Spring 2022
TMA 399R - Academic Internship
TMA 399R - Academic Internship
Course outcomes common to all sections of TMA 399
- Because of the individual nature of the internship course, students work with their advisor to list at least three (3) objectives they hope to achieve that are in line with the program level learning outcomes.
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Prompt: The work log/journal consists of a descriptive summary of your internship activities for each week, problems you may have encountered or new concepts you’ve learned, and self-reflection on your experiences. Also include actual hours worked during the specified week. These summaries must be turned in weekly to your internship coordinator in order to receive full credit.
TOTAL:
NEED: 200hrs
How many hours did you work this week in your internship?
In 2-3 sentences, describe what you did this week in your internship?
What did you learn that was new or challenging this week?
8/6/22
24 hrs 30 min
This week I edited videos for the Chosen Sux campaign and I was on set for the Testament crowdfunder video. I put together assembly cuts and tried to find the most comedic jokes to be able to play off of.
During editing I was able to receive some fabulous feedback about making the cut seem seamless and what to do to be able to make it happen. You can skip forward in time but you need to make it look like the cut could be the actual video. It was fun to create the edits, to pick out specific clips and to just have fun with it. On set I was teleprompter and that was fun but also difficult. I had to work really hard to make sure that my timing was in sync with the actors. Timing is a HUGE thing in comedy. I think timing is truly what makes funny things funny so I’m very grateful for the opportunity I have to be able to practice timing.
7-28-22
13hrs 30 min
This week I worked on editing the Chosen Sux campaign videos. I also helped out with the Brrash Moron where I uploaded videos and made posts. I also interviewed JJ.
I learned about the power of social media and how so many people use it as a business tool. Youtube is literally built for making money go towards creators. It’s really interesting how the analytics will show you the progress of your account and videos. Youtube down to its core is basically a marketing platform.
In my interview with JJ I learned about the visual side of filmmaking. Read the script, see it visually and then use what you create to convey a feeling. No one has anymore of a right to the arts than anyone else. Take the initiative, take advantage of the needs inside of an organization. Don’t worry about whether people will like what you make, just go make it. And don’t suffer from paralyzing perfectionism. It reminded me of a quote my mother says, “Imperfect action is always better than perfect inaction.
7-21-22
8 hrs
This week I did a few tasks around the office and I interviewed Ryan.
Ryan is a CD at harmon brothers. The three main take aways is observation, implementation, and feedback. First up, observe what you can. Learn from the best by watching the best and making notes as to what works, what doesn’t work, and what you like/don’t like and why. Consume, digest, apply. Next step is the digest, implementation step. Try what you see and do it in a fresh way. Get those reps in. Learn to rely on yourself and what you have, become independent in ways that you need to. The last step is feedback, which is perhaps the most important. To accept feedback well constantly remind yourself that it’s not personal and that you don’t get better if you don’t get good feedback. Find sources that give good feedback, script doctors can help. Ryan will hire fancy script doctors to get feedback on his scripts. Make sure you have a good editor so that you can do good.
The way he advanced was kind of by being in the right place at the right time. Be in the right place where opportunities happen and then take advantage of those opportunities when they come. Be a risk taker and put yourself out there enough for things to happen.
He too, started as a video editor and moved his way up from there. His advice on video editing was that a good editor has a good intuition, good pacing and such. Making the fastest cut of a commercial while still getting it all. Taking out as much as possible without losing anything.
He recommended three books: The story solution, save the cat, and creating character arcs
7/15/22
23 hrs 30 min
This week I helped out on the Rinse film set. I also helped out with the Brrash Moron social media posting and I managed a few paperwork things. I also got to interview a few people from the shoot as well as Benton Crane, HB’s CEO.
So, on set I got to learn about being on the art team. Art team is WAY more meticulous and detail oriented than I had always imagined. You really have to be precise to get the exact look you want and even just a few pictures placed wrong could mess up the flow of things. I had never even thought to be that anel about things but apparently, when you’re on a film set, you need to be that anel. It’s literally your job to be that anel.
So on set I got to interview Adam the location manager and I also had the opportunity to interview Byron the actor. Adam told me about his experience when he first started. He got hired on as an assistant on a movie set but then his boss quit and so Adam was promoted to the locations manager when he had no idea what he was doing or how to do it. He talked about how in the commercial world people were usually nicer while in the movie world people didn’t want to wait for you to figure out your job. They didn’t have time or care to wait for you to get through the learning curve.
Byron was originally a karate teacher but had a dream of becoming an actor so one day, he just decided to go after it. He signed on with an agent. One thing he said was that he was always looking to get a better agent and more roles. Keeping his options open for better opportunities while taking advantage of what he’s given now.
My interview with Benton was incredible and life changing. Here’s what I learned: Experience comes by creating it. That means that if you want to start a business, the best way to get the experience you need to create a business is just to start a business. The CEO of Skullshaver recommended that in the US everyone should start a business, because failing in America means you don’t starve. (Skullshaver CEO is from India.) Learn as you go. In any job that you have, identify the person above you and make it your mission to make them successful. How do I make the boss, client, etc successful? How do I make my business partner’s successful? Sync effort into that. Those who do that usually move up the latter quicker and are usually more happy. This was really cool for me because it’s a service minded attitude in the workplace and I love that. Using your work as an opportunity to serve someone else. How can I do that now?
If you want something, go out and earn it. Learn a STRONG work ethic. He talked about pulling potatoes with his grandfather, working 12-16 hour days during harvest season. He learned how to work hard. He also talked about coming from nothing. His family was poor and when you’ve experienced coming from nothing then you know what it means and how to live in that way. From there, you know what it means to have nothing to lose and you’re not afraid of going after big things because if you fail, you’ve already lived at rock bottom, you’ve got nothing to lose. Perspective is huge.
7/8/22
17hrs 30 min
This week I interviewed Nick and I got to do some office paperwork. I also had the opportunity to participate in the writer’s retreat where I took notes and shared jokes and ideas.
In my interview with Nick I learned about just going through and doing the thing you want to do. You can easily learn the skills you want on your own and then use them to make money, even just by self teaching through youtube or some other online program. I also learned about just doing what you can to grow your talents, honestly, it’s as simple as just working on your skills and keeping open to opportunities. Keep working and allow growth.
Another opportunity I had was to go to the writer’s retreat. That was huge for me because I was able to learn what the writing process for a comedic video was. It was awesome. I had an amazing boss who was very open to my ideas even though most of them were… less than ideal. But even being able to be in an environment of sharing and just having fun writing was super amazing. Research and skill are both very important. Timing and creativity are HUGE for comedy, especially delivery. Combine all those elements and you’ll create gold.
6/29/22
7 hrs
This week I did some networking and I did some office management. I also helped to fix a few work hours to go into the right place so that budgeting would be correct. I also interviewed Keith and Kat.
Keith talked about how he was brought on by a friend and then ended up replacing that friend in the job. He told me a lot about film festivals, and using one project for multiple submissions. What he does mostly is just find the story within whatever it is he is filming about the company. So for instance, for one of the shoots there was a bear and all the hassles that come with having to film with a bear. In his efforts to market the company and their involvement in the project, he told the story of working with the bear. Whatever it is he’s doing, he finds the story in it and tells that. Finding a story within the marketing realm. Take my talents, help others understand. Keep up to date. Show and submit your stuff. You want your work to be seen.
In my interview with Kat we talked about how it is important both who you know but also who knows you. One thing that really stuck out about her journey was asking for opportunities and testing the waters. Take whatever opportunities come as they come. Do what you can to build your skill by just getting experience somehow. Work ethic is another top need. Be fun, work hard and just be a good person and you’ll go far. Help someone else out. Own what you’ve got, communicate. Truly invest in what you’re working on. Show people your interests but also what interests them. Jump on projects, use the opportunities you’re given.
Another huge bonus of this week was the fruition of my marketing efforts. Using what Brandon taught me about going after what you want, I had previously reached out to a few people about giving me a chance to write. This week I was offered that chance. It is amazing to be able to learn how to just put yourself out there. Just by letting people know what I am interested in allows me more opportunities to do exactly what it is I want to do.
6/18/22
16 hrs 40 min
This week I helped be an art person for an on site shoot. I also helped pick up stuff and edit conversions. I also interviewed Josh and Kaitlyn.
Kaitlyn studied film but really specialized in becoming a video editor. She was given great opportunities and took advantage of them. If you don’t have work, then make your own stuff and always save a copy of your work. Learn hotkeys, be efficient and organized. Get experience and put effort into stuff.
Interviewing Josh was awesome. He talked about how the most important aspect he gained from film school was his relationships with people. He talked about how he introduces himself to new people by just sending them a message, via email or phone call introducing himself and what he does. When he works on projects, depending on the project he’ll try out new people, always expanding the circle of who he knows. As a producer, building relationships is HUGE!!! Producers need to multitask, handle stress well and have great communication skills. They need to have a little understanding on all departments. They need to know people and really see their strengths and weaknesses with their skills sets to be able to pick them out and use them for specific projects. Make a list of people you know. Go to film events and network the old fashion way by just introducing yourself and making an impression. Fall upwards, meaning you might not have control over your life but at least let the out of control spinning go in a positive direction. Get in and start doing. Know everyone because someone around you will do well and they’ll bring you on with them if they know you and liked working with you. Go out and do it. Know someone, vouch for someone, then interview and use their products as showing what they do. Trust goes a LONG way. Be a good person who cares about people and a hard worker.
6/10/22
18 hrs
This week I interviewed Ellie, Jake and Brandon. I also worked on the master list of uploaded HB videos and did some conversion edits for the Skull Shaver project. I also started a On-Boarding video for new hires.
This week I learned about my anxiety and my need to feel supported. It was extremely hard at the beginning of the week because I just felt so alone. As the week went on I did things to help process my emotions and I found that it helped in my work life. I still don’t feel confident to be the one to tackle the On-Boarding video project (I just want to write it, producing it is scary because the team I’m working with are all more experienced and better at their jobs than I feel I am.) but I’m grateful for the opportunity, and if I fail, I fail and it will be okay.
Ellie got started doing producing in school. As a leader, especially as producer, she said that it is important to keep your cool, not to show you’re stressed. Have a brave front. Because if you’re stressed, everyone is stressed. A producer has their fingers in all the pies, they give lots of input but mostly they just orestrate a lot of logistics. She started doing freelancing, just taking what she could get then through networking got the job at HB. If you show you’re responsibly, that you’ll show up, reliable and fun to work with, people will want you on their team. Freelancing is more flexible while on salary producing is more stability but the work of the job itself is still the same. A producer needs to know how to breakdown a script and needs to understand crew positions. How to start? Get your feet wet and do all the other positions as well.
Jake’s story as he said, was not an accident. He had a goal in mind and worked towards that goal. He would take what he could then do more and more in the direction that he wanted to go. Put out there the direction he wanted. He also did quite a bit of job hopping within the company to learn different jobs and did stand up comedy to get experience and show he was funny. Another thing he did to get experience was making short films. One of his strengths was just having fun with what he did/does. Being fun to work with is one of his strengths. Another things he suggested was to consume lots of different types of story telling over different forms. By doing so, you can take what you learn from one and apply it to another.
Meeting with Brandon was awesome. What he did was that he found his people (the type of people he wanted to hang out with and fit in with) then he made the jump into that field of study and work. He started in a writing job and a lot of his titles were really fancy but the work he actually did wasn’t quite up to that spot. When he got in a job he learned everything he could about it and trained his skills so that he would be good at his job. Networking and expressing your interests is a big part about getting to where you want to be. Whenever you can, RISE to the occasion by hard work. Dive in and figure it out. Say yes to scary stuff that maybe you’re not ready for. People like working with people who they like and who will work hard. So be a caring fun person, but work hard too. Be personable but truthful enough to be hard when you need to be. Learn filmmaking, learn on the job. Start from the bottom up, give me something to do. Can you do this? If not, google it. Trust, solve problems. Communicate. He ended up becoming the person that his boss could trust to solve problems and get the job done. Lots of learning, be willing to learn. Book, Art of War, a business book about finding your land and standing your ground. Use what you know about a business to show them how you can solve one of their problems. Make yourself valuable by being the person who can solve one of their problems. Find someone who's done what you want to do and ask them about it. Ask, what do I need to do, what do I need to know, I have this problem, how do I solve this problem? Find out what a company’s needs are and ask questions. Also, doing standup comedy and improv are a great way to be found. Be bold. Grow an audience. Talk to the people who do what I want to do and then stick my foot in. Find a place, stake a claim, stand your ground, prove your land. Another big thing he mentioned was to change the narrative. Instead of saying “I want to be a writer” say “I AM a writer.” Don’t wait to become what you want to be, use the narrative you tell yourself to become what you want to be.
6/3/22
16 hrs
This week I did interviews with Mace and Justin from work. I also finished the process of uploading all the paperwork onto the drive. I also got to help with manning the front desk and getting food set and ready for the writing retreat.
From Mace I learned about using diverse skills to your advantage. Being able to sell a pitch effectively is often better than how great the pitch idea is. One common theme I’ve noticed is that all these people have a deep love for storytelling. Show a company what content can do for them. Make content people want to pay for. Find someone who needs content made and is willing to pay you for it. Find your film school and be critical of your work.
From Justin I learned about growing simple one step at a time. Say yes even if you’re not qualified, then learn as much as you can so that you can become qualified by teaching yourself. The worst you can do is fail and if you do, the worst they can do is not ask you to do it again. For ads, it’s a new project every couple of months but for movies and tv shows you’re working on the same thing for a long time, even years. The process itself is actually quite similar but the way it’s done is different. Say yes to struff. Try new things, new ideas, etc. It’s true that people might like not if but if they do then you’ve created something that surpasses their expectation. And if they don’t like it, then they’ll have you redo it.
5/28/22
17 hrs
This week I did a lot of paperwork, mostly scanning documents. I also interviewed a few of my coworkers about their jobs.
First thing I learned was how important connections are. Many of the jobs that Tiffani got were through word of mouth. She has had experience in LA and what she told me was that trustworthy, non dramatic, and dependable people are rare and can easily work their way up in that world. In my interview with Nikki I learned about just creating experience for yourself. She has a portfolio where she puts her best things. She made connections and reached out to companies to be able to find her jobs. Linked in was one for her. Blake talk me about finding a company that fits your values and personality.
5/20/22
21 hrs
This week I did a rough cut of an ad. This means I used the script and put together the footage in a coherent storyline format. I also did a review audit which means I went to places where I could pull reviews off and compile them for analysis.
Trying to put together that rough cut was indeed a challenge but it was a lot of fun. I was able to look through the different takes and decide which ones had the greatest comedy and which ones would tell the story. Then I went through and put the takes together, organizing them as best as I could. When I finished with the rough draft I handed it off to one of the more professional editors who looked at the work and made adjustments. It was really cool to see how they changed what I had done. They made the ad with sharper edits, added a few effects and replaced a few different takes. It was cool looking at what they had done so that way I could understand more what I could do better next time.
Doing the review audit was fun too. It was interesting because I got a better ability to organize the information. As I was collecting the data I was a bit irked at how long it was taking me to copy, organize and sort but as I was doing it I was realizing how important that step was. Having the information organized was vital in being able to find everything that I needed to and analyze it all correctly. That was very eye opening for me to learn. So yes, things might take a while to be done right but that’s what makes it the right way to do it.
5/13/22
23 hrs
This week I was an assistant editor. This meant that I created proxies, attached them to the file in premiere pro and then organized, labeled and marked the data.
One of the challenges I faced while doing this was that those filming did not slate or have a scripty on set. This made organizing the data much more difficult than it should have been. To adjust I printed out the script that they gave us (which wasn’t updated) and created my own scripty notes to go with the naming system I created. Then I just labeled all the data and did as best a job as I could with the information I was given.
5/6/22
22 hrs
This week I was teleprompter on set for a show and helped to turn things digital by checking the status of documents and uploading them onto the google drive.
Being teleprompter was an interesting experience. For one, I didn’t read the email closely enough and I didn’t wear as warm clothes as I should have. Then two, I had never set up a teleprompter before and I had hardly any idea what I was doing. I had a hard time scrolling on the computer and this was extremely frustrating because I felt like I was holding up the shooting, making it go slower and slower. I was really learning on the job how to more efficiently do my job. It was interesting too because the actor didn’t completely follow the script word for word so as teleprompter I had to kind of guess where he was and what he was doing. I also had to focus on how fast or slow he was going and get a feel for what his tempo and rhythm would be. It was important to me not to be too fast or too slow. He was a really good actor though. It was interesting as a teleprompter because the time when I was most active was when we were filming. I’m used to being a PA when you’re most active when you’re not filming so it was a different turn around. I do feel like I’m finally learning how to be a better teleprompt. There was also a time when we were almost done with teleprompter but they decided to keep me around just in case. We did end up using teleprompter in the last shot.
4/30/22
8 hrs
This week I helped clean out the basement.
This week I learned alot about implementing change. In some corrective feedback I was told that I mostly am able to be unsupervised and that I needed to try befriending the people at work more. In doing this my steps are small but I now am able to see the ways in which I can improve. I tried to take this into my own hands by breaking down boxes in the basement without being asked to do so beforehand.
FALL SEMESTER
11 hrs
This week I did assistant editing work on one of our projects. Then I also helped to take the flooring samples back to the stores.
One of the things that I noticed while working was the need for detail. There were a few times when I let my mind go on autopilot and I had to go back and fix a slight mislabel that I had created. I also needed to have a sense of when to put markers in, what would be appropriate places that are useful for the editor. There's still a lot I don't understand but I'm super excited to learn.
It always amazes me at how many of those office things there are that you never think about. And when it comes to remodeling, watching someone make it happen makes doing it a lot more realistic, as if it weren't a big deal. It's just really cool to be exposed to business like this and all the spectra that come with it.
19 hrs 9 min
This week I got trained on Assistant Editing and I got to help move a set from one location to another.
Using premiere pro I was trained on Assistant Editing which is basically just getting all the footage ready for the main editor. It was really cool to get to see the level of detail and organization that goes into the projects. I had to connect the right files, label them in a way that would make it easy for an editor to read. I also got to get some practice in using markers to show which passes would work and which would not.
I also got to move a set which was really interesting in the way of process and all the things it took. A lot of pre-work had already been done, a team had been assembled, a video of what the set was supposed to look like was sent to people and a Uhaul truck had been rented. From there we had to work together to recreate the set in a new location and debate different problems that arose and needed solving. It was pretty awesome.
19 hrs 35min
This week I helped to take down a set with some other PAs. I readjusted my video conversions, put together shelves, delivered a check, and helped to organize the basement. I also kept on working on the project to upload videos to Youtube.
It was interesting watching the other PAs and seeing who would jump into action as soon as a need became relevant. I felt like it was easier for me to jump into action because I had previous experience working with the first AD and second AD. Then we worked hard to move all the set and that was stressful because the set was giant and made out of styrofoam and parts were fragile and breaking off.
As I organized the basement and put together the shelves I got to learn about the odd items that are used for sets and the way in which we keep track of wardrobe. In film, there is an important system for wardrobe and props so that nothing gets lost and it’s easy to find when you need it. Once a shoot is over, you can either store the props, donate them or throw away whatever you don’t need.
For my video conversions I received feedback and then changed the video. In the process got to learn about nests layers which was beautiful. Nest layers is crunching many layers into one segment that is editable. That was an amazing thing for me to learn and super useful. I also learned that, while guides are good, they do not always serve your purpose exactly how you need to.
18hrs
This week I helped to organize and to put together a list for marketing. I finished the video conversions and had a meeting with my supervisor.
This week I received feedback on how I am as an intern. I was told that people like to have me on their team and that I am organized and fast. Fast learner, fast at completing tasks. I get stuff done. This week I really got to learn a lot about organizing data and about the “tapes”. The tapes are data storage harddrives that are vital. It is normal to keep two copies of everything on the tapes. You have to be careful with the tapes because they will break and you will lose all that data. You also must keep the set of tapes apart from each other at separate locations in case one location is compromised.
I also got to learn a little about original content creation and networking, which is often as simple as asking people to help you with a project. It’s fun to learn about marketing and what we do to get people to invest in it and show them our products.
I also got to finish conversions, but I still need them approved from my instructor who has been swamped busy and I haven’t had a computer to be able to show him my work.
18hrs 30min
This week I was able to do conversion training, clean out a car, found a group of people to screen an ad and took charge of the client video playlist project.
While I know the basic methods of video editing, I realized that I don’t know much about visual design. As I was converting an ad from 4:5 to 16:9 ratio there were times that I didn’t know the best placement of something, whether that be the subject in frame, a graphic, or some other design element. I find it interesting how the integrity of a video changes as you convert it to something else.
Finding people to screen the ad was a lot more easier than I thought it would be. Since I have connects over social media to large groups of people, I realized how easy it was to reach out and find people who could watch the video and take the survey. A few of my friends even shared what I posted with others. That was cool too and I couldn’t help but think, “oh, that’s how things go viral.”
Lastly, I am now in charge of the client video playlist project. This has been an interesting project as I’ve been going through and finding every video that was created by HB for customers. I had to do some digging but I was able to find video names, where they were in the drop box and more. It has been tricky and long. From here, I’ll be uploading videos and creating playlists. In a lot of ways though, I’m still just gathering information. It’s really cool to see how the inner workings of a business run and the different things that must be done to present the service to the customers.
Mar 10, 2022
27 hrs
This week I was on set for the filming of an ad. I got to PA helping with taking care of Background and other random tasks.
This week I specifically learned about camera crew, scripty, sound, GandE, and DIT. It was kind of a more relaxed and silly set with a great crew so I was able to ask lots of questions to many different people and learn lots of different information. There are two teams, first team and second team. First team is Talent. Second team is the crew like art and lighting. Camera crew is considered both first and second team. Camera village is the place where you can watch the filming take place. Often camera village will be set up for the executive producers (the people who pay for the project.) You don’t really want the actors to be able to see the investors because then that gets the actors to feel pressure that can affect their performance. MOS means Mitt out sound, the legend I was told was that when film was starting to be developed this German man said, “We film zis mitt out sound”. When you’re the clapper you want to talk to the scripty to make sure that you’re labeling each clip right for the editors. Each scripty might do it differently but normally you letter up (meaning going from A to B to C using the phonetic alphabet) for each different camera position and you change the take number for each version of that specific shot/angle that you’re doing. You’ll also specify exactly which scene and shot you’ll be doing. During filming scripty is in charge of continuity and taking notes on certain takes. They also keep track of circle takes, meaning takes that the director really likes. Back to 1 means that you’re starting over. Flying in means that something/someone is coming to set. Second sticks means that the clapper is clapping the sticks for a second time. During MOS you keep the sticks closed and then on clips with sound you put the clappers into frame with the sticks open so that your editors don’t think it's an MOS clip. Grip and electric usually wear gloves. Electric keeps track of all the extension cords and Grip is lighting and those types of equipment. Elipsoidales are big spotlight lights used mostly for theater. The two big types of lights are LEDs and then the original types that use bulbs. Those types are effective but you have to be careful because they get HOT! DIT stands for digital imaging technician. A lot in the industry you just show that you can work hard, you make connections, then you reach out every 4 months or so and ask if there’s a project they have that they’d like some help for you to jump on at.
In sound one of the hardest things is to hide a mic in clothing. You can’t have it seen and you don’t want the sound heard. Also, motion pictures studio in Provo is a great place to gain connections though when you work for filming in the church you often have to work on Sunday.
In DIT you upload the footage, make sure each clip works and make sure that the hard drives that you upload them to have matching information about what you have uploaded. It’s an easy job but very important.
Also, when you’re going in front of camera there’s a term you use… I can’t remember it. Then sometimes you’ll have to cover the camera with the clapper or with your body, especially if hair department is spraying hairspray or something near the camera. These are things I learned this week.
Mar 5, 2022
29 hrs
This week I helped prepare and was a PA on set for a big film shoot. Activities I did included directed actors, drove actors, picked up materials for the shoot, set up for lunch, called last man, passed out important papers, managed the door and whatever other random tasks that needed done.
This week was an adventure! I got to take Marisa to they place she is staying and ask her all kinds of questions as she is an actor that has been working for about 7 years. One of the main things I learned was that as an actor you get jobs by having an agent. Your agent will send you different listings, then you audition for them and then find out if you got the job or not. Marisa had three different agents for three locations, one in Texas (where she’s from), one in Utah (which is how she got this job) and one in LA. She’s looking to change agents too so that she can get better opportunities. Agencies and managers have different ways they get paid. Some take a percentage from your paycheck while others require the company to pay them.
I also got to learn more about lighting and stage lighting. One guy showed me the specific light that they use for stage lights and the different accessories that go with it so that you can adjust the light to be exactly what you want it to be.
I got to watch our producer have to deal with an actor that fell through the first day of the shoot.
One of the challenges that I faced today was my exhaustion. I got a cough and sneeze this past week and that Thursday I worked a 14 hour shift from 7am-9pm. It was rough and I was falling asleep on set with complete exhaustion from trying to act like I wasn’t dying from being sick. But the show must go on regardless and I was able to jump up and do the tasks I needed to in the moment. But MAN! That was hard work and I was really pushing it for sure.
Feb 26, 2022
11.5hrs
This week I picked up paint for a set, helped the office manager, and started on conversions. A conversion is when you take a 4x5 ratio video and turn it into a 16x9 video.
I was able to run a lot of errands that are necessary for film making. I picked up paint, got food for people, and helped the office manager move inventory to the basement. Apparently HB rents out some of their equipment to highschools and other places for sets and filming. Business is cool. One of the top things I got to do this week was, as stated, to start conversions. I learned about how to easily render videos with the in and out buttons then, sequence, then render. This helps in editing the video when you need to play back a sequence and it has a hard time loading it so you’re not able to see the product because of how slowly it renders. Then I also learned the option, control paste shortcut which allows you to paste in attributes of previous scenes so that you can match your work. Then I also learned about scaling frame size and setting to frame size and how they are different. These tips and tricks helps to make editing so much easier and I’m super excited to get to do some video conversions this upcoming week! I really really want to do a quick but efficient job and learn everything I can!
Feb 19, 2022
24hrs
This week I was crafty for a film shoot with Collin from “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” I also helped get paint for film shoot and learn about DIT work.
DIT, green tape is to show that the mag has been uploaded. DO NOT use green tape unless the mag has been uploaded. Also, crafty has a lot of things to account for. Planning, preparing, budget, getting things right for the actors. I got to learn about all that it takes to prepare the craft for a set. Honestly, I learned about the intense stress of being on set and how when you are put in a role you have a lot of responsibility whether your ready for it or not.
Feb 11, 2022
19hrs
This week I collected reviews to use for ads and helped make a shot list. I ran lots of errands and helped to get the new building settled into. I also had the opportunity to interview creative directors to make a job listing.
I learned this week about what creative directors do. It’s pretty cool, they are completely in charge of the project from start to finish. They get to decide how to go about creating the project, who gets to be on the project, what the project will look like and how the project will be edited. I learned about shot lists and how they can be done fairly simply to be able to be fast, simple but efficient and fun. Each shot in the list needs to be accounted for and it takes time to be able to set all that up. It was really cool to get to be in the meeting where the shot list was happening because so many factors were being debated, budget, after effects, time, actors, (the client’s preferences) and equipment. One challenge of this week was the mundaneness of doing so many errands. I was grateful to be able to help out but I felt like I was just a glorified custodian/secretary without the ability to get to learn the things I wanted to learn. Later in the week I got to do more film stuff which was amazing. I know that I can overcome this through patience. I can trust that I will get to learn the things I want to over time if I look for opportunities to help out and ask questions about the things I am interested in.
Feb 5, 2022
25 hrs
I helped out on the Frazil shoot and helped to get the rooms ready for clients.
This week on set I learned about lighting. I learned about the eyeline and how you must keep the camera on the correct side of the line. In lighting there are three main lights. The first is the key light. This is to be placed normally on the opposite side of the eyeline that the camera is on. This is the light that is meant to simulate the main light source of the room. To really give the shot that needed exposure. The fill light goes on the other side to counter ballance the key light so that people’s faces don’t have too drastic of contrast. Then the back light is most important. It separates your subject from your background. It is put to create a line around the subject to separate it from the background. That is how 2D images become 3D. If you only have one light, the backlight is usually the most important.
Jan 28, 2022
18 hrs 10 min
This week I ran a lot of errands in preparation for the big move and the company is switching buildings. I helped to box areas, record moving data, and sort consumer feedback.
I got to learn a little bit about company culture and failures. I observed as one editor was making a product for a client. He made a very abstract piece with the world turning into a falling blueberry on pancakes. When he presented it to the client, they didn’t like it, so he posted it on the company random channel so that we could enjoy his work while it may never get to see anyone else’s eyes. It was cool that a failure like that could still become something that each of us could share in.
I’m learning a lot about the behind the scenes type of stuff. For films and such, materials must be purchased and when the film is over, you have to do something with the materials. If you were to keep it all, it would become a huge cluttered mess. To stay organized in an industry with such detailed projects, everything must have its place.
Jan 21, 2022
23 hrs
This week I planned and carried out a meeting, I was teleprompter for a film shoot, and I helped to organize marketing data to help with a large upcoming project.
It was a fun adventure planning the meeting at the new location. We needed to take measurements so I contacted all the people involved, picked a time and set it up. Lots of people ended up joining in last minute and I felt kind of important as so many of them contacted me asking when and where we would be meeting up. Being teleprompter at the shoot there was a lot of waiting. The device wasn’t charged when I got there and setting up the device too a while. It was interesting too because, when we finally got it set up, I heard the actor saying that he kind of felt like the teleprompter restricted him. I did notice how the teleprompter helped to speed up the process which was cool. It was fun to get to see all these different parts and everyone doing their job to help make this project a reality. There were times when all of us wanted to laugh but we couldn’t because we were filming. Organizing data was also fun as I went through and tried to find the most efficient yet fastest way to organize data. It was really fun to read through the comments made by consumers and learn what mattered to them.
Jan 17
17 hr
This week I did lots more training and helped out with a few administrative tasks. One thing I learned was how important feedback is to HB. I think it’s really cool how they are continually working to improve.
One of the things I learned about was how to make easy ads that sell. It was cool to see how different formulas helped to sell certain products and which products work well with which ad. I really enjoyed getting to see how easy making an ad was. It was as simple as throwing a few simple videos together and adding dialogue that introduces/explains the product. Making videos that are interesting does not have to be a difficult thing.
Jan 7, 2022
20.5 hrs worked
This week was a LOT of training and getting things set up. I mostly helped with miscellaneous administrative tasks and got through the majority of the training videos.
In the training I learned about the company and the different types of services they offer. Not only does HB (Harmon Brothers) create ads for companies but they teach companies how to make ads, they consult companies on how to better market and establish their own brand. Getting to see examples of some of the quality products that HB creates was phenomenal. Just about every ad made me want to actually buy the product I was seeing. It was really cool.
Then I got to learn about different types of ads and what makes them effective. They gave hints and tricks on how to make an ad simply with as little as possible. Some of the major things was that the ads needed to be clear focused and be catered to what made the product worth buying. In different ad types there would be comparison pieces where you might compare a product with another company. They also gave a really easy format for creating films with a T table that had audio/text on one side and then video on the other to match up what would be said during and what they would show.
The company motto is “Share Better Stories'' with the direction of becoming more of an entertainment company. Their current venture to move into that direction is called “Tuttle Twins”, a crowdfunded animated series about kids learning principles of economics, government and finances.
I also got to learn about different aspect ratios for different needs and their comparing pixel ratios. Then HB has a very specific naming and organizational system that I will need to become really good at. There’s a feature on Premiere Pro called “Proxy” that HB uses on their products and I had never even heard of it before. Apparently it helps to simple down media so that it is easier to scan through within the system.
Lastly, a few of the tasks I did was to create a list of University career days with contact info so HB can possibly participate. I helped organize the building by problem solving with members of the company and I created a sheet with corresponding project and financial information.
TOTAL:
NEED: 200hrs
How many hours did you work this week in your internship?
In 2-3 sentences, describe what you did this week in your internship?
What did you learn that was new or challenging this week?
8/6/22
24 hrs 30 min
This week I edited videos for the Chosen Sux campaign and I was on set for the Testament crowdfunder video. I put together assembly cuts and tried to find the most comedic jokes to be able to play off of.
During editing I was able to receive some fabulous feedback about making the cut seem seamless and what to do to be able to make it happen. You can skip forward in time but you need to make it look like the cut could be the actual video. It was fun to create the edits, to pick out specific clips and to just have fun with it. On set I was teleprompter and that was fun but also difficult. I had to work really hard to make sure that my timing was in sync with the actors. Timing is a HUGE thing in comedy. I think timing is truly what makes funny things funny so I’m very grateful for the opportunity I have to be able to practice timing.
7-28-22
13hrs 30 min
This week I worked on editing the Chosen Sux campaign videos. I also helped out with the Brrash Moron where I uploaded videos and made posts. I also interviewed JJ.
I learned about the power of social media and how so many people use it as a business tool. Youtube is literally built for making money go towards creators. It’s really interesting how the analytics will show you the progress of your account and videos. Youtube down to its core is basically a marketing platform.
In my interview with JJ I learned about the visual side of filmmaking. Read the script, see it visually and then use what you create to convey a feeling. No one has anymore of a right to the arts than anyone else. Take the initiative, take advantage of the needs inside of an organization. Don’t worry about whether people will like what you make, just go make it. And don’t suffer from paralyzing perfectionism. It reminded me of a quote my mother says, “Imperfect action is always better than perfect inaction.
7-21-22
8 hrs
This week I did a few tasks around the office and I interviewed Ryan.
Ryan is a CD at harmon brothers. The three main take aways is observation, implementation, and feedback. First up, observe what you can. Learn from the best by watching the best and making notes as to what works, what doesn’t work, and what you like/don’t like and why. Consume, digest, apply. Next step is the digest, implementation step. Try what you see and do it in a fresh way. Get those reps in. Learn to rely on yourself and what you have, become independent in ways that you need to. The last step is feedback, which is perhaps the most important. To accept feedback well constantly remind yourself that it’s not personal and that you don’t get better if you don’t get good feedback. Find sources that give good feedback, script doctors can help. Ryan will hire fancy script doctors to get feedback on his scripts. Make sure you have a good editor so that you can do good.
The way he advanced was kind of by being in the right place at the right time. Be in the right place where opportunities happen and then take advantage of those opportunities when they come. Be a risk taker and put yourself out there enough for things to happen.
He too, started as a video editor and moved his way up from there. His advice on video editing was that a good editor has a good intuition, good pacing and such. Making the fastest cut of a commercial while still getting it all. Taking out as much as possible without losing anything.
He recommended three books: The story solution, save the cat, and creating character arcs
7/15/22
23 hrs 30 min
This week I helped out on the Rinse film set. I also helped out with the Brrash Moron social media posting and I managed a few paperwork things. I also got to interview a few people from the shoot as well as Benton Crane, HB’s CEO.
So, on set I got to learn about being on the art team. Art team is WAY more meticulous and detail oriented than I had always imagined. You really have to be precise to get the exact look you want and even just a few pictures placed wrong could mess up the flow of things. I had never even thought to be that anel about things but apparently, when you’re on a film set, you need to be that anel. It’s literally your job to be that anel.
So on set I got to interview Adam the location manager and I also had the opportunity to interview Byron the actor. Adam told me about his experience when he first started. He got hired on as an assistant on a movie set but then his boss quit and so Adam was promoted to the locations manager when he had no idea what he was doing or how to do it. He talked about how in the commercial world people were usually nicer while in the movie world people didn’t want to wait for you to figure out your job. They didn’t have time or care to wait for you to get through the learning curve.
Byron was originally a karate teacher but had a dream of becoming an actor so one day, he just decided to go after it. He signed on with an agent. One thing he said was that he was always looking to get a better agent and more roles. Keeping his options open for better opportunities while taking advantage of what he’s given now.
My interview with Benton was incredible and life changing. Here’s what I learned: Experience comes by creating it. That means that if you want to start a business, the best way to get the experience you need to create a business is just to start a business. The CEO of Skullshaver recommended that in the US everyone should start a business, because failing in America means you don’t starve. (Skullshaver CEO is from India.) Learn as you go. In any job that you have, identify the person above you and make it your mission to make them successful. How do I make the boss, client, etc successful? How do I make my business partner’s successful? Sync effort into that. Those who do that usually move up the latter quicker and are usually more happy. This was really cool for me because it’s a service minded attitude in the workplace and I love that. Using your work as an opportunity to serve someone else. How can I do that now?
If you want something, go out and earn it. Learn a STRONG work ethic. He talked about pulling potatoes with his grandfather, working 12-16 hour days during harvest season. He learned how to work hard. He also talked about coming from nothing. His family was poor and when you’ve experienced coming from nothing then you know what it means and how to live in that way. From there, you know what it means to have nothing to lose and you’re not afraid of going after big things because if you fail, you’ve already lived at rock bottom, you’ve got nothing to lose. Perspective is huge.
7/8/22
17hrs 30 min
This week I interviewed Nick and I got to do some office paperwork. I also had the opportunity to participate in the writer’s retreat where I took notes and shared jokes and ideas.
In my interview with Nick I learned about just going through and doing the thing you want to do. You can easily learn the skills you want on your own and then use them to make money, even just by self teaching through youtube or some other online program. I also learned about just doing what you can to grow your talents, honestly, it’s as simple as just working on your skills and keeping open to opportunities. Keep working and allow growth.
Another opportunity I had was to go to the writer’s retreat. That was huge for me because I was able to learn what the writing process for a comedic video was. It was awesome. I had an amazing boss who was very open to my ideas even though most of them were… less than ideal. But even being able to be in an environment of sharing and just having fun writing was super amazing. Research and skill are both very important. Timing and creativity are HUGE for comedy, especially delivery. Combine all those elements and you’ll create gold.
6/29/22
7 hrs
This week I did some networking and I did some office management. I also helped to fix a few work hours to go into the right place so that budgeting would be correct. I also interviewed Keith and Kat.
Keith talked about how he was brought on by a friend and then ended up replacing that friend in the job. He told me a lot about film festivals, and using one project for multiple submissions. What he does mostly is just find the story within whatever it is he is filming about the company. So for instance, for one of the shoots there was a bear and all the hassles that come with having to film with a bear. In his efforts to market the company and their involvement in the project, he told the story of working with the bear. Whatever it is he’s doing, he finds the story in it and tells that. Finding a story within the marketing realm. Take my talents, help others understand. Keep up to date. Show and submit your stuff. You want your work to be seen.
In my interview with Kat we talked about how it is important both who you know but also who knows you. One thing that really stuck out about her journey was asking for opportunities and testing the waters. Take whatever opportunities come as they come. Do what you can to build your skill by just getting experience somehow. Work ethic is another top need. Be fun, work hard and just be a good person and you’ll go far. Help someone else out. Own what you’ve got, communicate. Truly invest in what you’re working on. Show people your interests but also what interests them. Jump on projects, use the opportunities you’re given.
Another huge bonus of this week was the fruition of my marketing efforts. Using what Brandon taught me about going after what you want, I had previously reached out to a few people about giving me a chance to write. This week I was offered that chance. It is amazing to be able to learn how to just put yourself out there. Just by letting people know what I am interested in allows me more opportunities to do exactly what it is I want to do.
6/18/22
16 hrs 40 min
This week I helped be an art person for an on site shoot. I also helped pick up stuff and edit conversions. I also interviewed Josh and Kaitlyn.
Kaitlyn studied film but really specialized in becoming a video editor. She was given great opportunities and took advantage of them. If you don’t have work, then make your own stuff and always save a copy of your work. Learn hotkeys, be efficient and organized. Get experience and put effort into stuff.
Interviewing Josh was awesome. He talked about how the most important aspect he gained from film school was his relationships with people. He talked about how he introduces himself to new people by just sending them a message, via email or phone call introducing himself and what he does. When he works on projects, depending on the project he’ll try out new people, always expanding the circle of who he knows. As a producer, building relationships is HUGE!!! Producers need to multitask, handle stress well and have great communication skills. They need to have a little understanding on all departments. They need to know people and really see their strengths and weaknesses with their skills sets to be able to pick them out and use them for specific projects. Make a list of people you know. Go to film events and network the old fashion way by just introducing yourself and making an impression. Fall upwards, meaning you might not have control over your life but at least let the out of control spinning go in a positive direction. Get in and start doing. Know everyone because someone around you will do well and they’ll bring you on with them if they know you and liked working with you. Go out and do it. Know someone, vouch for someone, then interview and use their products as showing what they do. Trust goes a LONG way. Be a good person who cares about people and a hard worker.
6/10/22
18 hrs
This week I interviewed Ellie, Jake and Brandon. I also worked on the master list of uploaded HB videos and did some conversion edits for the Skull Shaver project. I also started a On-Boarding video for new hires.
This week I learned about my anxiety and my need to feel supported. It was extremely hard at the beginning of the week because I just felt so alone. As the week went on I did things to help process my emotions and I found that it helped in my work life. I still don’t feel confident to be the one to tackle the On-Boarding video project (I just want to write it, producing it is scary because the team I’m working with are all more experienced and better at their jobs than I feel I am.) but I’m grateful for the opportunity, and if I fail, I fail and it will be okay.
Ellie got started doing producing in school. As a leader, especially as producer, she said that it is important to keep your cool, not to show you’re stressed. Have a brave front. Because if you’re stressed, everyone is stressed. A producer has their fingers in all the pies, they give lots of input but mostly they just orestrate a lot of logistics. She started doing freelancing, just taking what she could get then through networking got the job at HB. If you show you’re responsibly, that you’ll show up, reliable and fun to work with, people will want you on their team. Freelancing is more flexible while on salary producing is more stability but the work of the job itself is still the same. A producer needs to know how to breakdown a script and needs to understand crew positions. How to start? Get your feet wet and do all the other positions as well.
Jake’s story as he said, was not an accident. He had a goal in mind and worked towards that goal. He would take what he could then do more and more in the direction that he wanted to go. Put out there the direction he wanted. He also did quite a bit of job hopping within the company to learn different jobs and did stand up comedy to get experience and show he was funny. Another thing he did to get experience was making short films. One of his strengths was just having fun with what he did/does. Being fun to work with is one of his strengths. Another things he suggested was to consume lots of different types of story telling over different forms. By doing so, you can take what you learn from one and apply it to another.
Meeting with Brandon was awesome. What he did was that he found his people (the type of people he wanted to hang out with and fit in with) then he made the jump into that field of study and work. He started in a writing job and a lot of his titles were really fancy but the work he actually did wasn’t quite up to that spot. When he got in a job he learned everything he could about it and trained his skills so that he would be good at his job. Networking and expressing your interests is a big part about getting to where you want to be. Whenever you can, RISE to the occasion by hard work. Dive in and figure it out. Say yes to scary stuff that maybe you’re not ready for. People like working with people who they like and who will work hard. So be a caring fun person, but work hard too. Be personable but truthful enough to be hard when you need to be. Learn filmmaking, learn on the job. Start from the bottom up, give me something to do. Can you do this? If not, google it. Trust, solve problems. Communicate. He ended up becoming the person that his boss could trust to solve problems and get the job done. Lots of learning, be willing to learn. Book, Art of War, a business book about finding your land and standing your ground. Use what you know about a business to show them how you can solve one of their problems. Make yourself valuable by being the person who can solve one of their problems. Find someone who's done what you want to do and ask them about it. Ask, what do I need to do, what do I need to know, I have this problem, how do I solve this problem? Find out what a company’s needs are and ask questions. Also, doing standup comedy and improv are a great way to be found. Be bold. Grow an audience. Talk to the people who do what I want to do and then stick my foot in. Find a place, stake a claim, stand your ground, prove your land. Another big thing he mentioned was to change the narrative. Instead of saying “I want to be a writer” say “I AM a writer.” Don’t wait to become what you want to be, use the narrative you tell yourself to become what you want to be.
6/3/22
16 hrs
This week I did interviews with Mace and Justin from work. I also finished the process of uploading all the paperwork onto the drive. I also got to help with manning the front desk and getting food set and ready for the writing retreat.
From Mace I learned about using diverse skills to your advantage. Being able to sell a pitch effectively is often better than how great the pitch idea is. One common theme I’ve noticed is that all these people have a deep love for storytelling. Show a company what content can do for them. Make content people want to pay for. Find someone who needs content made and is willing to pay you for it. Find your film school and be critical of your work.
From Justin I learned about growing simple one step at a time. Say yes even if you’re not qualified, then learn as much as you can so that you can become qualified by teaching yourself. The worst you can do is fail and if you do, the worst they can do is not ask you to do it again. For ads, it’s a new project every couple of months but for movies and tv shows you’re working on the same thing for a long time, even years. The process itself is actually quite similar but the way it’s done is different. Say yes to struff. Try new things, new ideas, etc. It’s true that people might like not if but if they do then you’ve created something that surpasses their expectation. And if they don’t like it, then they’ll have you redo it.
5/28/22
17 hrs
This week I did a lot of paperwork, mostly scanning documents. I also interviewed a few of my coworkers about their jobs.
First thing I learned was how important connections are. Many of the jobs that Tiffani got were through word of mouth. She has had experience in LA and what she told me was that trustworthy, non dramatic, and dependable people are rare and can easily work their way up in that world. In my interview with Nikki I learned about just creating experience for yourself. She has a portfolio where she puts her best things. She made connections and reached out to companies to be able to find her jobs. Linked in was one for her. Blake talk me about finding a company that fits your values and personality.
5/20/22
21 hrs
This week I did a rough cut of an ad. This means I used the script and put together the footage in a coherent storyline format. I also did a review audit which means I went to places where I could pull reviews off and compile them for analysis.
Trying to put together that rough cut was indeed a challenge but it was a lot of fun. I was able to look through the different takes and decide which ones had the greatest comedy and which ones would tell the story. Then I went through and put the takes together, organizing them as best as I could. When I finished with the rough draft I handed it off to one of the more professional editors who looked at the work and made adjustments. It was really cool to see how they changed what I had done. They made the ad with sharper edits, added a few effects and replaced a few different takes. It was cool looking at what they had done so that way I could understand more what I could do better next time.
Doing the review audit was fun too. It was interesting because I got a better ability to organize the information. As I was collecting the data I was a bit irked at how long it was taking me to copy, organize and sort but as I was doing it I was realizing how important that step was. Having the information organized was vital in being able to find everything that I needed to and analyze it all correctly. That was very eye opening for me to learn. So yes, things might take a while to be done right but that’s what makes it the right way to do it.
5/13/22
23 hrs
This week I was an assistant editor. This meant that I created proxies, attached them to the file in premiere pro and then organized, labeled and marked the data.
One of the challenges I faced while doing this was that those filming did not slate or have a scripty on set. This made organizing the data much more difficult than it should have been. To adjust I printed out the script that they gave us (which wasn’t updated) and created my own scripty notes to go with the naming system I created. Then I just labeled all the data and did as best a job as I could with the information I was given.
5/6/22
22 hrs
This week I was teleprompter on set for a show and helped to turn things digital by checking the status of documents and uploading them onto the google drive.
Being teleprompter was an interesting experience. For one, I didn’t read the email closely enough and I didn’t wear as warm clothes as I should have. Then two, I had never set up a teleprompter before and I had hardly any idea what I was doing. I had a hard time scrolling on the computer and this was extremely frustrating because I felt like I was holding up the shooting, making it go slower and slower. I was really learning on the job how to more efficiently do my job. It was interesting too because the actor didn’t completely follow the script word for word so as teleprompter I had to kind of guess where he was and what he was doing. I also had to focus on how fast or slow he was going and get a feel for what his tempo and rhythm would be. It was important to me not to be too fast or too slow. He was a really good actor though. It was interesting as a teleprompter because the time when I was most active was when we were filming. I’m used to being a PA when you’re most active when you’re not filming so it was a different turn around. I do feel like I’m finally learning how to be a better teleprompt. There was also a time when we were almost done with teleprompter but they decided to keep me around just in case. We did end up using teleprompter in the last shot.
4/30/22
8 hrs
This week I helped clean out the basement.
This week I learned alot about implementing change. In some corrective feedback I was told that I mostly am able to be unsupervised and that I needed to try befriending the people at work more. In doing this my steps are small but I now am able to see the ways in which I can improve. I tried to take this into my own hands by breaking down boxes in the basement without being asked to do so beforehand.
FALL SEMESTER
11 hrs
This week I did assistant editing work on one of our projects. Then I also helped to take the flooring samples back to the stores.
One of the things that I noticed while working was the need for detail. There were a few times when I let my mind go on autopilot and I had to go back and fix a slight mislabel that I had created. I also needed to have a sense of when to put markers in, what would be appropriate places that are useful for the editor. There's still a lot I don't understand but I'm super excited to learn.
It always amazes me at how many of those office things there are that you never think about. And when it comes to remodeling, watching someone make it happen makes doing it a lot more realistic, as if it weren't a big deal. It's just really cool to be exposed to business like this and all the spectra that come with it.
19 hrs 9 min
This week I got trained on Assistant Editing and I got to help move a set from one location to another.
Using premiere pro I was trained on Assistant Editing which is basically just getting all the footage ready for the main editor. It was really cool to get to see the level of detail and organization that goes into the projects. I had to connect the right files, label them in a way that would make it easy for an editor to read. I also got to get some practice in using markers to show which passes would work and which would not.
I also got to move a set which was really interesting in the way of process and all the things it took. A lot of pre-work had already been done, a team had been assembled, a video of what the set was supposed to look like was sent to people and a Uhaul truck had been rented. From there we had to work together to recreate the set in a new location and debate different problems that arose and needed solving. It was pretty awesome.
19 hrs 35min
This week I helped to take down a set with some other PAs. I readjusted my video conversions, put together shelves, delivered a check, and helped to organize the basement. I also kept on working on the project to upload videos to Youtube.
It was interesting watching the other PAs and seeing who would jump into action as soon as a need became relevant. I felt like it was easier for me to jump into action because I had previous experience working with the first AD and second AD. Then we worked hard to move all the set and that was stressful because the set was giant and made out of styrofoam and parts were fragile and breaking off.
As I organized the basement and put together the shelves I got to learn about the odd items that are used for sets and the way in which we keep track of wardrobe. In film, there is an important system for wardrobe and props so that nothing gets lost and it’s easy to find when you need it. Once a shoot is over, you can either store the props, donate them or throw away whatever you don’t need.
For my video conversions I received feedback and then changed the video. In the process got to learn about nests layers which was beautiful. Nest layers is crunching many layers into one segment that is editable. That was an amazing thing for me to learn and super useful. I also learned that, while guides are good, they do not always serve your purpose exactly how you need to.
18hrs
This week I helped to organize and to put together a list for marketing. I finished the video conversions and had a meeting with my supervisor.
This week I received feedback on how I am as an intern. I was told that people like to have me on their team and that I am organized and fast. Fast learner, fast at completing tasks. I get stuff done. This week I really got to learn a lot about organizing data and about the “tapes”. The tapes are data storage harddrives that are vital. It is normal to keep two copies of everything on the tapes. You have to be careful with the tapes because they will break and you will lose all that data. You also must keep the set of tapes apart from each other at separate locations in case one location is compromised.
I also got to learn a little about original content creation and networking, which is often as simple as asking people to help you with a project. It’s fun to learn about marketing and what we do to get people to invest in it and show them our products.
I also got to finish conversions, but I still need them approved from my instructor who has been swamped busy and I haven’t had a computer to be able to show him my work.
18hrs 30min
This week I was able to do conversion training, clean out a car, found a group of people to screen an ad and took charge of the client video playlist project.
While I know the basic methods of video editing, I realized that I don’t know much about visual design. As I was converting an ad from 4:5 to 16:9 ratio there were times that I didn’t know the best placement of something, whether that be the subject in frame, a graphic, or some other design element. I find it interesting how the integrity of a video changes as you convert it to something else.
Finding people to screen the ad was a lot more easier than I thought it would be. Since I have connects over social media to large groups of people, I realized how easy it was to reach out and find people who could watch the video and take the survey. A few of my friends even shared what I posted with others. That was cool too and I couldn’t help but think, “oh, that’s how things go viral.”
Lastly, I am now in charge of the client video playlist project. This has been an interesting project as I’ve been going through and finding every video that was created by HB for customers. I had to do some digging but I was able to find video names, where they were in the drop box and more. It has been tricky and long. From here, I’ll be uploading videos and creating playlists. In a lot of ways though, I’m still just gathering information. It’s really cool to see how the inner workings of a business run and the different things that must be done to present the service to the customers.
Mar 10, 2022
27 hrs
This week I was on set for the filming of an ad. I got to PA helping with taking care of Background and other random tasks.
This week I specifically learned about camera crew, scripty, sound, GandE, and DIT. It was kind of a more relaxed and silly set with a great crew so I was able to ask lots of questions to many different people and learn lots of different information. There are two teams, first team and second team. First team is Talent. Second team is the crew like art and lighting. Camera crew is considered both first and second team. Camera village is the place where you can watch the filming take place. Often camera village will be set up for the executive producers (the people who pay for the project.) You don’t really want the actors to be able to see the investors because then that gets the actors to feel pressure that can affect their performance. MOS means Mitt out sound, the legend I was told was that when film was starting to be developed this German man said, “We film zis mitt out sound”. When you’re the clapper you want to talk to the scripty to make sure that you’re labeling each clip right for the editors. Each scripty might do it differently but normally you letter up (meaning going from A to B to C using the phonetic alphabet) for each different camera position and you change the take number for each version of that specific shot/angle that you’re doing. You’ll also specify exactly which scene and shot you’ll be doing. During filming scripty is in charge of continuity and taking notes on certain takes. They also keep track of circle takes, meaning takes that the director really likes. Back to 1 means that you’re starting over. Flying in means that something/someone is coming to set. Second sticks means that the clapper is clapping the sticks for a second time. During MOS you keep the sticks closed and then on clips with sound you put the clappers into frame with the sticks open so that your editors don’t think it's an MOS clip. Grip and electric usually wear gloves. Electric keeps track of all the extension cords and Grip is lighting and those types of equipment. Elipsoidales are big spotlight lights used mostly for theater. The two big types of lights are LEDs and then the original types that use bulbs. Those types are effective but you have to be careful because they get HOT! DIT stands for digital imaging technician. A lot in the industry you just show that you can work hard, you make connections, then you reach out every 4 months or so and ask if there’s a project they have that they’d like some help for you to jump on at.
In sound one of the hardest things is to hide a mic in clothing. You can’t have it seen and you don’t want the sound heard. Also, motion pictures studio in Provo is a great place to gain connections though when you work for filming in the church you often have to work on Sunday.
In DIT you upload the footage, make sure each clip works and make sure that the hard drives that you upload them to have matching information about what you have uploaded. It’s an easy job but very important.
Also, when you’re going in front of camera there’s a term you use… I can’t remember it. Then sometimes you’ll have to cover the camera with the clapper or with your body, especially if hair department is spraying hairspray or something near the camera. These are things I learned this week.
Mar 5, 2022
29 hrs
This week I helped prepare and was a PA on set for a big film shoot. Activities I did included directed actors, drove actors, picked up materials for the shoot, set up for lunch, called last man, passed out important papers, managed the door and whatever other random tasks that needed done.
This week was an adventure! I got to take Marisa to they place she is staying and ask her all kinds of questions as she is an actor that has been working for about 7 years. One of the main things I learned was that as an actor you get jobs by having an agent. Your agent will send you different listings, then you audition for them and then find out if you got the job or not. Marisa had three different agents for three locations, one in Texas (where she’s from), one in Utah (which is how she got this job) and one in LA. She’s looking to change agents too so that she can get better opportunities. Agencies and managers have different ways they get paid. Some take a percentage from your paycheck while others require the company to pay them.
I also got to learn more about lighting and stage lighting. One guy showed me the specific light that they use for stage lights and the different accessories that go with it so that you can adjust the light to be exactly what you want it to be.
I got to watch our producer have to deal with an actor that fell through the first day of the shoot.
One of the challenges that I faced today was my exhaustion. I got a cough and sneeze this past week and that Thursday I worked a 14 hour shift from 7am-9pm. It was rough and I was falling asleep on set with complete exhaustion from trying to act like I wasn’t dying from being sick. But the show must go on regardless and I was able to jump up and do the tasks I needed to in the moment. But MAN! That was hard work and I was really pushing it for sure.
Feb 26, 2022
11.5hrs
This week I picked up paint for a set, helped the office manager, and started on conversions. A conversion is when you take a 4x5 ratio video and turn it into a 16x9 video.
I was able to run a lot of errands that are necessary for film making. I picked up paint, got food for people, and helped the office manager move inventory to the basement. Apparently HB rents out some of their equipment to highschools and other places for sets and filming. Business is cool. One of the top things I got to do this week was, as stated, to start conversions. I learned about how to easily render videos with the in and out buttons then, sequence, then render. This helps in editing the video when you need to play back a sequence and it has a hard time loading it so you’re not able to see the product because of how slowly it renders. Then I also learned the option, control paste shortcut which allows you to paste in attributes of previous scenes so that you can match your work. Then I also learned about scaling frame size and setting to frame size and how they are different. These tips and tricks helps to make editing so much easier and I’m super excited to get to do some video conversions this upcoming week! I really really want to do a quick but efficient job and learn everything I can!
Feb 19, 2022
24hrs
This week I was crafty for a film shoot with Collin from “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” I also helped get paint for film shoot and learn about DIT work.
DIT, green tape is to show that the mag has been uploaded. DO NOT use green tape unless the mag has been uploaded. Also, crafty has a lot of things to account for. Planning, preparing, budget, getting things right for the actors. I got to learn about all that it takes to prepare the craft for a set. Honestly, I learned about the intense stress of being on set and how when you are put in a role you have a lot of responsibility whether your ready for it or not.
Feb 11, 2022
19hrs
This week I collected reviews to use for ads and helped make a shot list. I ran lots of errands and helped to get the new building settled into. I also had the opportunity to interview creative directors to make a job listing.
I learned this week about what creative directors do. It’s pretty cool, they are completely in charge of the project from start to finish. They get to decide how to go about creating the project, who gets to be on the project, what the project will look like and how the project will be edited. I learned about shot lists and how they can be done fairly simply to be able to be fast, simple but efficient and fun. Each shot in the list needs to be accounted for and it takes time to be able to set all that up. It was really cool to get to be in the meeting where the shot list was happening because so many factors were being debated, budget, after effects, time, actors, (the client’s preferences) and equipment. One challenge of this week was the mundaneness of doing so many errands. I was grateful to be able to help out but I felt like I was just a glorified custodian/secretary without the ability to get to learn the things I wanted to learn. Later in the week I got to do more film stuff which was amazing. I know that I can overcome this through patience. I can trust that I will get to learn the things I want to over time if I look for opportunities to help out and ask questions about the things I am interested in.
Feb 5, 2022
25 hrs
I helped out on the Frazil shoot and helped to get the rooms ready for clients.
This week on set I learned about lighting. I learned about the eyeline and how you must keep the camera on the correct side of the line. In lighting there are three main lights. The first is the key light. This is to be placed normally on the opposite side of the eyeline that the camera is on. This is the light that is meant to simulate the main light source of the room. To really give the shot that needed exposure. The fill light goes on the other side to counter ballance the key light so that people’s faces don’t have too drastic of contrast. Then the back light is most important. It separates your subject from your background. It is put to create a line around the subject to separate it from the background. That is how 2D images become 3D. If you only have one light, the backlight is usually the most important.
Jan 28, 2022
18 hrs 10 min
This week I ran a lot of errands in preparation for the big move and the company is switching buildings. I helped to box areas, record moving data, and sort consumer feedback.
I got to learn a little bit about company culture and failures. I observed as one editor was making a product for a client. He made a very abstract piece with the world turning into a falling blueberry on pancakes. When he presented it to the client, they didn’t like it, so he posted it on the company random channel so that we could enjoy his work while it may never get to see anyone else’s eyes. It was cool that a failure like that could still become something that each of us could share in.
I’m learning a lot about the behind the scenes type of stuff. For films and such, materials must be purchased and when the film is over, you have to do something with the materials. If you were to keep it all, it would become a huge cluttered mess. To stay organized in an industry with such detailed projects, everything must have its place.
Jan 21, 2022
23 hrs
This week I planned and carried out a meeting, I was teleprompter for a film shoot, and I helped to organize marketing data to help with a large upcoming project.
It was a fun adventure planning the meeting at the new location. We needed to take measurements so I contacted all the people involved, picked a time and set it up. Lots of people ended up joining in last minute and I felt kind of important as so many of them contacted me asking when and where we would be meeting up. Being teleprompter at the shoot there was a lot of waiting. The device wasn’t charged when I got there and setting up the device too a while. It was interesting too because, when we finally got it set up, I heard the actor saying that he kind of felt like the teleprompter restricted him. I did notice how the teleprompter helped to speed up the process which was cool. It was fun to get to see all these different parts and everyone doing their job to help make this project a reality. There were times when all of us wanted to laugh but we couldn’t because we were filming. Organizing data was also fun as I went through and tried to find the most efficient yet fastest way to organize data. It was really fun to read through the comments made by consumers and learn what mattered to them.
Jan 17
17 hr
This week I did lots more training and helped out with a few administrative tasks. One thing I learned was how important feedback is to HB. I think it’s really cool how they are continually working to improve.
One of the things I learned about was how to make easy ads that sell. It was cool to see how different formulas helped to sell certain products and which products work well with which ad. I really enjoyed getting to see how easy making an ad was. It was as simple as throwing a few simple videos together and adding dialogue that introduces/explains the product. Making videos that are interesting does not have to be a difficult thing.
Jan 7, 2022
20.5 hrs worked
This week was a LOT of training and getting things set up. I mostly helped with miscellaneous administrative tasks and got through the majority of the training videos.
In the training I learned about the company and the different types of services they offer. Not only does HB (Harmon Brothers) create ads for companies but they teach companies how to make ads, they consult companies on how to better market and establish their own brand. Getting to see examples of some of the quality products that HB creates was phenomenal. Just about every ad made me want to actually buy the product I was seeing. It was really cool.
Then I got to learn about different types of ads and what makes them effective. They gave hints and tricks on how to make an ad simply with as little as possible. Some of the major things was that the ads needed to be clear focused and be catered to what made the product worth buying. In different ad types there would be comparison pieces where you might compare a product with another company. They also gave a really easy format for creating films with a T table that had audio/text on one side and then video on the other to match up what would be said during and what they would show.
The company motto is “Share Better Stories'' with the direction of becoming more of an entertainment company. Their current venture to move into that direction is called “Tuttle Twins”, a crowdfunded animated series about kids learning principles of economics, government and finances.
I also got to learn about different aspect ratios for different needs and their comparing pixel ratios. Then HB has a very specific naming and organizational system that I will need to become really good at. There’s a feature on Premiere Pro called “Proxy” that HB uses on their products and I had never even heard of it before. Apparently it helps to simple down media so that it is easier to scan through within the system.
Lastly, a few of the tasks I did was to create a list of University career days with contact info so HB can possibly participate. I helped organize the building by problem solving with members of the company and I created a sheet with corresponding project and financial information.
Emmalisa Horlacher
TMA 399R Kyle Stapley
April 19, 2022
TMA 399R Kyle Stapley
April 19, 2022
Internship Final
I worked at Harmon Brothers, a marketing agency that creates hilarious ads for customers. More than just ads, they help their customers to be successful marketers themselves by talking to them about their brand and product reviews. My position within the company was that of a creative intern, which meant that I helped the creative team with whatever tasks needed to be done. I also had the opportunity to help the office manager with many of her tasks as there was a big move and many office tasks needed to get done to help with the move. In working with the creative team I got to be a Production Assistant on set and help with some assistant editing projects.
To be able to get this internship I had to be very proactive. I had always heard my dad say that to help get a job, you call up the company you want to work for and ask them what type of people and experience they look for when hiring. I did that with Harmon Brothers as their commercials and products were the types of things that I wanted to create. By doing this they reached out and gave me an interview from which I was offered the internship. I was not able to take it that Fall semester so they worked with me to be able to start in Jan when Winter semester started. This process taught me about the positive benefits of being proactive to be able to get what you want.
In my position I can very much say that I am just about the bottom of the company ladder, even so, there are things that I can do and accomplish that will help the company succeed and grow to be better. While my position isn’t “glamorous” by any means it is important in the way that I get done all those little things that people don’t have time for but still absolutely need to get done. In many cases my contribution just ended up being another hand in the task to be able to accomplish it faster. While that might not seem like too much, in the world of film, time is money and the faster you can get something done the better off you all are. So, while it can be said that I am at the bottom of the ladder, a person still needs the bottom to be able to climb to the top.
In my future profession I see myself with the possibility of doing many different things, some of which include running a business, creating original media content, and/or being an entrepreneur/investor. In my current internship I have been able to be a part of an environment that inspires investors. Constantly people are sharing things about current economic events and different opportunities available. It is refreshing to be a part of a group of people who go after similar goals that I share.
In the company I have been able to see slight glimpses of what it looks like to run a business. I’ve seen company heads meet with building contractors and pick out flooring to create the right work environment. This has shown me that a lot of behind the scenes work had already been done. Someone had to look up contractors, contact them, get a quote and then hire the contractors. There had to be money but away so that the contracting could be paid for. Similarly with the flooring, they had to find different samples then pick the ones that they liked and with the best quote. The next step is the process of installing the flouring and such which will inhibit the company’s ability to walk on that flooring for a time. In running company errands I’ve seen big buck checks being deposited in bank runs that came from extremely high paying customers. From there I’ve been able to see the process of how that money is then turned into an experience for the client. They are involved in the creation of their ad campaign and the training of their company marketing. As the clients move on it’s been fun to see how the company still checks up on them and sees how they are doing. One of our clients, Purple, was doing a lot of layoffs so our company reached out to a few of those people to see if they were interested in a job. On the flip side of client relationships I’ve been able to see our creative directors talk about their interactions with clients. Some of the clients are easy to work with while others make many demands that the CDs need to debate to make a project more realistically producible. I’ve been able to notice how CDs get ready for phone calls with clients and watch as they pace the rooms in deep conversation. I’ve been able to watch different problems arise and watch as the heads figure out solutions for them. It has been really fun to be a part of the celebration aspect when a project is done. So many people congratulate the CD and the editors and tell them “good job.” It’s overall a very healthy work environment.
I’ve also really loved to be a part of the creative team. In doing this I’ve been able to gain experience and meet a lot of new connections. The creative team is in charge of all the content creation. From pre production to post production and delivery, they do it all. The producer is the one who specializes in getting things all set and ready for the shooting days. I’ve been given great opportunities to be able to help in small ways, like compiling feedback, collecting props, getting paint, and moving sets. I’ve also gotten to notice other aspects like what it takes to hire actors and how to solve the problem if an actor bails on you. Those are all things producers handle and things I’ve been able to help with in small ways.
It has also been enlightening to watch the actor’s job as I’ve noticed it is something I have taken a small interest in. For the most part, their job is fairly straightforward but can be very taxing. You have to be able to vary your performance while still doing the exact same actions every single take. You have to remember what your position was and when you performed certain things and with certain words. Then you might have to do multiple takes with multiple passes until the director says you can move on and each pass needs to be done with a large amount of energy and focus so that the quality never diminishes, only the style is what changes.
Another job on the creative team that I hope to incorporate into my future profession would be that of editor. They truly are the ones who put together the final story. Editors need to be fast and knowing the tools available to them really helps them to increase their speed, such as all the shortcuts on premiere pro. They also need to have a large ability to focus, to give attention to detail and have a great intuition to be able to pick the right takes and passes that will help tell the story in the best possible way. Sometimes certain clips don’t have quite the right flow for the edit you’re looking for. As an editor you have to work with what you have and figure out a way through it. It’s like a constant stream of problem solving and it’s been really fun to be able to see the footage that I was there on set for and watch it become an actual product that the client can then use to market their company.
The creative team has many different jobs all of which must work together to make a final product for the client. Each job comes with it’s own trials and strengths. The ones that interest me most would be producer, editor, and actor. In each role there is a level of creativity but also focus and determination. A producer must meet deadlines and make the CD’s vision happen. An actor needs to be able to stay to the script while having each take feel fresh and vibrant. An editor must collect and consolidate all the footage to tell the final story. I love storytelling and it has been really fun for me to be able to see how different jobs affect the overall story.
In this internship I have had the chance to develop multiple skills and abilities. I’ve gained office management knowledge as well as learned about what’s expected to run a set and what’s expected to deliver a project. Many of the skills I already possess, such as organization, being a quick learner and doer, and communication have been expanded over the course of doing this internship.
Before this internship I had very little experience in what real life work situations were like. If anything I have learned that in the professional world things are actually a lot less professional than what I had always thought. As a student I always expected that professional things would be strict and unchanging. Specifically things like deadlines, prices, and meetings. Now, having worked in the field, I've learned that things get done because of negotiation, not this strict view of "professionalism." It is through negotiation that deadlines are made and decided. It is negotiation that wages and payment are set. While many times people have a "set" price, that set price was decided because someone negotiated to themselves how much their service/product was worth. In truth, the only reason I get paid as much as I do is because someone decided that was as much as they could pay me and then I agreed to be paid that amount. A company has a specific amount of meetings for specific purposes. They don’t just have meetings just to say they are having a meeting like how in school we have class just to say we had class. There are needs that must be met and you have a meeting to meet those needs. And oftentimes, the meetings themselves are also negotiable. The specific things you do at meetings and how often you have a meeting. There’s no absolute perfect way of doing things and it is evident that the people in charge are doing their best to have the right amount of meetings and such but the truth is that there’s just no way to define what the “perfect” amount is or what the “perfect” way to handle a situation is. I had thought that in the professional world people had rigid and set schedules and plans but it turns out that people are just trying to “figure it out” and “make it work.” Everything is a lot more messy than what I had originally thought.
In this internship experience I got to learn about office management. Those drinks in the big fridge for everyone, someone has to refill that fridge. The trash bins that keep getting full, someone has to take out the trash. Printer ink, bathroom supplies, vacuumed floors, organization of office supplies; all these things are things that the office manager must be aware of. The office experience is what the office manager creates, making sure that it's a safe and comfortable place to be for all the employees. These are just parts and pieces to what creates a work environment and can greatly sway it to be positive or negative.
One of my goals was to gain a basic understanding of the whole production process and to accomplish what is asked of me in good and efficient time. I feel like I was able to accomplish this as I watched and developed a small understanding of what is expected to run a set. First off a project needs a script. At HB multiple scripts concepts are presented and then the client chooses the one they like best. From there the script is finalized and the producer and CD (creative director) then begin the process of rounding up the necessary crew to make the script become a real video. On set there must be a crew with the specific jobs outlined and accomplished. While many times people can hold multiple jobs it is generally a good idea to have them separated when you can. On set you need someone to make sure that consistencies are kept accurate and to take notes on specific takes or passes that are made on set. That is the job of a scripty aka script supervisor. You need someone to man the camera and make sure that the shots are in focus, that the subject is centered correctly and that movement is solid and flows. They or an assistant might also need to make sure the camera has batteries and fresh mags. The person who runs the camera is usually the DP. It is a good idea to have a DIT (digital image technician) on set to upload all the data as soon as it comes off the mags from the camera. Of course you need actors for the script and having crafty helps to raise the morale and endurance of a crew and makes sure they are taken care of. Other positions like AD help to let the crew know what is going on and then there is lighting and sound to help the quality of the production improve. These are all things that help a set run smoothly. Being a PA I have been blessed to learn set lingo and about first crew and second crew. In all these different observations I was able to learn a little bit about what it takes to run a set.
As far as post production goes I was able to learn about delivering a project and the amount of work it takes there. If there are special effects you want but don’t have the team for you might have to contract out special effect guys to make it happen. Also, you might have to test the effects before the film shoot so that when you film the project, it will be doable when it comes to editing time. I got to observe many times when a project was due that the editors had to stay up extremely late in order to deliver the project on time. I was able to watch as projects went from organization of materials to actual editing. From there the editor puts together a product that the CD then looks at and gives feedback. From that point they implement the feedback then take it to the client and finalize any last changes until at last, the product is delivered. These steps also vary depending on the product/project. Regardless of the project, we deliver when we say we will deliver and keep our company’s promises.
In this internship I was able to apply my skills of being organized, detailed oriented, fast learner with good communication to whatever project I was working on. As I practiced my skills I was able to get faster and more efficient in them. I was also able to learn a few of my own weaknesses, such as my lack of understanding in visual space and my ability to reach out and talk to many different groups of people. I am good at talking to people about projects but when it comes to developing friendly relationships it can be a lot harder for me. I am so often a work work work focused person that I forget it is important to meet people on a personal level as well. This internship has helped me to recognize weaknesses as well as given me a chance to develop my strengths.
Another one of my goals was to network. In working this internship I’ve been able to see the effects of networking. Many of my fellow PAs have gotten their jobs because of hearsay. They make good relationships on one job so they then go and get hired to do another project because of someone that they know. For myself however, I have not gotten any phone numbers or told many other people my availability so as to get hired in other aspects. I have slowly been developing relationships and showing my skills as an editor. Mostly, it comes to taking advantage of opportunities presented and enjoying what is given to you.
One of my last goals was that of developing an expertise. I had wanted to try out different areas and find something that fits me the most. After getting to experience being a PA and being involved in the production and preproduction aspect I can say that I am most interested in being a scripty and/or producer. Even more than those however, I still have an extreme love and desire to be an editor. I have absolutely loved learning all I could about editing and the different ways in which they use the tools they have. I’ve loved seeing the film clips that was made and seeing how they are then turned into a narrative structured ad. It always amazes me how just a few clips pasted together can turn something silly into a story and I absolutely loved getting to do it. Yes, editing can be very tedious at times but I just enjoy it. This is definitely something that I’ve been able to cement since working at Harmon Brothers.
In my future profession there’s a lot of need for flexibility, adaption, being bold and working with people. These are definitely skills that I would like to improve upon but I know that I have been able to develop some of these while working at HB. While I still don’t know what I’m doing a lot of the time I do feel like I have a fairly decent grasp at knowing why things need to get done and then, when I’m asked to do something, I am able to accomplish it more efficiently because I understand the need for the task. For instance, as I learn about slating I now understand why there is a need for slating as it is for editors to be able to more easily find the clip and attach it to the audio. Knowing this I can be a better slater by knowing that the slate needs to be readable and placing it in the right place so that it will get picked up by audio and by camera focus. In these ways I have enjoyed learning about lots of different aspects of production, especially since each project that a person may work on will differ from the last for various reasons. It’s important to be able to have a read on whatever job a film person may find themselves on.
Overall, I have absolutely loved being an intern for Harmon Brothers. I have been very rewarded in the things I have learned, the environment I’ve been a part of and the experience I’ve been able to gain. My tasks as an intern were various and diverse but they helped the company in ways one might not have originally recognized as needed yet were.
I know that what I did helped the company as I did a lot of the work to get them set up the new building. Because I was there it was able to get done faster. Everyone was very busy with work so a lot of things got put on the backburner and prioritized later. Those things were often the things that I was given to work on. It’s safe to say that HB is an extremely fast growing company and there is more work to do than workers available. It’s been really cool to work with so many people with growth mindsets. People give feedback constantly and are not afraid to tell what they think. It’s an amazing atmosphere that fosters creativity. As an employee, even though I was on the lower end, I felt appreciated for my work and never felt like less of a person or worker just because I got assigned the more manual tasks. I still get treated as a full member of the company and can go to parties and be a part of company lunches if I so choose.
Now I know that not everyone is going to have a similar experience as me. I recognize that I am definitely the type of person who likes to look on the bright side and find meaning even in the most grueling type of work. I find experience, no matter what kind, to be valuable as it teaches life skills and lessons. Much of the experience I gained in this internship relates to the field I would like to work and it has been an excellent place to start from as I have literally come from almost zero experience. It’s also been very good to see how a company functions. Now, again, much of my experience is shaped by the way I choose to see it but I do believe that by allowing myself to have a good attitude I am able to gain more from my internship.
I feel like the overall experience has been rewarding. There are things in this internship that I would not have been able to learn anywhere else. I feel good about the things I’ve accomplished, the people I’ve met and the relationships I’ve developed. I am proud of the projects that I’ve been a part of and I get very excited when I see those projects come to fruition. I know that I will be able to take what I’ve learned here as an excellent beginning stage to spring off of. My work has been most rewarding as I do something that I know will help someone else. When what I have done helps another person in some way shape or form, I feel that what I have done was worth doing.
Before this internship I did not know much about business, marketing or the film industry. I knew what I had learned from my production class but that was it. With such a small start and with the skills that I did possess I was able to take what I had and give it in meaningful ways and effective ways. As I gave, I grew and I was able to learn more. Overall, I feel very grateful to have been able to be apart of this internship.
To be able to get this internship I had to be very proactive. I had always heard my dad say that to help get a job, you call up the company you want to work for and ask them what type of people and experience they look for when hiring. I did that with Harmon Brothers as their commercials and products were the types of things that I wanted to create. By doing this they reached out and gave me an interview from which I was offered the internship. I was not able to take it that Fall semester so they worked with me to be able to start in Jan when Winter semester started. This process taught me about the positive benefits of being proactive to be able to get what you want.
In my position I can very much say that I am just about the bottom of the company ladder, even so, there are things that I can do and accomplish that will help the company succeed and grow to be better. While my position isn’t “glamorous” by any means it is important in the way that I get done all those little things that people don’t have time for but still absolutely need to get done. In many cases my contribution just ended up being another hand in the task to be able to accomplish it faster. While that might not seem like too much, in the world of film, time is money and the faster you can get something done the better off you all are. So, while it can be said that I am at the bottom of the ladder, a person still needs the bottom to be able to climb to the top.
In my future profession I see myself with the possibility of doing many different things, some of which include running a business, creating original media content, and/or being an entrepreneur/investor. In my current internship I have been able to be a part of an environment that inspires investors. Constantly people are sharing things about current economic events and different opportunities available. It is refreshing to be a part of a group of people who go after similar goals that I share.
In the company I have been able to see slight glimpses of what it looks like to run a business. I’ve seen company heads meet with building contractors and pick out flooring to create the right work environment. This has shown me that a lot of behind the scenes work had already been done. Someone had to look up contractors, contact them, get a quote and then hire the contractors. There had to be money but away so that the contracting could be paid for. Similarly with the flooring, they had to find different samples then pick the ones that they liked and with the best quote. The next step is the process of installing the flouring and such which will inhibit the company’s ability to walk on that flooring for a time. In running company errands I’ve seen big buck checks being deposited in bank runs that came from extremely high paying customers. From there I’ve been able to see the process of how that money is then turned into an experience for the client. They are involved in the creation of their ad campaign and the training of their company marketing. As the clients move on it’s been fun to see how the company still checks up on them and sees how they are doing. One of our clients, Purple, was doing a lot of layoffs so our company reached out to a few of those people to see if they were interested in a job. On the flip side of client relationships I’ve been able to see our creative directors talk about their interactions with clients. Some of the clients are easy to work with while others make many demands that the CDs need to debate to make a project more realistically producible. I’ve been able to notice how CDs get ready for phone calls with clients and watch as they pace the rooms in deep conversation. I’ve been able to watch different problems arise and watch as the heads figure out solutions for them. It has been really fun to be a part of the celebration aspect when a project is done. So many people congratulate the CD and the editors and tell them “good job.” It’s overall a very healthy work environment.
I’ve also really loved to be a part of the creative team. In doing this I’ve been able to gain experience and meet a lot of new connections. The creative team is in charge of all the content creation. From pre production to post production and delivery, they do it all. The producer is the one who specializes in getting things all set and ready for the shooting days. I’ve been given great opportunities to be able to help in small ways, like compiling feedback, collecting props, getting paint, and moving sets. I’ve also gotten to notice other aspects like what it takes to hire actors and how to solve the problem if an actor bails on you. Those are all things producers handle and things I’ve been able to help with in small ways.
It has also been enlightening to watch the actor’s job as I’ve noticed it is something I have taken a small interest in. For the most part, their job is fairly straightforward but can be very taxing. You have to be able to vary your performance while still doing the exact same actions every single take. You have to remember what your position was and when you performed certain things and with certain words. Then you might have to do multiple takes with multiple passes until the director says you can move on and each pass needs to be done with a large amount of energy and focus so that the quality never diminishes, only the style is what changes.
Another job on the creative team that I hope to incorporate into my future profession would be that of editor. They truly are the ones who put together the final story. Editors need to be fast and knowing the tools available to them really helps them to increase their speed, such as all the shortcuts on premiere pro. They also need to have a large ability to focus, to give attention to detail and have a great intuition to be able to pick the right takes and passes that will help tell the story in the best possible way. Sometimes certain clips don’t have quite the right flow for the edit you’re looking for. As an editor you have to work with what you have and figure out a way through it. It’s like a constant stream of problem solving and it’s been really fun to be able to see the footage that I was there on set for and watch it become an actual product that the client can then use to market their company.
The creative team has many different jobs all of which must work together to make a final product for the client. Each job comes with it’s own trials and strengths. The ones that interest me most would be producer, editor, and actor. In each role there is a level of creativity but also focus and determination. A producer must meet deadlines and make the CD’s vision happen. An actor needs to be able to stay to the script while having each take feel fresh and vibrant. An editor must collect and consolidate all the footage to tell the final story. I love storytelling and it has been really fun for me to be able to see how different jobs affect the overall story.
In this internship I have had the chance to develop multiple skills and abilities. I’ve gained office management knowledge as well as learned about what’s expected to run a set and what’s expected to deliver a project. Many of the skills I already possess, such as organization, being a quick learner and doer, and communication have been expanded over the course of doing this internship.
Before this internship I had very little experience in what real life work situations were like. If anything I have learned that in the professional world things are actually a lot less professional than what I had always thought. As a student I always expected that professional things would be strict and unchanging. Specifically things like deadlines, prices, and meetings. Now, having worked in the field, I've learned that things get done because of negotiation, not this strict view of "professionalism." It is through negotiation that deadlines are made and decided. It is negotiation that wages and payment are set. While many times people have a "set" price, that set price was decided because someone negotiated to themselves how much their service/product was worth. In truth, the only reason I get paid as much as I do is because someone decided that was as much as they could pay me and then I agreed to be paid that amount. A company has a specific amount of meetings for specific purposes. They don’t just have meetings just to say they are having a meeting like how in school we have class just to say we had class. There are needs that must be met and you have a meeting to meet those needs. And oftentimes, the meetings themselves are also negotiable. The specific things you do at meetings and how often you have a meeting. There’s no absolute perfect way of doing things and it is evident that the people in charge are doing their best to have the right amount of meetings and such but the truth is that there’s just no way to define what the “perfect” amount is or what the “perfect” way to handle a situation is. I had thought that in the professional world people had rigid and set schedules and plans but it turns out that people are just trying to “figure it out” and “make it work.” Everything is a lot more messy than what I had originally thought.
In this internship experience I got to learn about office management. Those drinks in the big fridge for everyone, someone has to refill that fridge. The trash bins that keep getting full, someone has to take out the trash. Printer ink, bathroom supplies, vacuumed floors, organization of office supplies; all these things are things that the office manager must be aware of. The office experience is what the office manager creates, making sure that it's a safe and comfortable place to be for all the employees. These are just parts and pieces to what creates a work environment and can greatly sway it to be positive or negative.
One of my goals was to gain a basic understanding of the whole production process and to accomplish what is asked of me in good and efficient time. I feel like I was able to accomplish this as I watched and developed a small understanding of what is expected to run a set. First off a project needs a script. At HB multiple scripts concepts are presented and then the client chooses the one they like best. From there the script is finalized and the producer and CD (creative director) then begin the process of rounding up the necessary crew to make the script become a real video. On set there must be a crew with the specific jobs outlined and accomplished. While many times people can hold multiple jobs it is generally a good idea to have them separated when you can. On set you need someone to make sure that consistencies are kept accurate and to take notes on specific takes or passes that are made on set. That is the job of a scripty aka script supervisor. You need someone to man the camera and make sure that the shots are in focus, that the subject is centered correctly and that movement is solid and flows. They or an assistant might also need to make sure the camera has batteries and fresh mags. The person who runs the camera is usually the DP. It is a good idea to have a DIT (digital image technician) on set to upload all the data as soon as it comes off the mags from the camera. Of course you need actors for the script and having crafty helps to raise the morale and endurance of a crew and makes sure they are taken care of. Other positions like AD help to let the crew know what is going on and then there is lighting and sound to help the quality of the production improve. These are all things that help a set run smoothly. Being a PA I have been blessed to learn set lingo and about first crew and second crew. In all these different observations I was able to learn a little bit about what it takes to run a set.
As far as post production goes I was able to learn about delivering a project and the amount of work it takes there. If there are special effects you want but don’t have the team for you might have to contract out special effect guys to make it happen. Also, you might have to test the effects before the film shoot so that when you film the project, it will be doable when it comes to editing time. I got to observe many times when a project was due that the editors had to stay up extremely late in order to deliver the project on time. I was able to watch as projects went from organization of materials to actual editing. From there the editor puts together a product that the CD then looks at and gives feedback. From that point they implement the feedback then take it to the client and finalize any last changes until at last, the product is delivered. These steps also vary depending on the product/project. Regardless of the project, we deliver when we say we will deliver and keep our company’s promises.
In this internship I was able to apply my skills of being organized, detailed oriented, fast learner with good communication to whatever project I was working on. As I practiced my skills I was able to get faster and more efficient in them. I was also able to learn a few of my own weaknesses, such as my lack of understanding in visual space and my ability to reach out and talk to many different groups of people. I am good at talking to people about projects but when it comes to developing friendly relationships it can be a lot harder for me. I am so often a work work work focused person that I forget it is important to meet people on a personal level as well. This internship has helped me to recognize weaknesses as well as given me a chance to develop my strengths.
Another one of my goals was to network. In working this internship I’ve been able to see the effects of networking. Many of my fellow PAs have gotten their jobs because of hearsay. They make good relationships on one job so they then go and get hired to do another project because of someone that they know. For myself however, I have not gotten any phone numbers or told many other people my availability so as to get hired in other aspects. I have slowly been developing relationships and showing my skills as an editor. Mostly, it comes to taking advantage of opportunities presented and enjoying what is given to you.
One of my last goals was that of developing an expertise. I had wanted to try out different areas and find something that fits me the most. After getting to experience being a PA and being involved in the production and preproduction aspect I can say that I am most interested in being a scripty and/or producer. Even more than those however, I still have an extreme love and desire to be an editor. I have absolutely loved learning all I could about editing and the different ways in which they use the tools they have. I’ve loved seeing the film clips that was made and seeing how they are then turned into a narrative structured ad. It always amazes me how just a few clips pasted together can turn something silly into a story and I absolutely loved getting to do it. Yes, editing can be very tedious at times but I just enjoy it. This is definitely something that I’ve been able to cement since working at Harmon Brothers.
In my future profession there’s a lot of need for flexibility, adaption, being bold and working with people. These are definitely skills that I would like to improve upon but I know that I have been able to develop some of these while working at HB. While I still don’t know what I’m doing a lot of the time I do feel like I have a fairly decent grasp at knowing why things need to get done and then, when I’m asked to do something, I am able to accomplish it more efficiently because I understand the need for the task. For instance, as I learn about slating I now understand why there is a need for slating as it is for editors to be able to more easily find the clip and attach it to the audio. Knowing this I can be a better slater by knowing that the slate needs to be readable and placing it in the right place so that it will get picked up by audio and by camera focus. In these ways I have enjoyed learning about lots of different aspects of production, especially since each project that a person may work on will differ from the last for various reasons. It’s important to be able to have a read on whatever job a film person may find themselves on.
Overall, I have absolutely loved being an intern for Harmon Brothers. I have been very rewarded in the things I have learned, the environment I’ve been a part of and the experience I’ve been able to gain. My tasks as an intern were various and diverse but they helped the company in ways one might not have originally recognized as needed yet were.
I know that what I did helped the company as I did a lot of the work to get them set up the new building. Because I was there it was able to get done faster. Everyone was very busy with work so a lot of things got put on the backburner and prioritized later. Those things were often the things that I was given to work on. It’s safe to say that HB is an extremely fast growing company and there is more work to do than workers available. It’s been really cool to work with so many people with growth mindsets. People give feedback constantly and are not afraid to tell what they think. It’s an amazing atmosphere that fosters creativity. As an employee, even though I was on the lower end, I felt appreciated for my work and never felt like less of a person or worker just because I got assigned the more manual tasks. I still get treated as a full member of the company and can go to parties and be a part of company lunches if I so choose.
Now I know that not everyone is going to have a similar experience as me. I recognize that I am definitely the type of person who likes to look on the bright side and find meaning even in the most grueling type of work. I find experience, no matter what kind, to be valuable as it teaches life skills and lessons. Much of the experience I gained in this internship relates to the field I would like to work and it has been an excellent place to start from as I have literally come from almost zero experience. It’s also been very good to see how a company functions. Now, again, much of my experience is shaped by the way I choose to see it but I do believe that by allowing myself to have a good attitude I am able to gain more from my internship.
I feel like the overall experience has been rewarding. There are things in this internship that I would not have been able to learn anywhere else. I feel good about the things I’ve accomplished, the people I’ve met and the relationships I’ve developed. I am proud of the projects that I’ve been a part of and I get very excited when I see those projects come to fruition. I know that I will be able to take what I’ve learned here as an excellent beginning stage to spring off of. My work has been most rewarding as I do something that I know will help someone else. When what I have done helps another person in some way shape or form, I feel that what I have done was worth doing.
Before this internship I did not know much about business, marketing or the film industry. I knew what I had learned from my production class but that was it. With such a small start and with the skills that I did possess I was able to take what I had and give it in meaningful ways and effective ways. As I gave, I grew and I was able to learn more. Overall, I feel very grateful to have been able to be apart of this internship.