KINGSTON, R.I.- October 21, 2016- University of Rhode Island senior and Huntington, N.Y. native Robert Riglietti was attracted to the University of Rhode Island by one thing: the fast-paced promotional video produced by the University’s Harrington School of Communication and Media.
And now that he is in his last year, he is getting a chance to play an important role in the opening of the $6.5 million Harrington Hub for Global Leadership in Communication and Media on Oct. 21 at 11 a.m. on the Kingston Campus’ Quadrangle.
As a member of the Harrington Rangers, a student ambassador group named after Ranger Hall, the building in which the Harrington Hub is located, Riglietti will be answering questions about the new facility and giving tours to guests.
But he’ll also have a chance to talk about his own experiences, which included a realization in his sophomore year of high school that he wanted to work in the film industry. He then proceeded to make a number of his own films that can be found on his website, robrigged.com.
Once he got to URI and the Harrington School, he took advantage of every opportunity to grow and improve in his field.
As a Harrington Ranger, Riglietti spearheads media production at the school, which requires him to help administrators decide which videos to produce. Once that decision is made, Riglietti goes through the process of producing the video, which includes developing the team, handling logistics, and assigning everyone a role.
Through the Harrington School mentor program, Riglietti was paired with Harrington Advisory Board member Scott Randall, president of BrandGames, an award-winning advertising and training platform based out of New York. Each week, Riglietti consulted with Randall regarding business, what it is like to be a professional, and what Riglietti considered the most helpful–building his own professional portfolio.
During the summer, Riglietti took what he learned from the mentor program and the Harrington School and headed west to Manhattan Beach, Calif. where he completed an internship for Origin Entertainment as an assistant to producer James Volk. The first item on the agenda was a trip to the Cannes Film Festival in France. He watched as Origin kicked off its “Pray for Peace” campaign that coincided with the development of its latest film Fatima.
“I was so excited to be in a place where the film industry was booming,” Riglietti said. “The majority of the festival revolves around business, and I was able to watch Mr. Volk talk to the heads of studios and distribution companies from around the world.
“I also filmed press conferences for the launch of the film, and once I returned to California, I edited the footage and turned it into a promotional video for Origin’s campaign. I had a great opportunity to experience as much of the industry as possible.”
From his internship, Riglietti gained valuable skills, became more confident and said he is in a position to strongly promote the Harrington School and lead media production.
“The new Harrington Hub will give students within the school a collaborative space where they can work on projects, share ideas, and thoughts can flow freely.”
Olivia Ross, an intern in the Marketing and Communications Department at URI and public relations major, wrote this press release.