Undergrad Spotlight: Sean and Zach Lawless

English majors in creative writing Sean Lawless (BA ’19) and Zach Lawless (BA ’19) spent a month last summer using their creative writing skills at VeracityColab, a video agency in Orange County, California. They wrote video copy on tight deadlines and contributed to the creative teams producing videos for a range of organizations.

Among their duties was writing and editing scripts. An example below shows the shifts in voice and approach demanded by the script-writing task, as well as the need for audience awareness. Each script describes the rhetorical situation (the company, the audience), and then makes suggestions for an appropriate voice character. For a company that offers mobile messaging apps for businesses, the voice-over conveys competence and accommodating support, while a video game ad — the sample included below — inspires a playful rendering of the Sage from Kung Fu Panda. A third offers small-firm lawyers support by evoking the family legacies such firms so often protect.

Here’s Sean’s reflection on the internship:

My experience interning with VeracityColab was the perfect opportunity for me to flex my creative muscles in writing, brainstorming, and collaborating. I enjoyed my work and took pride in my accomplishments — and not just my individual accomplishments, but seeing the full completed projects the staff at VeracityColab produced was incredible. The sense of fulfillment I got from knowing that I contributed, even if a little, to all of that amazing work was tremendously satisfying. Likewise, the employees at VeracityColab were unique and kind people who encouraged and inspired me every day that I came into work. When my internship ended it felt as though I was leaving a home of sorts, considering the great relationships and memories I had made.

From here I would like to see if VeracityColab would consider hiring me as a full-time employee. They are looking to expand by 20 employees in the future. Hopefully that includes me and, if not, I will look into writing freelance scripts for them.

Looking even further into the future I still want to pursue writing fantasy or science fiction novels. However, my experience at VeracityColab has made me open to other forms of writing as well, whether that be what I did for my internship in scriptwriting or some other genre.

— Sean

Here’s Zach’s reflection on the internship:

I loved the whole experience. There was something so rewarding in doing what I love (writing) and making money while doing it. Working with other like minded and immensely talented writers inspired me to start writing whenever possible and edit, edit, edit, until the deadline approaches.

I very much want to work for VeracityColab but even if I don’t I will forever be thankful that I got to work under the employees of the highest ranked film and marketing company in California. I still desire to write novels, but I now have a desire to script write and work in advertising. I am so glad that my confidence in both writing and in the working world is stories higher than where it was at the start of the summer.

— Zach

Here’s the sample draft script referenced above:

Blast Creative Briefing, Writing Treatment

Key Persuasion: We want this video to engage and educate enthusiast gamers so that they understand how easy and fun it is to save and game with Blast and download the app.

Voice-over Delivery:

Like the Sage from Kung Fu Panda

1. This is what saving money look like.
2. Not what you envisioned, I take?
3. Pay close attention to my students, as each of them game they are steadily moving money into their savings accounts.
4. How is this possible? Well my child, they are utilizing Blast.
5. Blast is a gaming-based savings app that, quite simply, helps you save money as you game.
6. If saving money ever seemed as difficult as playing Dark Souls on an ancient guitar hero controller,
7. Well Blast is like playing League of Legends only your foes are controlled by mere bots. Very low level bots.
8. While you game, Blast works in the background, assisting you on your journey to save money
9. For every level you beat, achievement you unlock or puzzle you solve,
10.  you’ll save money and complete missions (for bonus cash).
11.  Finally, saving and gaming have been brought into perfect harmony.
12.  Blast empowers you to achieve your savings goal by rewarding you for doing what you love.
13.  Level Up Your Savings Balance.
14.  Level Up Your Life.
15. Download Blast Today.

 

Interested in pursuing an internship or providing an internship opportunity to students in English? Visit our internship pages and contact Professor Han Yu, who serves as the Internship Coordinator for English.

— Naomi Wood, Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies, and Ania Payne, Instructor