Week Seven

My last week in San Francisco flew by in the blink of an eye. With so much to do, it was a race against time to finish up everything I still had to do for my short film along with other projects. The first half of the week was spent at the Producer's Loft, which is an amazing space that can be transformed into many different sets, in order to film Cameo's short, Nice. Being on set for this production was so cool! Cameo took great effort to have the majority of the crew be women from the industry, and it was really inspiring to meet a woman cinematographer, gaffer, and sound recordist. As a PA, I got to help build the set, set props, help the crew which was super fun and I got to learn so many new skills. My favorite part was helping build the set because it was so interesting to see how it looked in real life compared to how the camera angles made it look. I also had the opportunity to film the infrared shots with a thermal camera, and they came out so well! I'm so excited to see how the final film comes out and to know that I was able to help with the production.

After that, it was back to focusing on the post-production of Running Deep and wrapping up my internship. With each passing day, the realization that I was soon to leave San Francisco started settling in and was so sad to think that my first field work term was really ending. This seven weeks has simultaneously felt like one week and a whole year, but thinking back on all that I was able to accomplish in such a short time is such a satisfying feeling. From day one, this internship has been intense and full to the brim, but everything I did here was so valuable and educational in its own way.

The Martin Scorsese Masterclass that I completed taught me so much about filmmaking and was really useful during the production of my own short film. I'm so glad that the lessons and assignments I had lined up so perfectly with the timeline of my film, his point of view offered wonderful and unique insight that I was able to use in my own way.

Writing and directing a short film in just 7 weeks is something that seems impossible to tackle in such a short time, but with Cameo and Connie Jo's help, I was able to accomplish it. The experience of directing a professional cast and crew and working with post-production specialists was new to me and through the process I learned how to work on set, communicate with others, and stay organized through the post-production process. Creating this film has only further inspired me to continue writing and directing and learning from each experience.

Woking on Coven Film Festival was another amazing experience that pushed me out of my comfort zone and I gained so many valuable skills from the tasks I was assigned. Again, I was constantly working with a team and so I got very comfortable communicating with others and working together to solve problems and accomplish goals. I was required to stay very organized and timely during this process as every part of Coven was incredibly detailed and getting information out on time was essential. I was also so appreciative of the level of trust Cameo and Connie Jo bestowed upon me in completing tasks that were vital to the success of Coven, such as creating the schedule and trailer. On the day of the event, I couldn't help but feel so pleased with my effort and the effort of my team to put together such an empowering and uplifting event.

While these big projects took up most of my time, there is no way I could forget about all the other learning experiences I had along the way. The Cinefemme events I was able to attend such as the Director's Collective and Dinner with Dames were wonderful spaces for women in the industry and I am so lucky that I was able to attend and gain knowledge from the members while still being a student. Additionally, PA-ing on sets for music videos and short films was such a great way to meet others in the industry and learn how productions are put on. Each production is unique and exciting in its own way which is what keeps filmmaking so interesting.

As I look back on my time at Charming Stranger, I can't help but feel proud of all the work I put in and everything I was able to accomplish. I couldn't have done it without the guidance of Cameo and Connie Jo and even the help and collaboration of Sylvia. I am sad think that my time here has come to an end, but I know the connections, memories, experiences, and lessons I have gathered here will stay with me forever.