Madison Kinsler’s Post

When Your Dreams are Big, You Have to Work Harder. Period. I've been presented with the incredible opportunity to pursue an internship at Disney. Yes, you read that right—Disney! 🏰🎉 It's the kind of opportunity that many would jump at without a second thought, and believe me, I'm beyond grateful to even be considered for it. On one hand, the prospect of gaining firsthand experience at Disney is undeniably appealing. It's a chance to immerse myself in a world of creativity, innovation, and magic—a dream come true, quite literally. But on the other hand, there's a practical side of me that's urging caution. With my STEM OPT on the horizon, part of me wonders if it might be wiser to focus on securing a full-time job instead. While the stability and security of a steady income are certainly attractive, I can't help but feel torn between pursuing my passion and prioritizing practicality. It's not an easy decision by any means, and I find myself grappling with conflicting thoughts and emotions. Do I follow my heart and seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity at Disney? Or do I err on the side of caution and focus on building a more stable foundation for my future? As I navigate this decision-making process, I'm reminded that there's no one-size-fits-all answer. Each path comes with its own set of risks and rewards, and ultimately, the choice is mine to make. So for now, I'll take a moment to pause, reflect, and trust that the right path will reveal itself in due time. Thanks for allowing me to share my thoughts with you all. 🙂

In second year (or know someone who is) with an interest in broadcast, technology and computing? I can say that as a past intern and present cast member that it’s a great team to work in, with so many opportunities to get stuck in and make a difference! 😊 Find out more about our internship opening for 2024-25 at the below link, and feel free to DM me with any questions. #broadcast #internship #disney

It’s officially been over SIX months since starting my internship at Walt Disney Imagineering, Disney Live Entertainment. 🥳 Here are six things that I have learned so far: 📖 Storytelling is a number one priority, especially the unique way that Disney tells stories. I have learned a lot about pitching decks, brainstorming, and overall storytelling! 🤝 It may be a bit stereotypical, but it’s all about who you know and putting yourself out there. I have had 100+ meet and greets over the course of my internship so far to expand my network. 💡 Being strategic does not always mean you are not being authentic. In my opinion, being mindful of your interactions and relationships is important for any career and relationship. 📝 Sometimes, saying less is saying more. I was so excited to contribute at first that I tried to talk at every chance I had. I learned that taking a step back and thinking through my words and speaking at key moments has improved my work. 🧑💻 You have to be willing to put the work in, maybe even for less pay and better opportunities. I took a ~$3.50/hr pay cut (that’s $10-12k/yr+ salary.!) for this internship because I knew interning at The Walt Disney Company this early in my career will forever help me in the future. So far, I have had so many priceless experiences. 🌟 Right now, the job market is even tougher than before. The reality is, there are tons of extremely qualified people for each role. Focusing on what makes you unique and what value you bring to the table will ultimately help you land your next opportunity, which happened to me. If you have any questions or want help landing an opportunity, then feel free to reach out! 😊 I am more than happy to see how I can help and pay my success forward. Here’s to the next six months of finishing this internship! 🙌🏼

What I've learned so far during my internship at NBCUniversal... 👀 1. Dive in, even if you can't swim! 🌊 There is no shame in asking questions! Being the new kid on the block means you're there to learn. 2. Take on projects that make you slightly nervous! 😯 My internship has been a crash course in grabbing every opportunity by the horns. Workshops, side projects, you name it; it has truly enriched my experience! You'll end up learning more than expected. 3. Swap business cards like you're in Pokemon! 🤝 In this industry, who you know can be as crucial as what you know. Every conversation could lead to the next big scene in your career. 4. Quickly adapt to challenges! 💥 The film industry is almost like being on a cruise ship. There are amazing destinations, but the journey may have a couple of unexpected turns. Stay adaptable. Flexibility is truly a secret weapon. 5. Spread good vibes! ❤️ Say thank you. A lot. Recognize your colleagues, mentors, and everyone hustling behind the scenes! I am truly humbled to be working alongside such a talented team, and I'm absolutely loving every second of my internship experience! Here's to the next scene! 🎬 #NBCUIntern #Reflection #HereYouCan

When Kellie Rizzo and Lisa V. told me they had a special project for me, I was immediately excited. Having the perspective of a Corporate Communications intern at NBCUniversal for this National Intern Day surprise video project was unique. Editing the clips as they were submitted from the various NBCU talent got me excited, especially Jabari Banks from one of my favorite shows "Bel-Air." It was a great learning experience, too, working across various departments (Corporate Communications, Internship Experience Team, etc.) and seeing the approval process for getting a video cleared for posting. Not only that, but it was enriching to work with a fast-approaching deadline and having a quick turnaround, providing real-world experience in the media and entertainment industry. Thank you, thank you, thank you for giving me this opportunity, NBCU, and I look forward to contributing more to the company throughout my internship and after! Some other projects I have been working on for this internship: - managing the social media for Atlas, NBCU's puppy with a purpose (@nbcu_pup on Instagram) - including his recent collaboration with NBC Olympics for their Houndfluencers campaign - coordinating the myPerks program where employees enter to win NBCU-related prizes, such as ParisPerks (30 days of giveaways, 30 days out from the Olympics) - communicating with winners, packing and shipping prizes, designing promotional materials - conducting research about various employee engagement and external communications processes with the use of data analytics and competitor analyses then presenting my findings to the team - clipping media articles to distribute to the team - and more!

Thrilled to Announce My Internship Completion!! I am excited to share that I have successfully completed my internship with Disney Star. This opportunity provided me with a tremendous learning experience. This internship allowed me to put my psychological skills and knowledge to use in a practical setting. Throughout this journey, I acquired several key learning’s, including: 🔸Mentorship and Coaching: Understanding the importance of guidance and support in developing leadership qualities. Learning how to provide constructive feedback and mentor team members effectively. 🔸Emotional Intelligence: Gaining insights into the significance of emotional intelligence in leadership. Observing how seniors manage their own emotions and navigate interpersonal relationships with empathy and understanding. 🔸Strategic Decision-Making: Learning how to make informed and strategic decisions under pressure. Watching how experienced leaders analyze situations, consider various perspectives, and make decisions that align with organizational goals. 🔸Change Management: Understanding the processes and strategies involved in managing organizational change. Seeing firsthand how seniors lead teams through transitions, communicate changes effectively, and maintain morale and productivity. I am grateful for the opportunity and support from my mentors and colleagues at Disney Star. This experience has undoubtedly shaped my professional growth. “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” – Albert Schweitzer Disney Star The Walt Disney Company Disney+ Hotstar #disneystar

3 learning points from week 3 I completed the third week of my internship with Warner Bros. Discovery, and I have a quick recap of three things I learned. • As a developer, if you're stuck for more than 30 minutes, just ask for help. Having another pair of eyes look at your problem can save you a lot of time and give you a fast turnaround to being productive again. Shoutout to my mentor, Francisco, for looking at my code and fixing my problem in a tenth of the time it took me trying to figure it out. • Make it a priority to balance work and personal life. I find it easy to get caught up in the excitement of my work, but I don't let it seep into my activities past working hours. Placing healthy boundaries is the key to avoiding burnout and long-term productivity. • Take the time to appreciate the present. These past three weeks have blown by and a part of me hasn't processed that I've finished a quarter of my internship. As I continue my internship one day at a time, I'll celebrate the small things like the nice walk to the office, seeing that the snacks were restocked, and having friendly chats with coworkers.

As part of an upcoming enhancement to the internal worker database the Disney Company will be including recognition for completion of the Disney Aspire program to workers profiles. (The Aspire program to those unaware is a service that allows employees to earn a degree for free while working and has been a very amazing opportunity for many workers.) While this is a great addition to show recognition of completion and while the program is a great service that allows people to get a degree I believe it does fall short of its full potential. If I were to suggest an addition I would say there should be some sort of placement program to Aspire graduates if the degree earned could be utilized internally. I suggest this because despite now having a masters degree from the program I never have been able to utilize that degree at the company that paid for it. Unfortunately when I graduated it was the end of Covid and there were no internships/ offers and now that more internships are available I am no longer able to apply because I graduated too long ago. Ideally if this post graduate placement idea was implemented the Aspire Program could be used to build skilled talent internally that Disney could leverage, however as it stands you could get a degree and may get lucky and get a spot or internship or…you won’t… seems like there could be amazing potential in pipelining graduates to positions in the company. #disneyaspire #aspire #dreamswithinreach #disney

Week 9 at Netflix 🌟 At the beginning of my internship, my manager was on vacation. She sent me a welcoming email, hoping my journey would be “Challenging and Rewarding.” Fast forward to now, and wow, she was spot on! 🌍 I've had the incredible opportunity to work with partners from territories like Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Germany, Italy, the Nordics, Benelux, Colombia, France, and Spain. Working with such a diverse, global team has stretched my workday across different time zones. 💼 Project Focus: My main project has been to create a tool to make it easier and faster to pay dubbing actors worldwide. Tackling these bottlenecks and optimizing the workflow has been tough but seeing the positive results has been incredibly satisfying. 🔍 Data Discovery: Playing with data is something I love, but Netflix brought a unique challenge. I encountered a time format labeled as hh:mm:ss:xx. At first, I thought "xx" meant milliseconds, which was confusing. After lots of tries and conversations, I realized "xx" actually means frames per second (fps). This small detail turned into a huge learning experience for me! So yes—just as my manager hoped, this internship has been both challenging and deeply rewarding. What about you? What have been your most significant learnings from your internships? I’d love to hear your standout moments! PS: Netflix LA Intern Beach Day. Thank you Andrea, Brittany, and Tennyson :) #Netflix #Internship #LearningJourney #GlobalTeam #DataScience #CareerGrowth

For me, there are two key factors for those seeking to start and build media careers: - Your drive, dedication, and desire.  - Understanding the complex social and professional code of the entertainment industry and learning how to navigate it. Obviously, ability remains critical. But that to me matters less than the other two factors. Learning how the industry works takes drive, dedication, and desire! I’ve recently began posting on this, and I’ve been amazed at the response. But then I realized that the media industry really is complicated, and people may need a little help understanding it. There is a certain language and cadence to industry culture, and I’d suggest you learn it as soon as possible. You also need to find what works for you. Can you learn this? Absolutely! We’re a small filmmaking BFA program, just 10 years old, and some of the places our students have interned/ worked are: - Academy of Motion Picture & Sciences Academy Gold Rising Internships - Balboa Productions (Sylvester Stallone) - Color Force (Hunger Games series) - Di Bonaventura Pictures at Paramount (Transformers, G.I. Joe, Salt, and Red franchises) - Disney - Endeavor Creative - Heyday Films (Harry Potter films) - Legendary Entertainment (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Hangover, 42) - Marvel - Max (formerly HBO) - NBCUniversal - Netflix - Roddenberry Entertainment (Star Trek properties) - Secret Hideout (Star Trek shows and movies) - Skydance (Top Gun and Mission Impossible franchises) - Sony Pictures - StudioCanal (Terminator 2, Kill Bill, Bridget Jones’s Diary) - United Talent Agency - Valhalla (Walking Dead) - Viacom CBS - Village Roadshow (Matrix, Sherlock Holmes, Happy Feet series) - Warner-Discovery - Weed Road (A Beautiful Mind, I Am Legend, Lone Survivor, and Mr. & Mrs. Smith) LinkedIn is a great place to learn how the media industry works! #mediacareers #internships #students #entertainment #filmmaking #careeradvice