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Caitlin Bradford ('13) | Electronic Media & Spanish

Hometown: Cedar Rapids, Iowa

In any television show, the set design and props can make all the difference when a show's producers are trying to create a certain mood or feel for the set.  

Caitlin Bradford ('13) has aspirations to be TV's next great set art director. Her experiences in ACU's Journalism and Mass Communication Department and a top-notch internship have her on the right trajectory.

"Ideally, I'd work on the set of a TV show doing art direction. I'd love to help shape the artistic feeling of a set and help find objects that create that feeling," Caitlin says.    

Nashville internship

In summer 2012, Caitlin completed an internship at GI Inc., a Nashville-based production company. Her responsibilities were varied and numerous, but she often found herself employing her creative skills to create the perfect set.

"On one set, we needed bar stools, pillows and rugs, so I spent time looking around Nashville for items that fit the feel the production was going for," she says. "For the video shoot I worked on, I helped find props and also place props on the set."

GI Inc. is a small production company, so Caitlin was afforded a hands-on opportunity to experience all things production.

One of the things Caitlin learned in Nashville is that with small production companies, art directors are much more involved in every aspect of production. "This means doing more manual labor than one would do if he or she were working on a TV or movie set," Caitlin says.

What it takes to succeed

Caitlin, who was named a University Scholar for 2013, believes she succeeded at her internship and has accumulated the skills to succeed in the future, thanks in part to the Journalism and Mass Communication program.

"I think the JMC Department's emphasis on real-world experience is what makes it great," she says. "I love that we have The Optimist and Morris & Mitchell available for students to get experience doing things they might want to do after graduation."

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