Lighting Design Intern, Summer 2018
In lieu of a bio, we ask our interns questions about their experience at Visual Terrain. Here are Michael’s responses:
Q: How was this experience different from your previous work experience?
I had primarily worked in theatre before coming to Visual Terrain, so in some sense it was a total 180 from what I was used to.
Q: What was your favorite part about Visual Terrain, Inc.?
My favorite part about working at Visual Terrain was getting to work with such a talented and enjoyable group of people. Multiple projects would come in, usually overlapping in increasingly complicated ways, and everyone would reach out and ask how they could help. There was a real sense of community that I haven’t really seen in the corporate world before.
Q: What did you hope you would learn most from your time at VTI?
I hoped to learn more about the lighting industry and what possibilities are out there. I had never touched an architectural plot, or learned about philosophies of architectural lighting design before working at Visual Terrain.
Q: Did your time with Visual Terrain affect your career or academic plans in any way?
It is difficult to say how this internship has impacted me in the long run, but it has certainly opened my eyes to different possibilities and processes that go into various fields of lighting design.
Q: How much was the work you did/experience you had at Visual Terrain different from what you expected before you started?
I never expected that I was going to be able to go out into the field with designers and actually be contributing to their designs. I was also able to attend a leadership symposium and hear from professionals about their views on the industry and how it’s evolving. I came in thinking that I would mostly be doing drafting work and filing, but I was given so many more opportunities to be involved than I could have asked for.
Q: Any other comments?
Wonderful group of people, fantastic designs, and a friendly and opportunistic work environment. I could not have asked for such an enjoyable experience. Thank you.