT majors and journalism majors collaborate on news segments for the online presence of the newspaper pbwire.com. It’s an opportunity to hone non-fiction television skills in a news environment.

YC Radio is the student run web radio station at York College. CT majors and non-majors collaborate on a variety of music and talk radio shows broadcast on ycradio.org. It’s an opportunity to experience a live broadcast environment and talk endlessly about music.

On-Campus Work Opportunities

CT majors can get paid while cultivating skills and getting familiar with workflows in a deadline-oriented environment.

The Lab, in AC-4M03, is where trustworthy talented CT majors can work to support the academic program and campus productions. Students work on a variety of tasks – assisting instructors during production classes, shooting campus events, or producing podcasts and promotional materials for the college. Contact: Daniel Phelps, dphelps@york.cuny.edu

Web Team, in AC-1H14, oversees all York College websites and looks for CT majors that are creative, have Photoshop skills and can read HTML. Majors with real programming experience (Python, Javascript, Actionscript) can expect to work on many critical projects. Contact: Eric Tyrer, etyrer@york.cuny.edu

Equipment Stockroom, in AC-4G02, provides classroom and campus event support for York College. Majors need a combination of AV and IT skills while performing AV setup/breakdown, computer maintenance, and smart classroom training. Contact Elli Levy, elevy@york.cuny.edu

Classroom Building Computer Lab, in CL-207, maintains the largest computer classrooms and drop in lab for York College. Interested CT majors must have experience troubleshooting MS Windows and MS Office. Students are expected to directly interact with faculty and students as they solve a variety of PC related problems. Contact: Elizabeth Chow, echow@york.cuny.edu

Independent Productions

Living in New York City, majors have access to a tremendous number of independent producers looking for production students to work on short projects. Though most of these positions are generally simple production assistant jobs for low or no pay, it’s a chance to network and experience new production environments. Students can get advice from faculty as they apply for opportunities found on sites like Mandy.com, media-match.com and craigslist.org.

Personal/summer projects

Whether it’s a short film, a video blog, or a design project, motivated students working on projects outside of classes and clubs can still use equipment and receive support as long as you’re a registered student. Creative voice and superior craft often come out of projects made this way. It’s an opportunity for students to showcase their ability to work without specific guidance or supervision.