Carson School's Conley receives Academy of Television Internship
calendar icon24 Jun 2015
Lincoln, Neb.—Drew Conley, who graduated in May with his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, has been selected to receive a prestigious internship this summer from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Foundation.
Conley will be working for film and television composer Christopher Lennertz in the music category. Lennertz is a composer and producer for film, television, records and video games. He first made a splash with his breakout score for Alvin and the Chipmunks, which has grossed more than $360 million worldwide. His other credits include Horrible Bosses, Ride Along, Think Like A Man Too, Identity Thief, Horrible Bosses 2 and The Wedding Ringer.
“There was no caller ID when I picked up the phone, so I was completely caught off guard,” Conley said. “It was a huge relief after waiting for so many weeks with no sort of indication if I would get chosen or not. This experience will surely be a way to jump start my professional career.”
Conley is a composer and sound designer from Omaha, Nebraska. He has scored more than 12 projects and theatre and film in the last two years while in the film and new media program in the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film. He plans to continue writing music in the future.
Conley’s film, “Diner Off the Highway” screened at the Omaha Film Festival in March and at the National Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY) in Seattle in April. His work earned him several awards and accolades, including his sound design and original music scoring on the thesis film “Just Another Tuesday ” which was selected as a finalist for this year’s 36th Annual College Television Awards (Comedy Category).
“Drew’s immense experience in music combined with his rigorous coursework in film and new media production is a unique combination,” said Sharon Teo-Gooding, associate professor of film and new media production and associate director of the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film. “He is able to connect visual images with varying genres of music he has created in order to augment the narrative of the films or theatrical works. He is motivated and creative.”
The Television Academy Foundation’s summer internship program provides more than 40 industry-wide internships to college students nationwide. The program gives both undergraduate and graduate students in-depth exposure to professional television production during an eight-week summer period in Los Angeles.