Technology, Humans And Taste (THAT) is a creative company in New York City and Tokyo. THAT creates by collaborating with outside voices in every medium, at every budget, for every audience. They work to uncover truly original solutions to problems through constant collaboration with unfamiliar voices.
Emerson College is also a collaborative environment full of creative thinkers that are looking for new ways to improve the world around us. So it comes with no surprise that we recently had an Emtern working for Technology, Humans And Taste .
Armando “Tripp” Rams is a senior IDIP Multimedia Journalism and Design major graduating in the Fall of 2020. During his time at Technology, Humans And Taste he was the Content Creation Intern. We had the chance to sit down with Tripp and talk to him about his time at THAT.
How did you find out about this opportunity and what drew you to it?
Tripp: “I found the job on Indeed, when the coronavirus outbreak and subsequent shutdown happened all of the internship programs I applied for had gotten canceled. I wanted to work in some form of magazine/digital media company like VICE, Highsnobiety, etc. After the cancelations I almost lost hope that I would find another opportunity but I kept checking every few days and saw the THAT internship. It was in marketing which I never saw myself doing but I applied and they got back to me relatively quickly.”
What were some of your responsibilities during your internship?
Tripp: “THAT was opening a new originals department, starting with a documentary and moving into social media series, apps and other forms of digital content. The team consisted of one person, who previously was a strategist and filmmaker before that. I was the other member of the team and we worked together to create the base of what THAT Originals could be. This included a lot of research, prototyping, design, editing, concept development, etc.”
What are you most proud of that you accomplished during this internship?
Tripp: “There are a few highlights I was most proud of. First was a series that I started working on my first day. I finished editing the first episode on my last day, and I saw the entire project unfold from start to a finished product. We shot a commercial while I was there and I got to PA and shot photographs and BTS, one of my photos was published, a first for me. I was especially proud of this because it made me feel more legitimate as a media creator, working with some high caliber celebrities. Lastly I was proud of myself when I had my exit meeting and review and hearing the kind words from my supervisors and co-workers.”
What advice do you have for people interested in this internship or similar opportunities?
Tripp: “I would have three major pieces of advice. Firstly be open to any opportunity. I originally did not see myself applying for marketing positions but it turned out to be an enormous learning experience for me as a creator. Second, say yes to everything. The internet can teach you how to do anything, so say yes and then do the best job you can. Lastly a piece of advice I received on my first day at THAT, when asked to do something even if you do not receive adequate instructions, just do it and ask for feedback. It is much easier to provide a direction when you have something to go off of rather than asking away and doing nothing. And off of that be flexible and adapt to whatever comes your way.”
Who is your supervisor and how has working with them been?
Tripp: “My supervisor was Julia Gorbach. Working with her was wonderful. We had similar curiosities in many different forms of content and media creation so it was always a pleasure to brainstorm with her and see what we could come up with. She treated me like a coworker and not an intern a lot of the time which was great for my experience as well.”
