Intern Diaries – Ryan Symancek ’14
Name: Ryan Symancek
Major: Theater
Hometown: Brodheadsville, PA
Over the summer, Ryan Symancek worked as a camera operator and editor, at DRIVE Studios in New York, NY. DRIVE is a professional Youtube Channel that, according to its website, “Celebrates the culture of cars, taking our audience on the road, to the races, to the factories, to the studeios — and to other places car lovers have always wanted to go, but never had the chance.”
Symancek calls DRIVE an “automotive enthusiast channel” that seeks to create a story in the automotive genre. DRIVE has offices in New York, Los Angeles, and the United Kingdom. Symancek worked at the NYC office and commuted from home or stayed with friends in New Jersey. The internship was not paid but he did receive assistance with travel costs.
Symancek spent most of his time filming shows for DRIVE, two of which were in studio where he worked with a green screen and teleprompter. Other work was done ‘in the field’ where Symancek shot small stories in both the New York area and in Wisconsin. In Wisconsin, he shot Porsche Cup races at Road America. He learned how to work with the new Youtube channel formatting and also helped with file management of previously recorded video shoots.
The internship came somewhat on a whim. Symancek emailed the company at the last minute after giving up waiting on other internships to respond. “It took some Internet searching until I found an email for the head camera operator in California. He directed me to get in contact with the guys in NYC,” he remembers. Ultimately, Ryan chose the position becasue of his strong interest in cars.
“I loved working for DRIVE. It was exactly what I was looking for. Being a car enthusiast myself, it was really easy to get along with the crew and I spendt lots of extra time there just hanging out. I would difinitely love to work there full-time if that [possiblity] ever becomes available in the future.”
Looking ahead, Symancek said, “I will certainly continue in this field. In fact, my internsip has prompted further plans with DRIVE. I still hope to do some editing work for them while
