Lena's Story: Production Internship in New York
Meet Lena!
Lena is a Media and Communication graduate from Western University Ontario, Canada. In Fall of 2025, she joined ArtBound Initiative and landed a production internship with Backlot, a location management company and agency based in 6th Avenue of New York. After completing her internship, Lena landed a part-time role in production and social media with the company!
Read more of Lena's experience below!
How would you describe your day-to-day at Backlot?
My day-to-day at Backlot was a mix of office work, production, and getting out into the field. I worked on everything from filling out the property inquiry tracker and onboarding new locations to gathering, editing, and scheduling social media content. I also went on property scouts with production teams and acted as a liaison on set between production, Backlot, and building management.
The environment at Backlot was incredibly welcoming. I genuinely looked forward to going into work because everyone was so friendly and supportive. My supervisors were always open to answering questions, valued my input, and made a real effort to help me feel comfortable while also encouraging my growth.
ABI helped me find an internship that would've been really difficult for me to get on my own.
What aspect of your internship was most rewarding?
My internship at Backlot gave me valuable hands-on experience that I’ll carry with me throughout my career. Getting to work directly on active film and television sets was a dream come true, and going on location scouts for large-scale productions let me explore New York City, meet amazing people, and get a closer look at the industry. Conducting scouts on my own was a little nerve-wracking at first, but it pushed me out of my comfort zone and did wonders for my confidence and professional growth.
One of my biggest highlights was developing a pitch for a brand video for Bardo Bozeman resort, a project that Backlot’s parent company, Atlantic Pictures, was working on. My supervisor, Claudia, encouraged me to take the lead, giving me the opportunity to put my marketing skills into practice and receive valuable feedback from the Atlantic team.
I also really enjoyed working with Backlot’s marketing team on social media and visual assets. I took the initiative to brainstorm ways to refresh Backlot’s Instagram and even pitched a new social media strategy. It was incredibly rewarding to have that idea recognized and be invited to continue working on it as a freelancer after my internship.
What made the experience especially meaningful was how supportive the team was of my career goals in marketing. Beyond giving me the chance to explore different areas of the industry, they trusted me with real responsibilities and encouraged me to take initiative. I left Backlot with greater confidence, a stronger skill set, and exciting opportunities to keep building my career.
Has your internship met your expectations?
My internship with Backlot has definitely exceeded my expectations. I feel like I was pushed to my fullest potential and given so many opportunities to learn and grow. Going on scouts and working directly with production teams was outside of my comfort zone, but it helped me build confidence and become more independent.
The marketing opportunities were another major highlight. They allowed me to expand my skill set while creating strong new pieces for my portfolio, so I’m leaving the internship with both more experience and a better idea of what I’m capable of.
In what way did ArtBound Initiative helped you the most?
After graduating from Western University with a Bachelor’s degree in Media and Communication and a Certificate in Digital Marketing, I was worried about my career trajectory coming from a rural area with limited creative opportunities. However, the ABI program gave me access to incredible opportunities I never thought possible.
ABI helped me find an internship opportunity that would have been really difficult for me to get on my own. Their support throughout the visa process and my move to a new country made everything feel much less overwhelming. Their feedback on my resume and portfolio was also incredibly helpful and gave me more confidence going into the internship.
I am forever grateful for this experience. I completely fell in love with New York City, and I will carry these memories and lessons with me for the rest of my life!
Lena
Production Internship | Backlot
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 New York Internship here.
Questions? Contact us at info@artboundinitiative.com
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