Tag Archives: Arts/ Entertainment

Cabin Creek Films

Luisa Covaria, 2009

I wanted to work full time in a documentary production house in New York because that is what I want to do after my graduation. I also wanted to give the best of me and take advantage of this internship as much as I could. So I went in everyday and worked eight hours per day and when it required, I worked a little more. I was a slightly shy at the beginning but the atmosphere at Cabin Creek Films was very welcoming and soon I felt at home. I cared a lot for producing good work even if the task didn’t seem of much importance in a broader sense. For example, if I had to write questions for an interview I made sure I researched the person really well and provided a short sentence informing the reader about the interviewee. These questions are used by producers, who usually don’t have the time to do prior research, and that is very helpful to them. During shoots I tried to ask questions when possible without being intrusive. I learned that I should always have a tape ready for the DP so that they loose the least time possible. I felt a little awkward sometimes during shoots because I didn’t have much to do, but I tried to keep everything organized and listen to the director giving instructions so as to learn.

Before going into the internship I knew that office work was not for me but I needed to find a way to get into the industry. During the first week I saw recent college graduates doing secretarial work such as arranging traveling plans and handling the director’s agenda. I was concerned since this is definitively not what I am interested in. But during the second week I got to go off for a shoot and I realized that the action happens on and off. I also learned that if you prove that your forte is production and pre-production they are going to start giving you responsibilities on that field. I showed interest in the shoots and in the topics they were about and thus they asked me to assist to more shoots.

I also worked in the research of a documentary about gun violence and talked a lot with the producer about the topic since it really interests me; especially because during my stay in New York I was staying in a community being affected by gun violence. The producer perceived my enthusiasm and asked me to come during the summer and help with this project. I understood that I had to spend sometime at the office in order for them to delegate me with more responsibilities. In a small production house like this I will have the opportunity to be in close contact with the production of documentaries, even more so than in a big company. I learned that if I keep on interning at Cabin Creek Films during the summer that will be a good way to start in the field of production. I have to have a little bit of patience and understand that college graduates have to do some office work and run errands because making films is not only about being behind the camera.

One of the most valuable components of this experience was the people I met. I guess everyone has always talked about networking. But beyond networking, I had the possibility of observing great professionals performing in front of my eyes. Next to me sat one of the producers, a petite high- power woman who had the faculty to talk to three people at the time. From her I learned to call people and be direct, even if you don’t know if people are willing to talk to you or take part in the film. Always be polite but informal and make people feel like they are talking to old friends. I like her way of approaching individuals. One has to be persuasive and at times insistent.

I also worked very close to the twice academy award director Barbara Kopple. It feels me with hope to know that a woman, who has worked so hard on something she loves, is still able to work in it and live out of it. Barbara Kopple is a woman, who at 60, works 25 hours a day; always thinking about all aspects of her documentaries from the pre to the post production. This energy is much needed in a field like documentary. Her vitality is a proof of her passion and love for her profession. She became a role model to me and this is important in a field in which there is no set path for success. One is usually discombobulated after graduating and without much hope regarding economic reward. So after working with her I feel that my energy and passion will one-day give some return not only economical but also regarding personal fulfillment and professional recognition. More over, now I have the opportunity to contact her for guidance.

The way the office is run taught me a lot of how the industry works and how I can sell myself when applying for jobs in the field. The atmosphere is very open; everyone’s opinion is respected and Barbara, yet strong in her character, cares about the people who work for her. It was interesting to observe how much they have to guard their budget. Their equipment is not the best and they didn’t make the best decisions while buying it. She started in a time when filmmakers used very different technologies and she needs people around her to advice her with the latest technological advances. I realized that there is no one in the office who is very tech savvy. This made me think that this is an aspect of myself I could exploit. When necessary I helped out with computer and technical issues, which definitively gave me a plus. I also have to think that I want eventually to get hired, so that I can get paid for what I love. By observing the industry from this close, I realized what some documentary production houses might be lacking. When I apply for jobs I will make emphasis on my technical skills.

In general this internship made me reaffirm that this is the field in which I want to work after I graduate. Having the opportunity of working regular working hours and adjusting to the pace at the production house served as an experience that proved to me that doing something like this for a year would be a great start up point. So now I have a little more defined idea of what to do and where to go after graduation. I actually never expected to be able to go out for shoots and I had the possibility to go to three. I learned that it is a matter of compromising and doing some office work in order to be able to produce documentaries. This field is hard; having a college degree doesn’t instantly send you to do the most exciting tasks. But this internship helped me realize that I definitively love this area so much that I am willing to put all my capabilities and energy to learn more until I’m able to take a more central part in shoots. This is enough for the moment to keep me going.

Please contact the Career Services Office or visit www.cabincreekfilms.com for more information.

Ars Nova Theater Post-graduate Intern

Want to work with an experimental theater group based in New York City?

If so, apply as an

Artistic Assistant Intern

with Ars Nova!

Don’t miss the deadline:

July 31^st, 2009!

MOJO Keyword search: Ars Nova

As New York’s premier hub for emerging artists and new work, Ars Nova is committed to developing and producing eclectic theater, comedy and music to feed today’s popular culture. To that end, Ars Nova strives to create daring collaborations, meld disciplines and give clear voice to a new generation of artists. Founded on the principle that a professional and safe environment where risk-taking is encouraged will cultivate a community of innovators, our fundamental mission is to reinvigorate the world of live performance by supporting smart, surprising new work from the next wave of emerging artists. Ars Nova was founded in memory of Gabe Wiener.

Check out Ars Nova online at: http://www.arsnovanyc.com

The Wilma Theater

The Wilma Theater, Playwright Intern

Emily Feldman, 2009

Serving as the “first reader” on a play that is now in hot contention to be on the bill for the next season at the Wilma was a thrilling experience. I read a play that I thought was unique, funny, poignant, and highly theatrical, and I was able to express that to an artistic staff, that widely agreed. The process of formally passing thoughts about a new text through script evaluations, and the weight that these evaluations are given in the season planning process at a small theatre is fascinating. I spent my month working at the Wilma shadowing for the two-man literary team whose time is split between planning for future seasons and researching for productions that are about to get on their feet. My task was to assist the Literary Programming Literary Manager/Dramaturg and the Literary Programming Assistant/Casting director in research and preparation for rehearsals of their upcoming production of “Scorched.” I also read plays and wrote evaluations, and assisted with database updates and headshot cataloguing. I quickly learned that being a member of the literary department at the Wilma encompasses much more than simply reading and responding. During the month of January my supervisors both assisted the Artistic Directors in casting for the remaining shows this season, and directed and produced a month-long reading series.

Most of my research time at the Wilma was devoted to reading material and collecting images in reference to “Schorched.” The play was written by a Lebanese-born, French Canadian playwright named Wajdi Mouawad, and charts brother and sister’s journey though their mother’s war-torn Middle Eastern home. It is has had over one hundred productions worldwide, but the production at the Wilma will be one of the first in the English language. Because the play doesn’t specify a defined setting, the Wilma has taken a broad approach to its research and I was often given books or articles on civil wars, or genocide situations from all over the world. I was asked to pare down the relevant information for the dramaturg, the actors, and the director. I had fun nit picking the script for references that audiences might not understand, or hunting for pronunciations of Arabic, Vietnamese, and French words. Everything I learned in my research deepened my understanding of the complexities of the play, and gave me a sense of power of dramaturgy to bolster a performance of a script. Working as a dramaturg made me realize that it is possible to successfully tackle a script that seems to be beyond the director’s personal frame of reference, as long as he or she is supported by a capable dramaturg.

I was particularly thrilled to find positive connections between the work that it is done at the Wilma and the theatre I have experienced at Middlebury. Working with the Wilma has taught me the value of season planning, and how theaters strive to present surprising seasons that remain true to the aesthetic and the mission of the institution. What has most impressed me about the Wilma is its commitment to its mission and the high standards it sets for the political and artistic value of the work it produces. The Mission Statement at the Wilma is: ” to present theater as an art form, engaging artists and audiences in an adventure of aesthetic philosophical reflection of the complexities of contemporary life by producing thoughtful, well-crafted productions of intelligent, daring plays that represent a range of voices, viewpoints, and production styles,” and I think that this fits very closely with the objectives of the Middlebury theatre department. The Wilma has a strong preference for theatre that incorporates movement and design, and the shows are intended to be politically evocative rather than provocative. In reading for the Wilma, I came to develop a strong sense of what the aesthetic of the theatre is, and I was and make thoughtful recommendations with the theatre’s specific goals in mind. It has been interesting for me to read plays in the context of season planning, rather than simply for general intellectual and artistic value, and it is sometimes difficult to fall in love with a script for its artistic value, but not be able to recommend it for production in the context of a specific season.

The Wilma does not produce exclusively new plays, nor does it always choose classics, but each season the artistic staff tries to present a mix that will challenge audiences and provoke discussion. The co-artistic directors, Jiri and Blanka Zizka, are a married couple from the Prague, whose experience producing theater on both sides of the Atlantic drives them to choose plays from broad range of cultures. Despite different themes the plays often share a strong concern with the basic questions of man’s existence, and address those questions with a marked reverence for visual imagery. My sense of the Wilma aesthetic was reinforced in the readings I attended every Monday, during which Blanka, Jiri, or Walter (the literary manager) directed actors in semi-staged productions of some of the plays that they will be considering for next season. Local audiences were invited to come, hear the play for free, and then offer their impressions of what they heard

On a personal level, I had an extremely positive experience at the Wilma, and I think that one of things that made me feel that way was the trust and respect my supervisors had for me. There were many other interns working in various departments, however, I was the only intern who spent full days in the office, which I think contributed to my feeling included in the entirety of office life. My supervisors often expressed that they were happy with the work I was doing, and it made me happy in turn to know that the information I was giving them or the reports I was writing were helpful. As a result, they were comfortable giving me high priority items to work on, or plays to read. As I make the transition between Middlebury and the wider artistic community, it is nice to know that I will find other communities that speak the language I have studied here, and that share a common artistic background.

Contact the Career Services Office for more information!