Ryan Freidin '24 spent this past summer as a Creative Producing Intern at NFL Films. In this role, Freidin was responsible for a variety of tasks, including onsite shadowing, editing, and even appearing as an extra in the shoots for the shows NFL Films produces. This internship was nothing short of exciting and marked significant growth in Freidin's professional career.
"My role throughout the internship was to create content and make the producer's life as easy as possible by focusing on efficiency," Freidin said. "I had the opportunity to participate in a shoot for NFL Icons, where I collected all the footage, logged it, and created shorter clips from the hour-long interview for use in the actual show, along with providing appropriate names for the clips."
As part of the creative department, he, like most interns, was tasked to work on two shows throughout the internship, his being "NFL Icons" and "Top 100," as well as "Hard Knocks" later on. His work, as he mentioned, focused on a range of production tasks that benefited his development as a creative.
"The best part of the internship was the people I was working with," Freidin said. "I was able to be in a building with producers who have been working at the highest level in sports for the past 30 years. That was really amazing."
Outside of technical tasks, Freidin describes the work environment created by the individuals at NFL Films as his favorite part, allowing him to comfortably learn from those higher-ups who have been in the field for decades. He mentioned that he would set up 30-minute meetings with producers that would end up running longer than two hours, with his notepads filled with what he learned from them.
"The knowledge gained from those conversations is amazing," Freidin said. "Being able to learn from the best and apply that knowledge to your work is special."
Freidin also mentioned that this opportunity was largely thanks to the amount of resources that Rice's Department of Sport Management has provided him.
"I felt prepared and knew how to go about preparing for professional events because I come from Rice, and the Department of Sport Management has done an amazing job at setting us up for success in these environments," Freidin said. "It's great to be able to reflect on all the tools that the department provides you."
Looking into the future, Freidin mentioned that NFL Films might be where he wants to be.
"I fell in love with NFL Films, the place, the environment, and the people, Freidin said. "That's where I want to be, and that's what I want to do."
Sergio Rojas, a sophomore from Houston, Texas, is double-majoring in Business with a concentration in Finance and also Sport Management with a concentration in Leadership.