Persistent Learning
At Persistent Productions we value the opportunity to work with students and help develop their skills in the media, impact and storytelling spheres. We offer internships, externships, and customized collaborations for film, journalism, and arts students. We also value the opportunity to collaborate across areas of study outside traditional media boundaries - so if you have an idea and would like to work with us - send us an email.
Our student collaborations take many shapes and have happened both in-person and virtually.
If you are a student and interested in working with us please reach out to Meghan.shea@persistentproductions.com
Below are some examples of the work that has been produced.
Abi Cole
The George Washington University
"Through my internship, I have grown immensely in knowledge of production and have been challenged by the Persistent Productions team to develop my own storytelling techniques. At each step of the process, team members were eager to help me turn my project from an abstract idea to reality. I have found that feedback and constructive communication is so important in any job or internship—Persistent Productions excelled at this. The P2 team is incredibly insightful and worked to foster my learning and creativity during this internship."
Kerri Pang
Northwestern University
“Everything I know about empathetic, human-centered storytelling wouldn't be possible without the P2 team. Through working with them, I learned to always be curious, to center people and lead with empathy, and that great storytelling isn't just reserved for documentary films. Getting an opportunity to take lead on the Chinatown documentary was a wild ride - in retrospect, I'm so grateful that the team gave me space to explore and learn without much hand holding. It was definitely a risk! I remember getting sent out with a 5D, which I have not shot on before, and having to trust my instincts and learn as I went. I got to see the team interview folks, produce shoots, shoot b-roll, and craft the story together in real time. Getting that hands-on experience as a student set me up for a career in this work.“
Question: What was your Portfolio Project at Persistent Productions?
ABI: I created the short documentary ‘Between the Lines: LizAtLarge’ a profile piece on the groundbreaking New Yorker cartoonist Liz Montague. Liz speaks about her challenges and triumphs as the first black female cartoonist for the century-old magazine.
Question: What was your Portfolio Project at Persistent Productions?
KERRI: I worked on the documentary we produced on Singapore's Chinatown and how its residents were responding to the continuing gentrification.
Skye Prentice
Syracuse University
"I am so grateful for my time there, and so grateful that Meg and Mike took a chance on me and really helped me grow. I was just starting to learn the ropes of the industry, of all the different softwares and equipment. I learned Premiere Pro because of them and Fiona, Mike taught me almost everything I know about my own camera and the importance of filters. I think about our weekly discussions about current events and our predictions for the future of our industry often -- those have definitely given me a new perspective on going with the flow of change and thinking about how we can influence that very change."
Tatiana Ochoa
Boston University
“I loved working at Persistent productions. It was my first experience working on documentary and it really helped me understand how international documentaries are made. Working with Meghan and Irini really helped me understand how much research and planning goes into a doc beforehand and how much time is needed for effective storytelling.”
Question: What did you work on while at Persistent Productions?
SKYE: I assisted Meghan and Mike in their production of Tall Heights' "Country Roads" music video that was featured in Al Gores 24 Hours of Reality Initiative. Meghan and Mike encouraged me to work on my own documentary, which was a look at the intersectionality of food systems, climate, and livelihood of families in the rural Himalayan village of Sainji, Northern India.
Question: What did you work on while at Persistent Productions?
TATIANA: "I helped with pre production and research for the doc at the Dana Farber Institute in Boston. I also helped with multiple translations/transcribed interviews from Guatemala, El Salvador, and Egypt."