Students drive awareness of West Michigan’s automotive industry

The Mosaic Film Experience teamed up with Gentex Corporation and students from Careerline Tech Center and Kent Career Tech Center to produce a student-created video showcasing West Michigan’s ties to the automotive industry. The five-minute video features five West Michigan businesses and discusses the diverse career opportunities within the industry. The video was streamed at the Gentex Corporation booth at the Michigan International Auto Show from February 2-6 at the DeVos Place.

To create the video, a production team of 32 students from Careerline Tech Center interviewed leadership and filmed b-roll footage at Gentex, JMAX Transportation, Royal Technologies, Techno-Coat and Shoreline Container.

“Real projects with real products create a genuine experience where the potential for learning grows exponentially and supports students in preparing for future education,” said Bill Wolbrink, media and communications instructor, Careerline Tech Center. “The process of going out to the different businesses and seeing how they operate was eye-opening for our students. Their visits also dispelled some of the student’s perceptions about the manufacturing industry.”

Kent Career Tech Center student Yejin Jeon produced the graphic overlays used throughout the video.

For Jenison High School senior Joey Heyboer, who served as lead editor, the project provided a glimpse into the digital media field. He plans to pursue freelance video and editing work after graduation.

“In addition to learning about West Michigan’s role in the automotive industry, I learned a lot of key editing skills that I can use in my future,” said Heyboer. “I like that I was involved with many different companies and people throughout the project. It was a great experience that not every student has the opportunity to do. ”

Students are now using the footage to produce separate recruiting videos for each company that detail what they are looking for in prospective team members.

“Whether it’s filmmaking, manufacturing or entrepreneurship, the knowledge and skills acquired during a project of this scale helps students in any career,” said Derk Baartman, vice president, Mosaic Film Experience. “The videos created are a testament to the students' hard work and creativity, and we can't wait to see what they'll achieve in the future."

The project is part of the Mosaic Film Experience’s STEAM partnership with Gentex Corporation, aimed at inspiring the next generation of professionals in the arts and technology.