Joey Gallagher’s love for the entertainment industry began in middle school.
The Media and Information junior continued working toward his passion this summer as an intern in VH1’s Production Development Department, where he organized pitches for shows from several different companies, previewed shows and looked for technical changes to make.
“It was a lot of looking at cuts of shows that wouldn’t come out for a month and saying, ‘This works well,’ or ‘The coloring is off,’” he said.
Gallagher got the job through a combination of networking and filling out applications. He first heard of the opportunity through his mother’s colleague, who works for VH1.
“I had my mom give her my email and she put me in contact with the intern coordinator,” Gallagher said. “I had to do all of my interviews and applications through Viacom, and I happened to get placed at VH1.”
On his last day at VH1, Gallagher was able to pitch an idea for a show to the company’s executives.
“It was really cool to hear the feedback. (They’d say) ‘We like this part, but maybe if you were to pitch it to the company, you’d change this part,’” he said.
For Gallagher, the hardest part about the internship was finding a place to live. He and his dad flew out to California for a weekend to go apartment hunting. Luckily, they found a place in the “Miracle Mile,” outside of West L.A. Gallagher leased a car for transportation, which he then drove home to Michigan at the end of the summer.
“I was a little homesick at first,” he said. But, he made sure to stay busy. He also hosted a number of family and friends who came to visit.
Overall, the 20-year-old really enjoyed his time at the Viacom brand.
“They’re so accommodating and helpful,” Gallagher said. “They’ll always answer emails, and they’re very into bringing kids up and showing them the business.”
Gallagher said his ComArtSci classes and involvement with Telecasters helped give him the experience he needed at VH1.
“The Media and Info classes have helped me so much,” Gallagher said. “Things I’ve learned in my classes, especially TC 342, really helped me because I knew what went on behind the scenes.”
When he first got to MSU, Gallagher said he was a little nervous about studying the entertainment industry.
“I didn’t think there was that much opportunity out there,” he said. “But going out to L.A. and meeting people and having that experience opened my eyes. There is so much opportunity out there for people who love production. Everyone is really understanding and open to teaching you new things.”
By Kelsey Block, Journalism and Arts and Humanities double major
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