Becoming an intern

I read this article from the Raindance Film festival website where a current intern has given their intake on how to prepare and co-operate with being the intern.

Simple enough I guess, start preparing yourself by researching about the company. As well as this, research what is currently going on in the industry. It also seems pretty useful to have some sort of historical interest. Communication is key, both when you are on set working in a small team. There are many intimidating characters in the industry but everyone is human and most are willing to help out, If you don’t ask you don’t get!

Be confident and step outside your comfort zone. You will get nowhere if you don’t try and challenge yourself.

If I can just be myself when interning, not to be shy, grab every opportunity that falls my way and take advantage of networking!! Leave a good impression and don’t burn bridges, I will never know if I will need to go back and ask a previous colleague for a favor.

1. Know Your Stuff!

On your first day in the film industry there is a lot to take in. As much as you think you may know about film believe me there is always plenty more to learn. With a seemingly endless amount of techniques and devices used for filming as well as a copious amount of directors, producers, and actors, it appears that these lists can go on forever! For this reason it is important that you are well versed in the lingo and catch up on your movie knowledge. You never know when you may be asked a random question out of the blue and when you are you’re going to want to be able to give the right answer, or at least a somewhat credible one.

2. Be A Team Player

One of the main things I have learned from my experiences in the film industry is that despite there being an “I” in FILM, it is pretty much impossible to complete any task without the help of your colleagues. Cooperation and collaboration is key when working with film. If only one person did everything where would the creativity be? We would be slaves to the imagination of a single individual. With this in mind, make sure you are comfortable working in a team and also with giving and taking constructive criticism.. and sometimes it can be just good ol’ criticism, no matter how harsh it will only improve your skill-set in the long run.

 3. Don’t Be Intimidated By Big Wigs

There are a lot of interesting characters that identify themselves with working in the film industry. Many of them are well known individuals who have worked hard to get where they are and some… well some of them couldn’t get a home movie screened in their own living room if they tried. The point is to not be intimidated by those who have tasted the sweet life that the industry has to offer. Most of the time they are just normal human beings who want nothing more than to sit down and have a normal down to earth conversation over a pint.

4. Communication is Key!

As mentioned earlier, cooperation and collaboration is key in this industry but I left one more thing out, communication! It really is amazing how much of a difference talking to one another can make when working on a project or simply doing office tasks. Inform your superiors of the status on whatever your working on, so they know you’re actually working, and if working with a fellow colleague be sure to communicate frequently to make sure you both are on the same page.

 5. Be Willing to Step Outside Your Comfort Zone

There will always be challenging tasks to be held while working in film. From knowing how to set up a specific camera rig to simply trying to get the right coffee orders for your fellow colleagues without messing any of them up for fear of total banishment! It is important in these situations to be confident and to step outside your comfort zone to do something you may never have done before, whether you achieve your task or utterly fail at it there is always room for self-improvement and each failure or accomplishment will help you in your next endeavor, if you’re given another one that is.

6. Don’t Be A Pushover

No one likes a pushover, plain and simple. If you agree to every assignment given to you regardless of your prior workload, to your colleagues it seems that you are just trying to make everyone happy regardless of how it affects you. Take pride in your work and make sure that you have the time and mental attentiveness to preform each task with your full potential. Remember, it is always okay to say no if you already have too much on your plate. Odds are there are a few other interns they can dish the work out to instead.

7. All Work and No Play Makes For A Dull Day

Getting to know your colleagues is imperative. Find out what they like to do, what they’ve done and where they’ve been. You never know you may find out you have more in common with them that you originally thought. In addition, feel free to ask them to go out after work one day for a pint or to get some lunch. Interactions outside of the office are usually more genuine and from my experience have been a great way to meet the people I’ve worked with.