Week 3: Getting Down to Business

Museum of Natural History

     After another great weekend in NYC, I was excited to see what this week had in store for me. It is safe to say I was quite the "busy bee" this week.

     Monday, I spent the day printing hundreds of pictures. I printed off potential patterns off of Spoonflower. I also printed off numerous pillows, paintings and mirrors for an upcoming photo shoot of a house. They needed to replace a few things in the house to help enhance it's look for the magazine. I enjoyed finding the new home decor, but it was very tempting to start browsing the rest of the websites for personal decorations.

     Tuesday was my favorite day of the week. My boss invited me to go with her to New Jersey for the day to scout houses for an upcoming story in the "Curb Appeal" section of the magazine. It was so neat to really see what they look for in finding the right houses for each story. I always thought they they picked a house and then did an outdoor makeover on the front, but that is not the case. The houses they choose could be shot the same day that they are chosen. They already have cute decorations or great landscaping and that's what attracts HGTV Magazine to choose the house for the magazine. It was a great day to learn more about the magazine as well as have some 1 on 1 time with my boss. During our trip, we even came across a street with a stunning view of the skyline. She was even sweet enough to pay for my meals. She also let me have some input as to whether or not certain houses would be good for the magazine. I really appreciated her letting me do so because it made me feel like my opinions were valued and important.

View of Skyline from New Jersey

     On Wednesday, I ran more errands around town finding items for the Supermarket Snoop story again. They had the photo shoot for it and were unhappy with the results, so I had to go out and buy everything again. You'd be surprised how hard it is to find certain grocery items in New York! Once I finally finished running around the city like a chicken with my head cut off, I started making a binder full of stories for my boss. My boss wanted a binder full of each "Mission Makeover" story the magazine had ever done. I had to photocopy each page and then put them in sheet protectors and put them on the same side they were on the magazine, so when she was looking through it, it was like she was looking at the actual magazine. For example if the story started on the left side of the magazine with the second page on the right to make a full spread, that's how I had to place them in the binder. Although it was time consuming, I didn't mind because I enjoy organizational tasks like that.  Also, Wednesday night, Hearst paid for all of their interns to go to a pre-screening of "The Internship" with Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson. They also gave us popcorn, soda, and a free t-shirt. Rumor has it Vince Vaughn was there, but I never saw him. Even though I was crushed he wasn't there, I still had so much fun with my friends from work.

HGTV Magazine Interns at "The Internship"

     Thursday was a long day. It started with me printing out all of the pictures we had taken on our scouting trip Tuesday. Once all of them were printed off, I had to make a concept board with them. Once I finished the board, I finished the "Mission Makeover" binder that I had started the day before. I gave her that binder and then started on another for the "Kitchen Chronicles" section of the magazine. However, I didn't finish that binder that day, because I had to start mailing out complimentary issues to people who had contributed to the July/ August issue. What that entails is labeling envelopes and stuffing those envelopes with a business card, thank you note, and magazine. Although it wasn't terrible, doing 100+ got a bit tiring.


     Friday was slower than the rest of the week and allowed me to take a "breather". I finished the "Kitchen Chronicles" binder. I also had to address some more envelopes. I helped organize the prop room. I also helped another intern from a different department with research items to use in an upcoming story. The afternoon was somewhat "dead". Fridays are usually slow days around here though. However, I did have something to look forward to! My boss took me to dinner Friday night with a former intern, Mimi, who went to LSU and now works for Traditional Homes Magazine.  We went to a French brasserie, it was delicious. Once again, she was sweet enough to pay for my meal. She has taken such good care of me up here. We also went out for ice cream afterwards at a New York favorite, Big Gay Ice Cream. It was hands down the best ice cream I've had!

     I've really been enjoying learning about the magazine industry and about HGTV Magazine in particular. I was surprised to find that the average age of our reader was 49. However, my boss explained to me that 49 is actually considered young in the magazine industry. I had thought that our average age would be around 35 based on what our magazine features. Because our magazine is so new (first issue was October/November 2011), much of our readers are fans of the network and started to read the magazine because of their loyalty to the brand. I feel like if HGTV Magazine was available in more stores, it would help attract younger readers.

     Even though this week was my busiest, I hope that it will continue throughout the summer. Being busy makes the time go by much faster than sitting around doing nothing. I worked very hard throughout the week, but was able to get some good laughs at the movie on Wednesday. It's good to work hard, but it's also good to just have fun sometimes. I can't wait for what's ahead of me!

Week 2: Settling In

      We were given Monday off to honor Memorial Day. This gave me another day to roam the streets of the city. I spent most of my time at the Rockefeller Center and Times Square. It was a beautiful, sunny day, so I didn't bother taking the subway anywhere. I just wanted to walk everywhere and take it all in.

American flags for Memorial Day in Rockefeller Plaza

     Although I enjoyed the long weekend, I was excited to get back to the office and see what was in store for me this week. I was excited for another intern to start this week as well.  When I got to the office, I was put right to work. I learned how to find information for PR representatives of a companies. These are the people we contact when trying to have certain items sent to our office to be displayed in the magazine. For this task,  we contacted the PR representatives or manufacturers of the items that had been put on last week's concept board. I never realized how hard it could be to get in touch with some people. It sometimes felt like I was trying to do the impossible. However, the task managed to be completed and everything came in just as we had asked. This task also made me realize how particular the magazine is when requesting items. They specifically ask for certain brands of each product so that it will work just right for the story. I also attended my first "Production Meeting". This is when the entire staff (writers, stylists, and designers) all come together and just let each other know where they are at. We find out what each person is working on, is done with, or still has left to do to prepare for the upcoming issue. I thought it was really neat that our editor was there. Apparently, this isn't common with some magazines, but our editor is very involved in everyday life here at the office.

     Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday all had a task in common: research. I never realized how much research goes into finding the perfect product to go in each story.  After this past week, I now have a great appreciation for each item seen in a magazine. One of the most challenging things for me in this was having to stay away from items on Etsy. It always seemed like the cutest items were found on that website, so I had to really search hard to find things on other sites. Even more difficult was finding exactly what the stylists wanted. You have to look at the price to make sure it is affordable, the color to make sure it will photograph well with the other props, the texture to make sure it photographs well in general, and also make sure it's the dimensions that they have asked for. Although at times I felt like this was just an annoying, tedious task, it also made me excited to know that items from MY research would be featured in an upcoming issue.

My Desk 

This is a page with different products on it to show the ultimate outcomes of product research

Checking boxes

   

     Also, on Wednesday I helped organize a book shelf as well as their Magazine library which consists of every issue they have here at HGTV. Later on, I opened boxes containing props for next issue's cover to make sure nothing was broken. The company that usually has broken items is Anthropologie because their items are so delicate.  At lunch on Wednesday, I met and ate with two interns from Harper's Bazaar and really enjoyed comparing the two internships.

Bookshelf I organized

     On Thursday, I organized another bookshelf. I also took all of those boxes into our room for all of our cover items. Once again, we ate with the Harper's interns. I'm really enjoying getting to know girls from other magazines. It's fun to see the different personalities of girls at other magazines.

     Friday was a little busier than the rest of the week. I finally was able to run errands! First, I went to my neck of the woods in the Upper West Side to get an item for our "Supermarket Snoop" story. Then I had to load myself down with all the props for that afternoon's photo shoot and went south to Chelsea to drop all of them off. That was my second cab experience and it wasn't any better than my first. I continued to unpack and repack boxes full of props for the cover shoot. The best part of the day was having a coworker bring me Jamba Juice and getting a free candy bar.

      So far, I have really enjoyed work here at HGTV Magazine. I love their use of bright, vivid colors and am really glad that the love of these colors is shown in the office. Everyone is always wearing fun and bright outfits. The laid back and relaxed style of the magazine is also reflected here in the workplace as well. I feel like I fit right into this company's culture and they have made me feel so welcomed here. I'm enjoying seeing what all goes into each issue of the magazine. It really is much more researched than an average reader would think. I have a whole new appreciation for magazines now that I am getting a "behind-the-scenes" look at everything. I have really enjoyed getting to know everyone in the office a little bit better this week and can only hope I make even stronger relationships with them throughout the summer.

     I am still getting used to the fast paced lifestyle up here. Living in a hotel alone all summer isn't exactly ideal, but I'm getting used to it. I have had to change rooms a few times due to "crowding" so I'm still trying to get completely settled in. I'm still getting used to falling asleep as well as waking up to loud noises such as yelling and car horns, but all in all, I am enjoying my time here. It has been quite a transition, but I wouldn't trade one minute of this experience for anything else in the world.

This is made of Lego pieces at the Rockefeller Center

Week 1: Current Event

HGTV Magazine

     According to a recent article in Ad Age, magazine publishers are starting to "feel the love" from advertisers for their iPad editions of their publications. Many advertising agencies are starting to opt in for this more expensive means of advertising because there is room for great potential growth. The number of people owning tablets as doubled in this past year. However, the downside for advertisers is that paying for ads in both print and iPad. According to the article, the iPad advertisements are producing larger revenue than the print ads. 

     I spoke to a co-worker about her opinion of this article and here is what I've gathered:

     When asked about the implications of this article on our company, she responded, "It sounds like our company is most likely making a small profit from the increase in ad sales. It's a rough market for magazines so any growth-small or big- especially in terms of the digital platform is a step in the right direction. It's a sign that the ever evolving world of magazines is still gaining in terms of digital."

     When asked about the implications of this article on our industry as a whole, she told me the following: "The boost in ad sales has a greater ramification industry-wise than it does company wise. While the gains company-wise are small, industry wise it's a sign that digital is a viable platform for magazines to go on to, and is most likely their best means for sustainability long term wise. Realistically, it doesn't cost a lot of money to 'print' a magazine on the iPad as compared to printing physical copies. Plus, iPad ads can be linked back to their websites so that f the reader sees something they like, they can go directly to the website, which ups reader engagement as a whole. It's an important connection and the fact that it's growing is only going to spur magazines further into the digital world."

     My final question to her was asking her about her personal opinion on this information from the article. She said," I think it's good that they'll be making gains somewhere because it means that there is more likelihood that magazines will survive, even f they will survive in a different form. It means I have a potential job in the future."

Sebastian, M. (2013, June 24) Magazine's iPad Editions See 24% Ad Boost in Q1. Retrieved on June 24, 2013 from http://adage.com/article/media/magazines-ipad-editions-24-ad-boost-q1/242787/ 

Week 1: And so it begins...

     I had my bags packed and ready to go for a morning flight on Monday, May 20. My excitement was like that of a child on Christmas morning. I caught my 9:30 flight and was on my way to the Big Apple. This Savannah girl was one step closer to becoming a city girl. I was fully convinced that I was quickly going to be swept into the "luxurious" lifestyle that I knew ALL the New Yorkers had.

Me in the Savannah Airport

      However, that opinion of New York was short lived. As soon as I stepped out of the La Guardia Airport into the hustle and bustle of the taxi line, I knew that I had it all wrong and that this was going to be a HUGE lifestyle change. I was finally able to get in a cab and I can honestly say that ride threw me around more than any roller coaster I have ever been on. I felt a sense of relief when he finally pulled to the curb to let me out at my hotel. My hotel was smaller than I had expected, but it was cheap, so I'm not complaining. It's location is on 94th street n the Upper West Side, and when you stick your head out the window, you get a lovely view of the Hudson River...that is, if you're lucky enough to have a street view room. The neighborhood is relatively quiet and Riverside Park is one block to my left and the subway is one block to my right, so I've got everything I need within walking distance.

My hotel: Hotel Alexander

     I had Tuesday, May 21, as a personal day to find my way around the city. I enjoyed going to Times Square and seeing the bright lights and enjoyed a stroll through Central Park. Of course, every good day doesn't go without its slip-ups. I was attempting a trial run from my hotel to work on the subway. However, being my first time riding the subway, I had no idea that trains go in two directions, I just assumed they had different names for each one. So, my fifteen minute commute to midtown Manhattan turned into a 3 hour subway ride to Coney Island in Brooklyn. I'm trying to just block that experience out of my memory. However, I did finally make my way to finding my office.

     

     On Wednesday, May 22, it was my big day. My internship officially started at HGTV Magazine. My position title is "Home Intern". I work for the Home Editor, Jen Berno. I had so many emotions built up inside I didn't know what to do with myself! I freaked out about my outfit, hoped they would like me, was worried about the other interns, and just prayed I wouldn't get lost again. However, as soon as I arrived, those nerves went out the window. I felt like I was right where I belonged. Everyone welcomed me and made me feel like they were just so excited I was there. With the magazine being a Hearst Magazine, I assumed I would be working in the Hearst Tower. However, I was surprised to find that our office is behind the Tower in a building called The Sheffield and our studio is located in the Hearst building.

Hearst Tower

The Sheffield

          My first day flew by. I didn't realize that I would be the first intern to start, but it was nice being here alone for a day. I learned a great deal of how things work around the office and how to answer the phones, send messengers for props, fill out UPS forms, mail complimentary issues to people/companies that contributed, and was able to help make a concept board for an upcoming story.

My first concept board of the summer

     Thursday flew by as well. I didn't do too much more than I did on my first day. I mainly just helped out my boss' assistant organize some old issues and stories for my boss. Another intern, Val, started and so we were able to get to know each other a little bit. One really exciting thing that happened was that one of my co-workers invited me to go to the opening of the E.L.F. Makeup grand opening of their store. There was a guest list and so I felt like a total New York VIP!

My friend and I at a Grand Opening Party

   We had a half day on Friday in honor of Memorial Day weekend. We had a staff meeting that morning with bagels and played a game called "High-Low". During this game we went around and said what our high was for the week and our low point of the week. I enjoyed it because I felt like in some way I felt I was on a more personal level with everyone. The day went by quickly as well. I hope next week, they will have more work for me to do. I know I'm completely capable to do as much as they can give me to do. I spent the rest of my afternoon walking along 5th Avenue and Madison Avenue. New York is completely overwhelming but I'm looking forward to what the rest of this summer has in store for me!