My Summer as a Filmmaker
As I was entering my final University summer break, there was an underlying pressure to secure a meaningful internship experience before I graduated next year. As a Politics, Law and Economics (PLE) and Marketing Major, an internship opportunity in GovTech’s Communications and Marketing Group (CMG) felt extremely apt for my fields of study. As such, when I was fortunate enough to be offered a role as a Content Intern for CMG, I was excited to learn more about the inner workings of public communications while honing my digital media skills.
Producing my first video content — The History of SIM Cards
There is a saying that the best way to learn is to be thrown into the deep end, and I quickly found out how true the statement was. On my first week, I was quickly entrusted with the production of an infotainment video on ‘The History of SIM Cards’ for GovTech’s YouTube Channel. From scripting, filming (myself), to editing, each step of the process felt challenging yet enriching. I found myself quickly picking up script writing skills, became much more comfortable in front of the computer, and honed my video editing skills. Nevertheless, there was ample guidance from my supervisors along the way, who were very happy to share their knowledge with me.
They guided me through the entire process without spoon-feeding me while ensuring that I was given the creative freedom to produce the video as I had envisioned it. The ‘History of SIM Cards’ video gave me a confidence boost in video production, which I was fairly new in, and prepared me for the larger, more important projects that were to come.
On to the Serious Stuff — Videos for VIPs
As a Content Intern, most projects involve the production of video content for GovTech’s official communications and marketing efforts. The videos we produced served a multitude of purposes, from Keynote Video Presentations featuring Minister Josephine Teo and the Government Chief Digital Technology Officer and Deputy Chief Executive of GovTech, Chan Cheow Hoe, to award submission videos for publicity campaigns run by CMG.
The largest of these projects was producing a video series to promote TechHunt, one of GovTech’s exclusive hiring event. A month-long process of planning, shooting and editing cumulated into four promotional videos as we took a deeper dive into the daily lives of five GovTechies in their respective roles. Producing the series was a good test of my video editing skills, and the short timeline taught me to find ways to increase the efficiency of my workflow.
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
Having not worked in an organisation as large as GovTech prior to this internship, I was thoroughly impressed with CMG’s efficiency, and its fun and collaborative culture. Ideas, no matter how bold, were always listened to and discussed regardless of one’s position in the team. This was especially important for Content Producers as it ensured that the creative decisions made were well thought through while allowing for creative freedom during the production process. There was also mutual respect among team members for their respective expertise, which allowed the team to be agile and efficient in our video projects.
Final Thoughts
I’m grateful. Grateful for this opportunity to venture into the world of video production, grateful for the guidance and lessons taught by my supervisors, Yi Qian and Dylon, and grateful for the friendships forged with the team. I had to learn to be resourceful in tackling the steep learning curve and to notice the small details during production to produce the best possible video, while also finding ways to enjoy the process.
GovTech is hiring interns!
Being a social science/business student, the internship experience was a reminder that contrary to popular belief, GovTech is not only a place for students in tech-related courses. Despite coming from a non-tech background, I was still able to learn a lot and enjoy my time here. If you are looking to gain meaningful exposure to the fields that interest you, why not give it a try and find out more about our internship programme at go.gov.sg/govtechinternship.
