Welcome to the second spring 2024 episode of “It’s Academic. Join host Dr. Bobby Fleischman as he talks to alumni Mariah Pierce, TDMP program chair Glen Okonoski and student Teeghan Rosas as they talk about the Televison and Digital Media degree here at Ferris State University
Current Student’s Goals
The first guest on this episode of It’s Academic is Teeghan Rosas, a current sophomore in
the TDMP program, and he’s got a lot of things to say! Coming from a theatre background,
Teeghan has always liked being on a camera and working behind the scenes.
In his own words, “I joined TDMP because I was always interested in television and learning the ways of production.” Being the second person in his family to go through this program, what more can you say than he was born to film. One of his favorite things about this program is the ability to “explore the different aspects of studio,” even only as a sophomore. Teeghan plans to get an internship hopefully through Interlochen to the Center for the Arts school, and Glen Okonoski mentions how willing the program is to work with not just him, but TDMP students in general.
The Chair of TDMP gives insight
Glen Okonoski, chair of the TDMP program, also joins Dr. Fleischman to discuss “Why TDMP?” He starts by talking about why he came back to teach at Ferris after working in the industry. After pursuing his dream of storytelling for 12 years, he felt a pull to teaching due in part to growing up with his father who was a teacher. He then highlights the importance of students getting hands-on experience in their classes.
The internship that students do at the end of the program is also a very important part and serves to continue educating students as well as giving them industry experience. Okonoski discusses how professors will work with students during their senior seminar to create a resume, a demo reel, and do
mock interviews, all in preparation for the internships, which the professors also help find. He goes on to share his perspective on emerging AI technology. He builds off Rosas, saying that AI can be a helpful tool in a lot of cases, but also has ethical concerns when it comes to the sources of generative AI. Okonoski then draws attention to the TDMP YouTube channel where students create content during their senior sequence. These videos are fun, but also highlight other programs that are part of Ferris. Finally, he discusses how the program is in a great place right now and he hopes it only continues to grow and adapt.
TDMP Graduate Reflects On Experience
Mariah Pierce is also another guest on this episode of It’s Academic. Mariah graduated from Ferris in 2018 and she majored in the Television and Digital Media Program. She currently works at CK and Co. Media Production, where she also completed her internship. Mariah talks about how going through the program, you learn a lot of the “basics” of the industry.
Ferris is great at giving Television and Digital Media Production students a hands-on learning experience, and Mariah expressed how much that had helped her during her internship and also her career in general. While working at CK and Co. Media Production, Mariah talks about how important it is to her to expand her skill sets. Currently, there is one 3D animator at CK and Co., but she hopes to find time to train in programs like Cinema 4D to help other staff. 3D animation is extremely important for CK and Co. because they use this for product animation for things like trade shows. The Center for Virtual Learning, better known as the CVL, was another talking point during this episode of It’s Academic. The CVL brought a ton of new technology to Ferris and its students, and Mariah jokingly states that she’s a bit jealous of the current students. However, she does say that the CVL and the technology inside of the building shows that Ferris does care about what is going on in the industry.
In terms of the program and its changes, Mariah states that the program has changed a lot since she graduated in 2018. The technology and the equipment used by the TDMP students has been upgraded significantly since she graduated. She also mentions that the curriculum itself has expanded for the TDMP major.
For more information about the TDMP Program at Ferris, such as classes offered and future job opportunities in the program, visit the TDMP info page on the Ferris State website.