Weber State University student Nick Garrett was selected to intern with the “Tonight Show” in New York City this semester after creating a video that displayed his skill and passion for digital production.
Garrett is a digital media communications major at Weber State. According to digital media Professor Andrés Orozco, this area of focus is morphing and growing. As the need for digital communication develops, Orozco says at some point, the name may be changed to “Digital Media and Film” to highlight the fact that it focuses on preparing students for the world of film production.
Some of the classes within the emphasis include narrative digital-film making, in-studio video production and performance and screenwriting classes. The emphasis combines basic communication skills with the power of storytelling to deliver a truly versatile range of experiences and skills.
In an email to CNET, cited in the Deseret News, Garrett said, “I know that ‘The Tonight Show’ is one of the most sought-after internships in the country, so I wanted to come up with something that could potentially make me stand out from all the other candidates while also showing my creativity and production skills.”
According to Deseret News, Garrett has made several viral videos on YouTube and Vine over the years, but the video he created for his application was an ideal project to showcase his best skills.
The video is a spoof on the introduction to Jimmy Fallon’s “The Tonight Show” in which Garrett imitates Fallon’s intro, shot-by-shot, using voice over to explain why he ought to be chosen for the internship.
Instead of New York City, however, the shots depict Garrett in Salt Lake City with images of places like City Creek Mall and Temple Square. Instead of street signs or names of businesses, marketable skills like “multi-tasker” appear on a storefront.
A recent post by Garrett on Instagram highlights his excitement about this
opportunity. “All right, well, I couldn’t post anything about it until everything was squared away, but for those who don’t know … I got the internship!”
Later, he added, “I just finished my first day working as a General Production Intern for ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon!’ Thank you to everyone who has always supported me in going after things like this and another huge thank you to those who helped me with my application video and to those of you who shared it! I literally could not be doing this without you 🙂 I love you all!”
You can watch his application video — which has over 70,000 views — here:
