From Filmmaking to Marketing Internship

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Student Spotlight

Briana Atkins

From Filmmaking to Marketing Internship

Fast Facts

Briana Atkins is a student in the MS in Integrated Marketing program at NYU SPS.
She competed in "Marketing in Motion: An Integrated Marketing Campaign Challenge," a spring student competition presented by the Integrated Marketing and Communications Department at NYU SPS in partnership with OUTFRONT Media.
The competition led to a summer internship, and Briana was selected as one of five marketing interns at OUTFRONT's New York office.

Brian Atkins in a group photo at Times Square

Briana Atkins arrived at NYU SPS after a deliberate pivot out of the film industry. The program's emphasis on portfolio-building and real-world coursework sealed her decision. "There was a clear indication of real-world, portfolio-adding experiences in the program, and that's pretty essential going into the job market," she said. Each semester, the program offers IM&C students a chance to build hands-on experience beyond the classroom and put what they've learned into practice through opportunities such as Global Field Intensives (GFIs), Real-World courses, or student competitions, like the OUTFRONT Marketing Challenge. Taking On the OUTFRONT Challenge Briana did not expect a school competition to shape her summer and to lead to an internship at OUTFRONT's New York headquarters when she signed up for the Marketing in Motion challenge. Over the course of a month, students were asked to build a complete brand proposal, from research through creative, then compress it into a four-page document and present it to a panel of NYU faculty and OUTFRONT executives. "It's harder than it sounds," Briana said, describing the process of distilling a month of work into something concise enough to present. Although her team did not win, Briana toured OUTFRONT's offices and watched the winning pitches in person. "It was a taste of doing a brand proposal in the real world," she said. "It's definitely grueling if you're doing one of these challenges on top of your schoolwork, but it's worth it to commit just to get that experience." Working at OUTFRONT Briana started her internship right as preparations ramped up for the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, which meant no two days looked alike; one day she'd be managing RSVP lists, the next coordinating dinners, vendors, or company gear. Fast-moving is how she sums up the experience. Her work over the summer ranged from Cannes Lions preparations to out-of-home market rides and a Times Square activation for HBO's House of the Dragon. She also witnessed the festival firsthand as part of the 2026 Paris and Cannes Global Field Intensive (GFI) course, where she got to see the results of her fellow interns' work up in person. Overall, Briana found that the company's culture left as much of a mark on her as the work itself. "There aren't many environments where people won't pull rank," she said. "It doesn't matter what anyone's position is; they're always open to talk to you." Advice for Future Cohorts Reflecting on what she gained from the experience, Briana encourages prospective students to participate. "Enter the Marketing Challenge, even if you don't think you'll be good at it," she said. "There's only upsides to having tried it, because even if you're not successful, you learn something." Embark on the next chapter of your career by pursuing an <a href="/content/sps-nyu/explore/degrees-and-programs/ms-in-integrated-marketing.html">MS in Integrated Marketing</a> at NYU SPS.