After completing our short films the week before, it was now the time for the post-production work. I could not believe we were already at this stage with our short films. During the same weekend we had wrapped filming, Elisha and I visited Julie Hwang, a post production specialist, who kindly offered to edit our films. While meeting with Julie, she was so communicative and insightful when explaining the editing programs and how to use them. As we left Julie with one of our drives, I could not be more trusting of my work in her hands. Handing off my film to be edited by someone else was a completely new experience, as was directing with a crew. I had always edited my own videos and at that m

As week four began, the realization that shooting was over settled in and I had to start thinking about everything else I needed in order to complete my film. This, combined with detailed preparation we were doing for Coven Film Fest, led to a very busy week. The beginning of the week was focused on working with Julie Hwang, an editor who graciously offered to help in the editing process. When Sylvia and I met with her, she walked us through the process and taught us so much about editing software and how to prepare our footage. From there, she began working on the edits, while I started thinking of sound effects and music that would fit into my film. I knew that sound is a very importan

Week three has been absolutely incredible, exhausting, and exciting all at once! The week started out strong and was full of activities. On Monday, Sylvia and I were able to do script reads which were super helpful in making sure that our stories made sense and our dialogue felt natural. This was important because we would be filming later in the week and our scripts had to be finalized. Tuesday night, I was able to take a break from editing my script and attended Cinefemme's Dinner with Dames event, which was educational and empowering. It was awesome to be surrounded by a group of intelligent women who are so passionate about filmmaking. It was also interesting to meet the special gues

The third week at Charming Stranger may have been the busiest week of my life and, also, one of the most rewarding. Each and every day here is a true adventure. On Sunday, Elisha and I finally met Connie Jo after a month filled with Skype calls and messages. We then all met our director of photography, Christ Chandler, and sound mixer, Colin Frangos, for Elisha and I’s short films. As we were filming later that week, we had to go over equipment needs, scripts, shot lists and storyboards to make sure we all understood what was to come. As a group, we also visited the filming location Connie Jo had scouted for us. From doing all of this, I could not believe how soon I would see the story in my

The second week at Charming Stranger started with a bang or, at least, a nike store amount of check marks. The Coven Film Fest team (including Elisha and I) finally selected all of the short films that will be included. As hard as it was to decide between so many well done and powerful films, I could not be more proud of the work we all accomplished. The lineup we have assembled for Coven Film Fest , with varying genres and styles, will be an event all filmmakers will not want to miss. Going more into detail, watching all the submitted films and debating which to include was one of my favorite parts of working at Charming Stranger thus far. As well, I have learned (and continue to learn) an

Week two here at Charming Stranger was a whirlwind of meetings, planning, coffee runs, and train rides! To start off the week, the team had to finalize the selected films for the Coven Film Fest and schedule them into the appropriate blocks. This was a long process of ordering and re-ordering, but it was so rewarding in the end when we finally came up with an amazing plan. However, organizing Coven doesn't stop there! Next, Sylvia and I were tasked with creating a trailer to promote the festival. Since I love editing, I had a great time putting together a trailer that would really highlight all the diversity and skill that the filmmakers in the festival had to offer. The next couple day

During the two weeks of winter break, my mind and body became filled like a car’s gas tank with jitters and excitement. In fourteen days, I was about to be an intern at Charming Stranger Films, a company I had desired to work at since it had first been brought to my attention. By the time the ticking clock hit 3 AM on January 1st, I flew across the country and arrived in San Francisco. Upon my arrival, there wasn’t much time before I began my first day at Charming Stranger. As my legs took me up to Cameo and her office’s location, straightaway all of my jitters and worries were morphed into pure motivation and glee. Immediately, Cameo made me feel comfortable and valued. I was not just an in

Just as 2019 began taking flight, so did I, as I eagerly boarded a plane to San Francisco to begin my 7 week internship with Charming Stranger Films. After weeks of watching movies based in San Francisco, I was so excited to finally arrive and start working. While I was looking forward to this new adventure, I was also pretty nervous to be in a new place all alone while also balancing a rigorous internship. However, in my first week all my nerves faded away and I was filled with motivation. In just three short days, I have already experienced so much! When I first arrived, Sylvia and I got settled in to our AirBnb and took a walk around the neighborhood we were staying in. The next morn