Spotlight on Beats Batch, a Tigermoth Intern Production

From my desk at 515 South Elm Street, I watch a graphic designer and an intern huddle over a MacBook. 

Juliet Coen is not an intern from a 2000’s comedy flick. She doesn’t grab coffee or pick up dry cleaning. Instead, she’s learning in the field from the best. Last semester, she was in the classroom at Randolph Community College where she studies photography as part of one of the best programs on the East Coast — the same program attended by Tigermoth’s own Dave Wilson and Chris English. Now, she’s wrapping up an 8-week photography and videography internship here. She’s the one with her fingers on the keyboard right now, starting and stopping a video file in Final Cut Pro. A hip-hop beat pauses and plays as she taps the keys. 

Next to her is Katie Hutchinson. Here in the office, she designs, animates and illustrates. She, too, joined Tigermoth as an intern in fall 2018 while attending N.C. A&T’s graphic design technology program, learning from and working with Creative Director Lyda Carpen. Her talent was obvious and electric, and the internship gave way to a role as graphic designer, with work appearing on everything from holiday cards to brochures. Her freelance work outside of the office promotes local music events and artists with bold graphics, hand illustrations and, often, a role in organizing.

And you won’t just see her work. You’ll hear her, too: as Katie Blvd. 

Katie Blvd is a sonic artist in every way possible. If you haven’t heard that term before, consider sound as a sonic artist’s medium for expression, like a sculptor uses clay or a painter uses oils or acrylics. She plays instruments — guitar, bass, keys. She sings. She makes beats. And in March 2022 she debuted her newest contribution to the Greensboro music scene, founding a monthly beatshow series featuring local North Carolina beatmakers and artists called Beats Batch, hosted at venue etc. in Glenwood. Katie is a young creative leader in our community, and we celebrate all dimensions of her creativity. We love Beats Batch just as much as the work she does in the office — so much, in fact, that as part of her internship, Juliet filmed and edited a two-minute spotlight on Beats Batch. 

The two young creatives are deciding how to layer the beat tracks that Katie provided with the ambient sound Juliet recorded at the April Beats Batch show. Their goals: set the mood, highlight Katie’s music, provide context for the rest of the video — without clashing. It’s not quite right yet. Juliet apologizes for being picky, but Katie reassures her: “I want you to feel like it’s seamless.” It’s a process and a labor of love. 

As we debut Juliet’s video, we are reminded of the impact mentorship and room to express yourself can have on young creatives. When you watch, you won’t believe that Juliet hadn’t started learning videography until six months ago. Now, she navigates Final Cut Pro and sets up interviews with ease. She’s defining her own style utilizing intimate, close-up shots showing plenty of detail, with a clean narrative feel. And most importantly, she’s produced work she’s proud of. 

“I love being able to do video. It’s a gift I can give people,” Juliet says. “At Tigermoth, having a supportive environment definitely helped me develop confidence in my work. Knowing I can ask for help and be met with a positive response means the world to someone who is learning and trying to establish themselves.”

A collaboration between intern, former intern, and Tigermoth partners is a special thing. The soil is rich here at 515 South Elm Street — consider us fertile ground for creatives. If you’re interested in an internship, reach out to us on the Contact page.