COMBINATION OF MULTIPLE SKILLS AND INTERESTS

Alisa Komendova, a third year Interactive Media student at TAMK, originally from Czech Republic moved to Finland back in 2005. Nowadays she already has marketing and PR/communication experience thanks to her Bachelor degree in International business. She has also been working as a freelance photographer since 2007 and has just started branching out into the world of video production.

It was the combination of all these skills and interests that led to the internship.

Komendova did her internship at Dreamloop Games, a video game development company located in Tampere, Finland. She joined the team at the position of a marketing assistant / media content creator. The company wanted to reach its audience with a series of behind-the-scenes videos and introduce the team, creating a relaxed and friendly relationship with the customers.

Komendova met the CEO and CMO of Dreamloop Games at one of the monthly IGDA meetings in Tampere. Mutual friends introduced them and after a brief chat with them it turned out that, she had all the skills they were looking for. As Komendova already had a bachelor degree in business, she was familiar with the business side and did not need much introduction into that part. The second side of her role was a cinematographer and an editor that she was just starting to focus on study- and profession-wise. Komendova was with Dreamloop Games for almost a year.

My internship at Dreamloop Games was a perfect opportunity to refresh some older knowledge and practice some new skills.

IGDA is short for International Game Developers Association and they have headquarters in multiple countries, including in Finland. The chapter of this association that is located in Finland was founded in 2002 in order to support the game industry on a national level. Many game companies located all over Finland are a part of this society and take part in the events held by IGDA. The local activities brought to us by IGDA Finland Hubs are independent parts of IGDA. Their aim is to work with the local game developers and help them collaborate, connect and create a sensible environment for them to work in. The Hubs that are located in the bigger cities of Finland are committed to hold free gatherings monthly or so that anyone who is interested can attend including students looking for internships or connections.

Komendova has worked in the media field since 2006, as a freelance journalist and later a freelance photographer, so the Interactive Media degree was quite interesting for her. However, she was first accepted to the International Business degree. During the first year there, she considered re-applying for the Media degree, but later came to a decision to continue her business studies as she found value in the knowledge and skills. After graduating in 2013, Komendova applied for the new Fine Art study path, but didn’t feel like it was her place already during the entrance exams. The following year, she applied for Interactive Media and was accepted. Now she can combine her business knowledge with her media skills and experience to shape her professional future to suit her best.

I think it really teaches you to work independently, to continuously develop your skills and to grow professionally, to search for new professional connections.

The best part of any TAMK degree must be the mandatory practical training. It really makes you consider what it is that you would like to do in the future, what skills you have to offer. Komendova’s internship at Dreamloop Games helped her to build a solid body of work for her video portfolio bringing in other cinematography and editing jobs. It introduced her to a completely new business segment - video game development. In addition, you can shape your studies to your needs, to focus on your talents and your strengths.

Moreover, as I still have the second half of my practical training ahead, it will bring even more experience and networks to my professional life.