Interning at SMG: Discoveries and a New Direction

During the summer of 2025, I completed a two-month internship at Shanghai Media Group, contributing to the documentary “The Great Jiangnan.” As an animation student, I initially saw little overlap with documentary filmmaking. However, I quickly discovered profound similarities in the internal logic of visual storytelling between the two forms.

One of my primary tasks was assisting in screening footage from a massive 20TB library, selecting shots that aligned with the director’s narrative vision. To improve efficiency, I transitioned from written notes to sketching keyframes in Notability. This “visual shorthand” not only honed my sketching skills but also highlighted the shared narrative goals between animation storyboarding and documentary editing

The most exciting challenge was creating animation for historical scenes that couldn’t be filmed, like a vignette of prehistoric life in Jiangnitou Mountain 8000 years ago. Using AI for initial concept videos and After Effects for final execution, I saw how animation could powerfully extend documentary storytelling into inaccessible realms.

I also gained foundational knowledge in post-production, understanding the purpose of Log footage and practicing basic colour grading in DaVinci Resolve. I valued acquiring these technical skills.

Upon reflection, however, my feelings are nuanced. I recognized that much of the work, like sifting through vast amounts of footage, was inherently repetitive and procedural, offering limited room for personal creativity. Furthermore, witnessing content restrictions during review made me aware of the creative constraints within the traditional documentary industry.

This internship served as a crucial mirror for self-discovery. It clarified that my passion and strengths are better suited for fields like narrative animation or game design, where creative expression can be more direct, frequent, and central to the final product. This experience has helpfully steered my career path toward these more aligned creative horizons.