Throughout the fall semester, students in NYU School of Professional Studies “Instagram Real World” course worked in multi-disciplinary teams to research, shoot, and edit a vertical IGTV video to present to a particularly discerning audience: Instagram and Facebook executives, who evaluated the final presentations at Facebook’s NYC headquarters.
For the friendly competition, students gathered at Instagram’s Astor Place offices, steps away from NYU, to watch one another’s work while employees—who, along with NYU faculty, had consulted with the teams throughout the semester—gave feedback and declared a winner. The project that took that top honor was an IGTV video on the Philadelphia Union soccer team—praised for creativity and execution of concept for combining interviews, selfies, and behind-the-scenes footage.
After the presentations, students toured the Instagram and Facebook offices, snapping Instagram photos in a Harry Potter booth, enjoying the free ice cream station, and writing on the Facebook “wall.”
The goal of Real World courses is to provide students with skills that they’ll use throughout their careers.
“Facebook staff raved that the work exceeded that of many of their established content partners,” Professor Jonathan Yi said. “I couldn't be more proud of my students.”
Cool Course Dispatches
From analyzing metaphorical monsters to studying robotics, our students are getting hands-on experience—in and outside the classroom.