Danielle Bauer
"Originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, Danielle studied English & American Studies at the University of New Mexico. She interned at New Mexico PBS from 2002 to 2008. 'I began my internship with NMPBS (KNME then) during high school. My APS high school offered an internship program around the city. Throughout my childhood, and still today, I am captivated by multimedia, TV, film, and other forms of visual art. I was lucky enough to secure an internship when I was 16 years old as a production intern. Out of several options, I chose NMPBS because participating in TV production at 16 was an incredible opportunity. Additionally, KNME had been a staple during my childhood and adolescence. Once I met the wonderful staff and was given a studio tour, interning at NMPBS was a dream come true for a high school kid like me. Looking back at it now, the kind of real-world experience I gained during my internship can't be gained in the classroom and is absolutely crucial in a productive profession future.
'I was a Jack of all trades in terms of production. During my 6 year internship, I participated in just about every aspect of production. I often set up the studio for pledge drives, NM In Focus, and several studio broadcasts. Although I had a hand in technical direction, directing, tape operation, teleprompter, etc., my main focus was audio. I was lucky enough to run audio for many studio productions, live broadcasts around Albuquerque and Santa Fe, and documentaries we produced state-wide. I also participated in digital editing, captioning, and general studio operations. Just like many of the interns, I often trained other interns. The strength of NMPBS's internship program is that interns can learn and participate in every aspect of production. Despite the breadth of opportunities, interns can gain in-depth knowledge regarding each aspect of production. It is truly a teaching station and a invaluable community resource.
'The experiences I had at NMPBS were invaluable. I gained years of experience in technical production, learning all aspects of TV production from nearly every angle. Unlike many other internships, I was able to gain hands-on experience that simply is not available, to my knowledge, at any other station. In addition, the staff at NMPBS is incredible. They were effective, committed teachers and mentors, who were not afraid to trust interns with important tasks. Additionally, interns were treated with respect and as valuable members of the production team. It is rare to find talented TV engineers, operators, and producers willing to take the time to train interns. It was the people at NMPBS that made it an unforgettable place to work.
'My job experience at NMPBS absolutely paved the way for future work. After my years of training at NMPBS, I went on to do freelance scriptwriting and producing, radio, journalism, photo editing, and documentary production. I worked on multimedia and social media projects for the University of New Mexico Alumni office. From start to finish, I produced a documentary that captured the history of UNM using archival documents, interviews, and other materials. My work has also appeared in the UNM alumni magazine, Mirage. Additionally, I was the sole radio engineer for the daily public radio show, Native America Calling, that has about 500,000 listeners every week. I ran studio operations, maintained equipment, and ran live broadcasts in the field. After moving to California, I worked in a university library archive digitizing and maintaining archival materials. These tasks included digitizing VHS, audio cassettes, and general audio editing for archival and research purposes. I have recently graduated with an MA degree, with a research focus in media cultural studies. As a college instructor, I often incorporate multimedia within my lectures and course materials.
'Although I am not currently working in TV production, I incorporate my TV background into my teaching, research, and academic pursuits. I foresee multimedia as a major focus within my profession career and future. I believe that our cultural climate is ever-changing, and that multimedia is crucial in reaching out to vast populations, increasing awareness about important social issues, and keeping the pubic informed and inspired. I believe in the mission and the people at NMPBS. I look forward to a lifetime of working with and producing media in order to work toward a better, more-informed society. The NMPBS internship program is incredible and has provided me with invaluable skills, experiences, and opportunities I am confident I would not have gained elsewhere.'"