Student Program Overview:
I made so many connections! I want to thank you for welcoming us into a space that still has a diversity problem. I feel more confident that women like you will continue to pave the way for future generations, starting with us! – Student Participant 2023
The #GALSNGEAR Production Intensive is an annual multi-day event that connects promising third, and fourth-year female students to a group of leading industry volunteer mentors, gives them valuable insights into potential careers beyond the ones they may be familiar with from school, and positions them for job opportunities with a wide range of companies and professionals with whom they will interact. (In fact, many of our participants have gotten job interviews on the spot!) The program centers around a leading global M&E industry event and is a unique combination of hands-on production experience wrapped within an intense mentorship by a group of volunteers from a range of roles in the industry. Students also attend the #GALSNGEAR CONNECT Women’s Leadership Summit, gaining valuable skills and networks. Past volunteers include Emmy-winning producers, Telly-winning directors, executive producers, cinematographers, sound engineers, technical directors and more. This year’s program takes place during NAB Show Las Vegas, April 13-16, 2024.
Each year, #GALSNGEAR works directly with faculty at leading colleges and universities to identify exceptional, diverse students majoring in journalism, multi-platform media or media production who would benefit from this mentoring intensive. Past participants have come from: Bowie State University, UC San Francisco, Morgan State University, Palm Beach Atlantic University, University of Georgia, and University of Nevada Las Vegas. THIS IS NOT AN INTERNSHIP PROGRAM. (See our partner Women in Film & Video’s excellent Best Practices for Internships). Students are mentored by our team to produce content packages from pre-production through post, conduct on camera interviews with women who are leaders in media/tech, and learn how to network and build relationships across the industry. They gain not only hands-on production experience and a network of industry contacts, but also an unparalleled perspective with which to jumpstart their careers. After the Production Intensive, or volunteers continue to support and celebrate these students throughout their careers. And they reach back to us to report on their progress. Once a #GALSNGEAR, always a #GALSNGEAR.
Candidates:
Ideal candidate traits:
- Recognized by faculty as a proven leader among peers
- Can work independently and as part of a team
- Thrives in a fast-paced environment and when under pressure
- Is responsible, reliable, and can pivot with ease
Technical / production skills in the following areas:
- Camera
- Sound
- Editing on Adobe Premiere
- Familiar with creating mobile content for social media
- Interviewing on and off camera
Professional Conduct:
Due to the nature of traveling to entertainment destination cities such as Las Vegas and New York, candidates must be at least 18 years of age, though 21+ is preferred.
Details:
- Students will each receive a free SHOW FLOOR PASS and free EVENT PASS to the #GALSNGEAR Women’s Leadership Summit – total $500 value.
- Student travel is typically underwritten by their university and should include roundtrip airfare and hotel. Some sponsorships are available.
- #GALSNGEAR provides discounted hotel rooms in conference-selected hotels (the students need to double up in each room) and needs student information no later than March 15 in order to register them for rooms.
- #GALSNGEAR covers most food and incidentals during the trip, and we typically deploy someone to get them to and from the airport, when possible, but students should have a means of buying their own snacks and some meals, and pay for a cab or Uber when necessary. The Las Vegas Convention Center is quite expensive, so we provide them with tips on where to purchase offsite for less. We also do our best to help them navigate both the LVCC and the Las Vegas downtown, and provide an adult from our team to be with them whenever possible.
- #GALSNGEAR has some video production equipment and we discuss with each incoming team the best way to cover the event.
- Typically the students need to have at least one laptop with a licensed copy of Premiere Pro loaded and ready to go.
- Students must download WhatsApp to their phones in order to access #GALNSGEAR internal communications channels during the event.
- For the 2024 program, students must arrive in Las Vegas no later than Noon, Saturday, April 13. Departure is Wednesday, April 17.
- They will become familiarized with the location (more than 1 million square feet of show floor space in 3 convention halls—so it’s a lot to take in).
- They will typically assist our mentors in creating live and VOD content, which gives them an opportunity to use software and hardware tools and be introduced to a wide range of women in media/tech.
- They will be our guests at our always standing-room only CELEBRATE networking event.
- They will check out and fly home on Wednesday, April 17th.
Important Note:
Our Production Intensive takes place in a work environment set in the backdrop of large city, where there is access to many forms of entertainment. Students who participate in the #GALSNGEAR program in any city, but especially in Las Vegas, must commit to high standards of professional conduct for the duration of the production intensive, as they represent the future of women in our industry and become well known among our network of partners and sponsors.
Sponsorships:
Sponsorships are available to help underwrite the cost of student attendance at our Production Intensives. For sponsorship information, or to apply for the next intensive, please send an email to galsngear@gmail.com with SPONSOR INQUIRY in the Re line. Thank you!