Week 3

I've been entrusted to solely produce an interview video. My supervisor has this series of interview videos of people in the office and what they like to do outside of the workplace. It was something that's shared within the company to get to know each other more and bond as a team.

I was assigned to one of the female producers and her hobby was being a star sommelier. She was part of a group who are really passionate and educated on stars. They own fancy telescopes and like to hold seminars and events to educates all types of people about stars. I really like how they sometimes hold small workshops for children to make space-related crafts all while educating them on the subject.

I had to come up with the questions to ask her, plan how I was going to execute the video, the background, and everything else required for the video. The interview portion ended up being two hours long which I now have to cut into five minutes. However, editing won't start until I capture the B-roll next week where I get to film her in action holding a stargazing workshop at an elementary school. B-roll is the reel used in between the interview portion of a video to reference what the person is talking about and just make the video a lot more interesting in general.

Week 2

There are a total of four interns this term. Two Japanese girls, one Chinese girl and me, the American. Although one of the girls was working in a different office, we all made a group chat and got along instantly. I really enjoy having lunch with the interns, exploring the various options from daily food trucks to convenience stores to lunch boxes sold by sweet old ladies.

I've been working with Adobe Premiere Pro and Adobe After Effects to make graphics and edit videos. These videos are usually interview videos that will be seen internally in the company. I also took a knack at translating and creating subtitles. It was a bit difficult because there were a lot of technical terms used that I didn't understand, but Google translate is a fantastic helping tool for that. 

I've also been learning and getting used to Japanese work etiquettes. As I mentioned in my previous post, there are phrases people say when passing each other in the halls. There is also a similar phrase you say while bowing when you leave for home. Bowing is an important cultural aspect in East Asian culture in general.

I find this time in Japan to be quite a different shift in how I experience Japan. Before I was here as a student and that's how I spent my time here, just a young college student having fun abroad. But now, I saw and noticed things differently now as a working individual. I was treated differently by people; I was treated more as an adult.

Week 1

The first week consisted of meeting my supervisors, the other interns, and getting to know the company. I got to tour all the different locations our offices are located at all while getting to know more about the industry my company is associated with. My company is considered one of the biggest production companies in Japan. They work on the production side of films, commercials, and music videos. My office location is in Akasaka which is a hub for a lot of businesses particularly in the area of media, ad, and television.

My supervisor made all the interns do a formal Japanese introduction to all the different departments and offices which was kind of nerve-wracking but got used to by the third or fourth time doing it. I get to speak English to my supervisors and the interns. However, to the other co-workers, I speak Japanese and greet them with Otsukaresama desu (お疲れ様です) every time I pass them in the hall.  

I like that my company isn't as typical as the stereotypical Japanese company. The office is a lot more laid back, there are no assigned seats, and there is no dress code. I also appreciate the stock of a variety of beverages.

Fun Fact: My company has their own personalized scent

Arrival

My arrival at Narita Airport was familiar. This was my second time spending my summer in Japan so I knew my way around the country and felt more confident in navigating to my new living situation which was a newly built dorm in a nice part of Tokyo called Musashi Kosugi (武蔵小杉). I liked the place. The only downfall was the fact that the nearest station was a 20-minute walk away. Normally, I wouldn't mind the walk if only it wasn't during the extremely hot and humid summer. Nonetheless, it was something I had to get used to because my first day as an intern was starting soon.

I felt a little anxious yet excited to start my new job. It was my first time working a full-time position and knew it would take me a lot of effort to consistently wake up early in the morning and commute to work on time. I talked to some other people in the dorm from my university and we all shared how we were all feeling and bonded over the fact that we were all a little nervous but excited for what adventure this summer was going to be for all of us. I'm grateful I already experienced living in Tokyo for half a year prior to this summer as an exchange student so things, like figuring out transportation and adjusting to the local culture, weren't an issue I had to worry about.