(Feb. 3, 2012 - by Marla Bender) Students of digital media are getting the opportunity to hone their skills on some high-tech equipment at the Jack and June Nikkel Media Center in Elkhart, Ind.

Upon completing a recent HCJB Global Technology Center internship at the media center, Cameron Lewis observed that "sometimes you have to make do with the equipment you have, but when you have the best equipment, you are not limited in what you can produce."

The media center has "top-of-the-line equipment," added Lewis. "During this internship I've become more familiar with programs that I haven't used extensively before."

Fellow intern Cody Clemons agreed, describing the center's digital equipment as "[film] industry standard". He is studying new media, motion video concentration at Indiana University South Bend.

Clemons plans to use his newly gained knowledge to assist with church media ministry and eventually wants to "make films that are thought-provoking and deep" in California. Lewis, a video production major at Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, Mich., is considering a career in missions. He's thankful the internship provided him a peek into HCJB Global's use of video.

In addition to providing support for training and learning activities, the facility is being used for the production of audio and video ministry tools for use by HCJB Global and its partner ministries.

"My goal is to do dramatic filmmaking that speaks the truth of the gospel in new ways to the current generation," Lewis explained. "Showing the truth through high-quality video is a powerful way to do that."

Collaborating with others in a Christ-centered environment provided additional internship benefits, Lewis said. His work was adding graphics to a video about the mission's solar-powered, fixed-tuned SonSet^® radios. The video encourages churches to get involved in the ministry by sponsoring the radios to be distributed around the world to those who need to hear the gospel in their own languages. Clemons, meanwhile, worked on a video about HCJB Global's community development and radio planting ministries.

The interns were guided by Emily Ibarra, a video production graduate of Grace College in Winona Lake, Ind. She had volunteered at the Technology Center and was later hired as an apprentice, serving as media production specialist. She enjoys the creativity that's sparked when people work together.

"When I was an intern [elsewhere] I had a manager who gave me artistic freedom, and I tried to emulate that with the interns," Ibarra related. "The creative juices get flowing, and we all learn from each other. The end goal is to produce a quality video that inspires people to follow Christ and get involved in spreading the gospel."

"Interns have told me that they want to come here because they view us as being serious about doing high-quality video ministry," added Kevin Mayer, manager of the media center. "We have proven that by investing in the proper tools to get the job done and do it well."

In March the HCJB Global Technology Center will host another group of media students from LeTourneau University in Texas and Cedarville University in Ohio, spending their spring break to develop new skills in the media center.

Source: HCJB Global