VIP Creator Highlight: Terri Collins

The PVS Virtual Internship Program

In today’s industry landscape many students, especially in creative fields, are hard-pressed to find opportunities to gain real world experience and training to supplement their higher education and career development. Prime Vice Studios has established its Virtual Internship Program to give opportunity to talented students who wish to gain valuable experience and earn academic credit for their efforts. 

This interview series seeks to highlight our interns, share their testimonials and assist them on their creative journey. This interview highlights the wonderful Terri Collins.

Terri Collins

About The Creator

Terri Collins is an aspiring comic artist who excels in magical, adventurous, and romance genres. She hopes to share her stories and inspire others to create one themselves. Being able to write and create comics has been a lifelong goal for her. She can’t wait to make a difference within the comic and manga community with her work. She was born in Tampa, Florida, and is currently based in Atlanta, Georgia.

Interview

Thank you for doing this interview Terri. Please share a bit about yourself and why you chose to do an internship with PVS.

From middle school to high school to present day, my dream has always been to create comics. I have been self-taught for quite some time and wanted more professional help in comic creation. Majoring in Digital Animation didn’t give me much insight into the ins and outs of creating a comic from scratch either. I truly wanted to learn more about the process. I wanted to know what it takes to create a story, a world, and characters. It’s something I have been passionate about and still is. That is why I chose to do the internship with Prime Vice Studios. Prime Vice Studios’ internship was the key to all my problems. I am even more passionate about comic creation than before I started the internship. 

PVS Internship Experience

What was your experience with PVS  like?

My experience with Prime Vice Studios was valuable. I have always struggled with whether comics are something I can pursue as a career. Due to my doubts on this, I majored in Digital Animation which is crazy because I love creating comics. When I was told about the internship I truly was excited and grateful. Things were finally getting brighter for me. This experience has allowed me to create many things that I am proud of. It has also taught me how to manage time as well which was very helpful. The workshops that Prime Vice Studios teaches have been fun and insightful. I learned so much and my perspective on comic creation has changed completely allowing me to create with less stress. Prime Vice Studios makes comic creation enjoyable. Being able to sit in a room of comics during the workshops was also inspiring. It gets you in the mood to create. Everything I learned is worthwhile, this experience will forever be engraved in my memories. It truly was an eye-opener.

Knowledge & Skills Acquired

What were some of your impactful moments during your internship?

From the start of the internship to the end, it made a significant impact on my life. One core memory I had was, “I can make a living from comics.” This is when I knew everything would be okay. My parents even began to see that I was doing incredible things which made me happy. I remember during the internship I asked about paneling. I have always struggled with paneling, it would stress me out. One tip was to view things in bigger shapes before details. Place all the panels first then add the subjects in big shapes. This is something I still use even after the internship. It makes everything so much easier. This tip helped me realize that comic creation is made through tedious steps, which allowed me to perform differently and more efficiently. Without this tip I would still be in a slump because comic creation is hard, it’s not easy. It takes a lot of passion and drive but it’s all worth it! 

Pivotal Moments of The Internship

Please share a story highlighting a pivotal moment of the internship.

The workshops at Syndicate Comics were my favorite things to attend. Sometimes I would be in a slump and go to the meetings and after I would be inspired and go home and draw for hours. Attending the workshops was the key to igniting my passion for comic making. I became more passionate and was able to talk about my story amongst others which was nice. Connecting with others as well was essential, and I enjoyed it. I got to follow many comic artists on Instagram and many other platforms. I even participated in Free Comic Book Day at Syndicate Comics. It was a lot of fun and a great way to connect with other comic artists. It was a ten out of ten experience. I still attend these workshops and events, because they are helpful!

Vision For The Future

Imagine us sitting down together two years from now or further looking back. What specific accomplishments would have to happen for you to be happy with your progress?

The progress that I have made from this internship has already shown many accomplishments. One thing I look forward to in two years would be publishing my first comic online and in print. This is a dream of mine. I am currently creating two comics at once. I can see myself in two years publishing my comics in no time. 

What do you hope your comics and IPs will do in the world?

I wish to bring multiple different romance comics to the world. I hope to inspire many others to create comics themselves. I want to show them that yes you can make comics as a living. 

Advice For Creators & Future Interns

Who would you recommend should do this internship and what advice would you give them?

Anyone should be able to do this internship. Especially those who are passionate and hardworking should do this internship. Comic creation is a difficult job. It takes a lot of time and energy, yet it’s worthwhile. You will see a difference in your mindset, process, writing, and more if you do this internship. You will see that creating comics can be easy, you just need help from professionals like Prime Vice Studios! They are the best. If you are a student interested in this internship you must improve on time management. Time management is everything in the comic industry and it’s a must in the internship. Make sure to take care of your body and health. Your health is important. Taking breaks is okay. This internship will make you a better artist and writer. Give it everything you got, and good luck!

Final Thoughts & Follow Up

What type of clients, audience do you want to connect with or work for?

I want to work with anyone passionate about creating comics and making a story come to life. I wouldn’t mind doing pencilling, inking, coloring, etc. Just give me the work and I can do it. I love anything comic-related and would love to work with many other creators. If you are a writer looking for someone to make your story come to life, I can help. If you are an artist looking for a writer I can also help you write your story. It’s the best of both worlds. 

Thank you again for providing this wonderful testimonial Terri. You’re an amazing talent well on your way to achieving all of the success you deserve. 

Get in touch with Terri here:
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○        Website: https://starcrashy.wixsite.com/starcrashi 
○        Social Media: @starcrashy 
○        Email: [email protected]
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Creator Art Gallery

If you would like to be a PVS intern, apprentice or volunteer fill out the application through the button below. PVS is looking to work with talented individuals. ​

VIP Application

Interview conducted by Carlos Perez
​Edited by Ananya Vahal