Telling Stories for Change

Hello! My name is Angel Yiu, and I am currently a rising senior majoring in Film & Media Studies, with a minor in French & Francophone Studies. This summer, I have been working with Unincarcerated Productions as a Film Production and Marketing Intern. Unincarcerated Productions is a media production company that aims to change the world by shifting the societal paradigm surrounding incarceration to effect positive change both in the system and for those impacted by it, they do so by changing these narratives through media and education. 

Throughout this summer, I have gained valuable experience in relation to on-set production and the work that happens behind the scenes, my main responsibilities included content creation, editing, set production assistance, and social media management. One of my favourite parts of this internship was when I had the opportunity to participate as a production assistant in the production of Civil Survival Voting Rights Documentary, a project to advocate for policy reform to restore opportunity to communities harmed by the criminal legal system, with the vision where people are not limited by their past and are valued for their humanity. I had the honour to be part of the interview with Washington State Senator, Patty Kuderer, who was involved in the process of passing the bill to restore voting rights to people on probation and parole. I assisted the production on set to make sure everything was running smoothly, and I was able to use my creativity to put together the set decoration that was used for the interviews. 

Another memorable experience that I had during this internship was being the Director of Photography at the Juneteenth event at Walla Walla, I filmed a formerly incarcerated individual, Anthony Covert, who gave a speech and shared his personal experiences within the justice system. In addition to that, I had the pleasure of being the production assistant during the Juneteenth event that took place at the Washington State Penitentiary, assisting the production, and it was a wonderful experience to see everyone coming together to celebrate the day! 

On top of on-set productions, I have also been working on editing social media content. Recently, I have finished editing a series of reels of short documentaries for social media promotion, spreading awareness about the issue of the digital divide that exists within the society that formerly incarcerated individuals face in this day and age where technology is prevalent but not necessarily accessible to everyone. My most recent project includes editing the footage from the Juneteenth event and putting together a series for social media content.

This internship has been an incredible experience for me where I had the opportunity to develop my skills and knowledge within film production on set and behind the scenes. Through this experience, I was able to pursue my goal of sharing the voices of underrepresented groups and narratives that are often overlooked in mainstream media through storytelling, as well as creating impactful and authentic content that promotes social change and representation in the media landscape. I am grateful for this internship opportunity and the Whitman Internship Grant, which allowed me to gain valuable professional experience, and give back to the community.