Quick Summary
Main focus: continuing to attend Monday night practices, experimenting with photo and video coverage, becoming more comfortable in the environment, and learning more about the people who make Gliding Stars possible.
Continuing Monday Night Practices
At this point in the internship, a lot of my time was still focused on simply being present at Monday night practices and learning how the organization operates week to week.
Rather than trying to immediately create polished content or force specific ideas too early, I wanted to spend time understanding the environment first. Every week I became more familiar with the structure of the night, the coaches, the volunteers, and the skaters themselves.
The more time I spent there, the easier it became to move around naturally and capture genuine moments instead of staged ones.
Experimenting with Media Coverage
During these first few weeks, I was still experimenting with what kinds of shots and content would work best for Gliding Stars.
Since Ashlynn is definitely the stronger camera operator between the two of us, I was using her equipment setup throughout most of this process. Her gear included:
- Sony A7IV mirrorless camera
- 4K video recording
- SmallRig cage and handles
- Shotgun microphone for natural audio
- DJI Mic Mini 2 kit for interviews and dialogue
- Multiple batteries and accessories to manage throughout the night
One funny advantage of filming in an ice rink is that the camera overheating issues common with 4K recording were basically nonexistent because the environment stayed so cold.
Ashlynn also had a tripod available, but I rarely found myself using it. Most of the content ideas I had in mind involved movement and quick reactions, especially for social-media-style videos and short-form content.
For the first couple of Mondays, I kept most of the camera settings relatively automatic to keep things simple and allow myself to focus more on the environment and the people rather than constantly adjusting technical settings. I only switched to manual controls when lighting or exposure started looking noticeably wrong.
Getting Comfortable Around the Ice
One challenge early on was simply figuring out where I could position myself without getting in the way.
I spent a lot of time experimenting with different angles around Mercyhurst Ice Center, trying to figure out where the best opportunities for creative shots existed. Some nights I stayed near the boards, while other times I moved higher into the seating area for wider shots of the rink.
Eventually I even went out onto the ice a few times to capture footage closer to the skaters and volunteers.
At first, some people seemed a little nervous or unsure about the camera being around them, which is understandable. But after a couple weeks, everyone became much more comfortable with my presence, and it started feeling more natural for both me and the people around me.
Whenever people asked why I was there or what I was working on, I was able to talk about Penn State Behrend, the DIGIT program, and how I originally became connected with Gliding Stars through my mom and the promotional video project from last semester.
Those conversations helped make the environment feel much more welcoming and personal.
Learning About the Organization Through Conversations
One thing that became very clear during these early weeks is that the people involved with Gliding Stars genuinely care deeply about the organization and the skaters.
Almost everyone I talked to had a personal reason for being there.
One conversation that stood out was with John Fox, president of the organization’s board. He explained that he has continued volunteering for years because of the connection he has with the skater he works with each week.
His advice to me was simple: if you do not have a reason to be there—someone you care about or a personal connection—it becomes much harder to stick around long-term.
That conversation helped me better understand why the environment at Gliding Stars feels so different from many other organizations. The volunteers are not just showing up out of obligation. Most of them are there because they genuinely love the people they are helping.
That sense of connection and community is something I want to continue capturing as I gather more media throughout the semester.
Reflection
This stage of the internship has still been heavily focused on observation and relationship-building, but that has turned out to be extremely valuable.
The more comfortable people become around me and the camera, the more authentic the photos and videos start to feel. Instead of documenting an event as an outsider, I’m slowly starting to feel like part of the environment myself.
I’m also learning that some of the most meaningful parts of Gliding Stars are not always the big moments on the ice, but the smaller interactions between volunteers, skaters, and families throughout the night.
Next Steps
- Continue documenting Monday night practices through photo and video
- Experiment more with short-form and social-media-style content
- Continue building relationships with volunteers and leadership
- Capture more close-up and on-ice footage
- Begin identifying moments and stories that could work well in future promotional content