Saturday, May 29, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Things I Wish I Knew When I Started Interning in Film and Television
1. The company does not own you.
2. Sometimes saying "no" is the right decision.
3. Common sense is your best friend.
4.Asking if you can observe someone's process shows a desire to learn.
5. Even if the people around you aren't using it, etiquette is key.
6. Be nice to the other interns, even though you are competing against them, in a few years you'll be getting each other work.
7. Don't be afraid to tell someone what you did, a task unnoticed is a task that never happened.
8. Remember that you are a free human being, not a slave. (Sounds stupid, but you will forget)
9. Even the most menial of tasks have the capacity to showcase your abilities if you do them well.
10. When in doubt, ears open, mouth shut.
11. If you see a serious mistake being made, don't be loud and obnoxious in pointing it out. Quietly take the person next up on the chain aside and tell them. This is called having tact. They may get the momentary glory, but guess who that person calls the next time they need someone. You.
12. You are the lowest on the food chain.
13. If someone gives you their two-cents, take it under advisement.
14. Don't "correct" anyone.
15. Charm is superficial. Deal with it.
16. Separate your "work self" from your "home self." It will help to keep you sane.
17. Someone is waiting to take your place, this is both good and bad.
18. People can tell when you're being fake.
19. Listen.
20. Never point out the inadequacies of superiors.
21. If someone is trying to mentor you, let them. Even if you have to pretend that ideas like "networking is important" are new to you.
2. Sometimes saying "no" is the right decision.
3. Common sense is your best friend.
4.Asking if you can observe someone's process shows a desire to learn.
5. Even if the people around you aren't using it, etiquette is key.
6. Be nice to the other interns, even though you are competing against them, in a few years you'll be getting each other work.
7. Don't be afraid to tell someone what you did, a task unnoticed is a task that never happened.
8. Remember that you are a free human being, not a slave. (Sounds stupid, but you will forget)
9. Even the most menial of tasks have the capacity to showcase your abilities if you do them well.
10. When in doubt, ears open, mouth shut.
11. If you see a serious mistake being made, don't be loud and obnoxious in pointing it out. Quietly take the person next up on the chain aside and tell them. This is called having tact. They may get the momentary glory, but guess who that person calls the next time they need someone. You.
12. You are the lowest on the food chain.
13. If someone gives you their two-cents, take it under advisement.
14. Don't "correct" anyone.
15. Charm is superficial. Deal with it.
16. Separate your "work self" from your "home self." It will help to keep you sane.
17. Someone is waiting to take your place, this is both good and bad.
18. People can tell when you're being fake.
19. Listen.
20. Never point out the inadequacies of superiors.
21. If someone is trying to mentor you, let them. Even if you have to pretend that ideas like "networking is important" are new to you.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Cross Cultural Hilarity
One of the things that I really enjoy about my internship is the fact that I've met alot of cool people who are interested in the same business that I am. Some of the interns are like me; post-graduates who are looking to break into the business. Others are college students looking for experience and credit towards their degrees. Some are local, and others are international. The group itself is diverse, and though everyone speaks english, sometimes there are some really great interactions. Out of all of us though Steve has the best misunderstandings. Let me be perfectly clear, the kid is great and his english is, by and large, flawless. However it just seems like he has the most hilarious misunderstandings.
My favorite was today:
Steve and I are headed to the subway, to go on an uptown errand
Steve gestures to the downtown subway entrance.
Steve: Come on, let's go down.
Me: No man, we'll have to use the underpass and it smells like hobo pee.
Steve: What's a hobo?
Me: Umm.. A hobo is...
Steve: No wait! I know. It's those little guys with big feet in Lord of the Rings right?
Me: ::laughing:: That's a hobbit.
Steve: Oh yeah...
More as it comes
My favorite was today:
Steve and I are headed to the subway, to go on an uptown errand
Steve gestures to the downtown subway entrance.
Steve: Come on, let's go down.
Me: No man, we'll have to use the underpass and it smells like hobo pee.
Steve: What's a hobo?
Me: Umm.. A hobo is...
Steve: No wait! I know. It's those little guys with big feet in Lord of the Rings right?
Me: ::laughing:: That's a hobbit.
Steve: Oh yeah...
More as it comes
Monday, May 10, 2010
Thursday, May 6, 2010
*Further Tales From The Flunkie Pool*
"This stuff will kill you, but it's loaded with fun!" - The Cramps "Bikini Girls With Machine Guns"
...
Sometimes I'm blown away by the duality within myself that I ignored; and how in my spurning of it, how much of myself I lost.
…
I met Helen, and old friend of my aunt's on 23rd and 7th today. She started her own production company a couple decades ago and is now a damn successful producer. Sitting in the Starbucks waiting for her I have to admit that I was expecting someone a little more straight-laced than the woman who showed up. With a head of curly blonde hair and the kinetic energy of a coiled spring Helen seemed fun and far less stuck up than a lot of the other producers I'd met so far. We talked shop, I told her about what I wanted to do with my life, told her that I "couldn't not write" which is a mess of double negatives but just flows so well that I can't resist it.
At the end of our little pow-wow Helen had pretty much promised to call me in a few weeks when some more work came up, gave me a bunch of numbers out of her blackberry for casting people and said she might be able to hook up some freelance writing for me. All good things.
I may just make this crazy idea of mine work. I want to be like Jarmusch, Tarantino, and Lynch. (Not in personality, just in the whole "writer, director, producer" thing) I'm a control freak, I know that. But I've got to learn to be a charming one or I'm never gonna make it. I know all this stuff is just a game, and it's one where they don't tell you the rules. But I think that just maybe I'm beginning to figure it out.
...
Sometimes I'm blown away by the duality within myself that I ignored; and how in my spurning of it, how much of myself I lost.
…
I met Helen, and old friend of my aunt's on 23rd and 7th today. She started her own production company a couple decades ago and is now a damn successful producer. Sitting in the Starbucks waiting for her I have to admit that I was expecting someone a little more straight-laced than the woman who showed up. With a head of curly blonde hair and the kinetic energy of a coiled spring Helen seemed fun and far less stuck up than a lot of the other producers I'd met so far. We talked shop, I told her about what I wanted to do with my life, told her that I "couldn't not write" which is a mess of double negatives but just flows so well that I can't resist it.
At the end of our little pow-wow Helen had pretty much promised to call me in a few weeks when some more work came up, gave me a bunch of numbers out of her blackberry for casting people and said she might be able to hook up some freelance writing for me. All good things.
I may just make this crazy idea of mine work. I want to be like Jarmusch, Tarantino, and Lynch. (Not in personality, just in the whole "writer, director, producer" thing) I'm a control freak, I know that. But I've got to learn to be a charming one or I'm never gonna make it. I know all this stuff is just a game, and it's one where they don't tell you the rules. But I think that just maybe I'm beginning to figure it out.
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