photo by Kamila Corwin
(Doucette Hall, Edinboro, PA – October 08, 2024)
Senior Bryan Mendez Perez was the first of four Philm interns who shared summer experiences with members of the Moving Pictures Guild over dinner Tuesday night. He began by telling of his return to Puerto Rico to work on two films, a social media ad, and multiple music videos. Though he was a flexible on-set utility player, much of Mendez Perez’s work was on lighting crews. He did some interior instrument rigging for Refugio, but he also hung scrims and flags outside on Mulata to control and mimic sunlight coming into a shooting location. Referencing 14-hour workdays and an essential shoot on a rainy beach, Mendez Perez advised his fellow students “If you’re not passionate about studying filmmaking, don’t waste your money.”
Next, Junior Kamila Corwin shared stories from her stint as a marketing photography intern with the Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. Her event photographs appeared in print and social media. One of her most difficult shoots documented a demanding 11-mile hike up Mt. Baldy, a rocky summit more than 12,400 feet above sea level. “There were times I really wanted to tap out. When I thought maybe I was getting altitude sickness. But, in the end, it was so rewarding.” Corwin offered lessons that a rodeo taught her about shutter speed (“Clearly stopping the action is more important than ISO and film grain”) and a reminder that “composition always matters” even when shooting from horseback. “The money wasn’t all that great; but housing and food were included,” concluded Corwin. “Besides, this is the time of life to take seasonal jobs in cool places, to take chances, to travel, to do adventurous things.”
MPG Secretary Chloe MacKay detailed her time with Pittsburgh’s New Hazlett Theater. A stage venue since the 1880s, the New Hazlett is now an incubator for community performers. “I was very worried I was going to break something,” she said of her earliest days working with sophisticated audio mixing equipment. Growing more comfortable over time, MacKay was trusted to organize audio files and troubleshoot Bluetooth linkages with the theater’s many body mics.
Bryan Mendez Perez adjusts the intensity and color temperature of a lighting instrument on the set of the short film “Mulata.”
In addition to audio, MacKay shadowed professionals across theater’s many technical areas. “My internship affirmed how much I enjoy working in live theater – especially with costume and make-up.”
Philm Lab Aide Dylan North closed the event by talking through his work with the Washington Wild Things, a Frontier League professional baseball team. North was a camera operator whose game coverage was often live-streamed for subscribers of FloSports. “I think maybe I like shooting live sports more than shooting take after take for narrative films. I sure prefer the pace and the hours. When the game’s over, you go home. Though I think I’d like to edit the highlight reel.” While North spent 60% of his summer on the first base camera, “the crowd shots are the most important thing. Probably more important in the Frontier League than in the Minors or Majors.”
The Summer 2024 internships were supervised by Photo Professor Natasha Kravchenko, who encourages others to enroll in Internship in Digital Filmmaking and Photography during the regular school year or over the summer. ART 4205 may be taken to satisfy the Philm concentration’s advanced course requirement. More than just another grade on the transcript, internships often earn pride of place on résumés, being of special interest to future employers.