It’s nice to meet you!

My name is Danielle Yaffie and I am the very first intern at Alford Media! I recently graduated from the University of North Texas with a double major in Media Arts and French and a minor in Business Management. While in college, I focused on creative production and narrative film production. Now with Alford, I am hoping to expand my knowledge into the AV tech world!

 Graduating from college as a Media Arts major, I thought that I had a good grasp of what the industry was like. Our classes told us that they were preparing us for all realms of media- film, television, radio, broadcasting and more. I passed all my classes with flying colors; I volunteered to work on film projects all four years of my college career. I worked in my school's film and broadcast studios. I was ready. That was, until I stepped foot on a show site for the first time.

On day one, I was full of nerves and excitement. When I stepped into the ballroom we were using, I was astonished at the amount of space. I have attended large events before, but always as the attendee, never the organizer. Then crates upon crates of equipment arrived, more equipment than I have ever seen in one room before. It amazed me how organized the chaos was. To me, every crate looked the same, but to the talented and experienced crew at Alford, it was a specific piece with a specific location. Before long, all the equipment was being unloaded and set up.

My Experience Shadowing

My job was to shadow the video team from load in to load out. I would help them move equipment, set up, and learn everything I could about the different roles. Many times, throughout the show, I was so worried that I wasn’t doing enough or contributing enough. In college, I was so used to having all the answers and taking on all the responsibility. But now, I was asking all the questions. I feel extremely fortunate that everyone on the show site was so kind and welcoming. While shadowing the video crew, I got to learn about equipment that I have never seen before. I got an up-close look at how each member of the team works not only with their equipment but also with each other.

By the end of the last day of the show, I was exhausted, but extremely satisfied. While learning the technology had been interesting, the connections I made are extremely meaningful to me. I feel grateful to have been a small part of the show, and I cannot wait for the next one.