Ikera's Story: Virtual Content Production Internship
This is Ikera!
Ikera is a Communications & Theatre graduate from Denison University. Last summer, Ikera landed a virtual content production internship with Valiant Pictures - a bi-coastal independent production company specializing in commercials, branded content, and original entertainment.
Interested to know more? Read Ikera's experience below!
How would you describe your day-to-day at Valiant Pictures?
At my virtual film internship, there is far more flexibility, and I have more of a weekly routine than a daily routine. On Mondays, I would wrap up any remaining work from the previous week and get ready to share my output with my boss. These deliverables could range from detailed Google Sheets lists of film festivals and archival material, to more creative work like a script coverage, comments on a new edit of an ongoing work, or my own original project from an exercise like writing a short film. On Tuesdays, I would showcase my work and receive feedback, and get instructions on a new project if one is available. I'd spend the rest of the day working on that. Wednesday, I'd have another meeting with my boss to update him on my progress on the assigned tasks, and revise based on provided feedback. For the rest of the week, I would finish up the project or take on new ones if my boss emailed during the week, and complete deliverables within that week or finish on the following Monday.
Overall, I would say my internship feels incredibly relaxed but supportive, nurturing, and honestly very cool, even if it is all virtual. The flexibility and relaxed-ness is not common, in my understanding, to the film industry. However, the way my supervisor manages my time and workload, and the remote structure of the internship itself, creates a very low-pressure environment where I can focus on trying new things and going the extra mile. I appreciate that even in a low-stakes environment, I resonate strongly with the type of work my studio puts out, which ranges from social awareness documentaries, to shorts and features highlighting marginalized identities. The types of tasks I'm assigned are also diverse, drawing from my past background in stage management and creative writing. Half are quite familiar--making Google sheets, creating annotations--and the rest are completely out of my comfort zone, like writing a script or pitch deck. Regardless, all of these nurtured my creativity while helping me learn more about the film industry.
My internship feels incredibly relaxed but supportive, nurturing, and honestly very cool, even if it is all virtual!
What aspect of your internship was most rewarding?
The most rewarding part of my internship is doing my own creative work (writing short scripts), because I feel like I'm able to apply what I've learned in the internship reading others' scripts, reviewing and copy editing directors treatments, and annotating short and feature films. I've been able to make a lot of observations on the art medium itself and immerse in how others do it, while also actively evaluating it against my own tastes, as well as what I perceive my supervisor will find useful. That kind of experience and training helps give a starting point to try creating my own work even outside a purely classroom environment.
Has your internship met your expectations?
My internship has certainly met my expectations. I can see now that I do have a "way into" the film industry even if my background is largely in writing and theatre; as in, there are spaces in the industry catering to more text-focused artists, like scriptwriters and coverage writers. I've also been able to see the various components that go into a production, like treatments, budgets, hiring, and more, and that is also a helpful perspective to have as someone strongly considering being a producer.
In what way did ArtBound Initiative helped you the most?
The ABI Academy modules were a godsend and above and beyond what I was expecting from the ArtBound program. ABI was most helpful because it was holistic. I will certainly carry everything I learned (which is now in a 10+ page study guide for my personal reference) with me throughout my career. Everything I could think of that is essential for my start in the industry, from portfolio building to interview prep, from preparing for different kinds of supervisors to having initiative and going the extra mile as an intern, was covered in the modules. I had never felt more confident and prepared before a job I had absolutely no experience in whatsoever.
ABI was most helpful because it was holistic. The ABI Academy modules were a godsend and above and beyond what I was expecting from the ArtBound program!
Ikera
Content Production Internship | Valiant Pictures
Interested in the program but don't know where to start? Check your eligibility here!
ArtBound Initiative is a fee-based global internship program for creatives. We prepare students for their careers through an online coaching curriculum and by helping them secure an internship in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Austin, London, Berlin, Melbourne, Sydney, and Virtually. With an expansive network of leading creative companies, our program provides access to creative industries that are notoriously insular.
Read more about ArtBound Initiative Virtual Internships here.
Questions? Contact us at info@artboundinitiative.com
Comments