Blake Grudzien Speaks About Reality TV Internship

Blake Grudzien, a mass communication major and business administration and marketing minor here at Frostburg State, was given the chance to take part in an amazing internship. Through his own exploring, the help of Frostburg alumnus Carla Romo, and the mass communication department, Grudzien was given the chance to work with Bunim/Murray Productions this past summer. Bunim/Murray Productions is a television production company that works on creating and producing reality television series, including The Real World, Keeping up with the Kardashians, Project Runway, and Bad Girls Club.

During his time with Bunim/Murray, Grudzien was given the opportunity to work in multiple different departments within the company. From casting to working with reality show stars in studio, to post-production editing, Grudzien was given the chance to explore and experience what each step of the process is like. This gave him a well-rounded, comprehensive experience to expand his creative horizons, and to use his skills in a way he would not be able to in a classroom setting. One of the projects Grudzien mentioned that he particularly enjoyed was creating a promotional video with the other interns for future interns. Not only was he able to help create an amazing video to show off what an incredible experience it was, but he also got to work with advanced equipment in a professional studio. For anyone that wants to see the video or to explore possible mass communication internship sites, it is available to watch on the Bunim/Murray websites under the internship tab.

When asked about any notable experiences, Grudzien had a hard time choosing just one or two. During his time at the company, he was given the chance to work with notable names and faces in both production and mass media. Since Bunim/Murray does a lot with reality television, Grudzien was able to work with an editor for The Real World and learned about all of the editing needed to put together one of the oldest and most well-known reality shows. Grudzien was also able to work in the studio with a few of the famous Kardashian women when they came into the studio to do soundbites. However, the most extraordinary moment of his internship was not getting to meet famous reality television stars, but rather getting to sit down with the head of the company, Jon Murray. Murray has been in the industry for over 30 years and was able to pass on wisdom and knowledge to the young interns during a 30-minute meeting. Overall, Grudzien was given the chance to work with multiple major figures from the industry as well as getting the chance to work on varying projects. Not only did working with these figures and businesses allow him to put his classroom knowledge into practice, but he was also able to network, which is a major part of the business. After graduating in December, Grudzien will have plenty of people to contact in order to see what options he has available to him career wise.

Grudzien highly encourages any and all mass communication majors who have the time and ability to do an internship to do so, particularly with Bunim/Murray. Within the mass communication major there are multiple paths worth pursing, and Grudzien believes Bunim/Murray gives individuals the chance to experience all of these different areas. When asked about what he would say to the younger students at Frostburg who are thinking about taking on an internship, Grudzien said, “For anybody that is younger and wants to pursue their career of whatever it may be, the most important thing I’ve learned is not so much [through] an internship, though it is the easiest way to start it, but [to] network yourself. Meet as many people as possible, don’t burn bridges, and stay friendly with everyone and keep in contact because you don’t know who will help you go where you want to be.” After watching the internship video and interviewing Grudzien, it is obvious that he is a dedicated creator and that as time goes on, his projects and enterprises will improve, and soon everyone in the industry will know his name.