Matty D. Media is a Kansas City area video production company that offers internships and vocational opportunities as part of its mission statement. The small business has hosted paid internships with the KU Work Study program since 2017. Immersion learning is an important part of the media business. Offering opportunities where students can gain “real life experience” has always been an important component to our company.
Any paid internship or work study program is catered specifically to each individual student. Matty D. Media owner/operator Matt DeSarle serves as the mentor coordinator. He assigns students a weekly assignment (sometimes two) that both fits their skill set and aspirations. Interns gain real world experience. Their strengths are showcased in videos that are published for business clients. Over the course of the semester, students are also challenged to improve in the areas of video marketing and/or production where they might be weaker. Matt DeSarle does check-ins with the students to begin and finish each week. He is a text message or phone call aways if and when students have practical questions. Whether enrolled in a credit-based work study program or not, any intern who works for Matty D. Media is paid for their time. We do not believe in unpaid internships.
Shout-out to Ayden from Baldwin High for job shadowing today! He helped producer Liam Chewning film a sequence @BlackJackBattle field and Nature Park.
Our small business always supports immersion learning. For more info, please visit https://t.co/bM34llE1Mp pic.twitter.com/NE89xusCEc
— Matty D (@mattydmedia) April 6, 2022
The origin story of this program dates back 20 years ago. Business owner Matt DeSarle actually got his career started as a high school student working for local production houses and TV stations. He worked with a vocational program in Kingston, New York called “New Visions” from 2000-2001. The program still exists today in pockets of upstate New York, mostly in the healthcare field. The program allowed DeSarle to write, shoot, and edit for video productions. Most importantly, it allowed him to see what areas he liked and disliked about the business.
“I was blessed to have great mentors and amazing opportunities at a young age,” DeSarle says.
“I want to pay it forward by offering similar opportunities today, but it’s also a win-win for everyone. Students gain experience while the small business gains from the contributions of a new generation. The students’ talents and perspectives are welcomed additions.”
Students oftentimes serve as videographers in the Lawrence, Kansas area. They also work on VHS to Digital transfers and video editing projects.
Matty D. Media also hosts school field trips and job shadow days. In 2019, we co-hosted a media group from the Boys and Girls Club during a video shoot at Holman Needle and Ink (formerly LKS Imagine).
I had so much fun co-hosting a Boys & Girls Club summer class with LKS Imagine! Thanks @bgclk for shadowing me during production! More photos: https://t.co/9imZW2NrEI #KeepProducing pic.twitter.com/JplTsywvoE
— Matty D (@mattydmedia) July 22, 2019
In 2021, our travel video series about Lawrence Kansas attractions hosted a media group from Free State High School.
Associate Producer Aylea Cole Shares First Hand Experience
“I first started working for Matty D Media shortly after switching my major to film production and I’m so grateful I did. I started doing the VHS to Digital transfers but quickly was given more opportunities doing social media, video editing, and now field producing! Working as an independent contractor meant that I could work at my own pace and accommodate my school schedule. Having the one-on-one guidance of a professional has been so valuable in helping me develop my skills. Matt helps me identify my goals as a professional in the media industry and assigns jobs that will help me achieve them. Entering into this industry is incredibly challenging, getting the first job is said to be the hardest part. Working for a smaller production company has given me opportunities to learn and take on key roles that a newbie in the industry would just not have. And I got paid for it too!
Matty D Media has also given me experience I did not get at the KU Film and Media program. The curriculum doesn’t really teach you about the soft skills of working with clients and real-world considerations like costs. Film school doesn’t focus on making promotional videos for corporate videography despite how prominent and sought after they are. Working for Matty D Media has not only developed everything I learned at KU, but given me the opportunity to apply them to the real world and let my talents flourish. This kind of professional mentorship is so rare and has been paramount in forming me into the creative and professional I am today.”
