Van Peursem gets hands-on experience in television

Many dream about hearing the words “lights, camera, action” shouted daily at their job. This summer, for Laurie Van Peursem of Stewartville, Minn., a senior at Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa, that dream has come true.

Van Peursem, a senior communication studies major, is spending her summer interning at Screaming Flea Productions, a television production company based in Seattle. Screaming Flea is one of the nation’s leaders in the production of nonfiction television programs.

During the summer, Van Peursem’s duties have included everything from legal paperwork to assisting at shoots. She has also had the chance to work on a variety of shows for the cable network A&E including “Sell This House,” “Move This House” and “Knievel’s Wild Ride.”

Van Peursem says her internship has been very educational. “It has shown me how a production company works, and I can try my hand at any aspect of the production process.” She has also enjoyed building relationships and learning from others on the set.

Although she says that no class could have prepared her for a hands-on experience like this one, she is thankful for the foundation her production classes at Northwestern and her past experiences have given her.

On campus, Laurie is a producer for Basement Studios, a student production crew. She recently completed work on a claymation project, the first of its kind to be produced at Northwestern. In addition, she also serves as the concessions manager for Northwestern athletic events.