Spotlight Detail

Allan was paired with Variety and Indiewire, assisting with interviews of major festival talent and used the skills he learned on FMS film sets.

Allan had this to say about his internship: "Diving into different workflows always helps me to understand my footing and what I'm capable of

Why did you choose this internship?
• Talk of film festivals always floated around in our rhetoric as student filmmakers. I chose the internship because I saw a chance to experience first hand the distribution end of the industry.

What were your daily responsibilities?
• The Creative Minds Group places interns with one of the companies at the festival. I was lucky enough to be paired with Variety and Indiewire, two major media companies conducting interviews of the festivals’ talent. I was running B Cam, mic-ing and slating for some really renowned and inspirational people.

What was the most challenging part of this internship?
• It was weird seeing everyone so casual about Hillary Clinton passing through the studio, live-cutting hourly deliverables, and having a budget for more than craft services.  It was high profile work, and I was painfully conscious of being an outlier in this crew of experienced people. Luckily, they took my proactivity and curiosity well enough to incorporate me into the production process.

What did you take away from your experience?
• Diving into different workflows always helps me to understand my footing and what I’m capable of. In this case, it was really dope affirming the skills that I have obtained since immersing myself in the filmmaking community at UCI. Being able to look back at myself keeping up with a crew dishing out upwards of 25 interviews a day, to me, means that I’m picking up the right instincts.
• I’d say another big part of the experience was seeing how big and accessible the industry is. That I don’t really need to be limiting myself with the anxieties that I have (especially now during quarantine when the world is at a halt). So long as I’m concerned with learning and growing from each experience, the world is infinite.

What about your FMS education helped you get the internship? Or what parts of your FMS education do you utilize while at your internship? Which professor or class has been influential?
• I wouldn’t have found the internship without Sylvia being such a great resource! In terms of my education, I’ve definitely become more aware of what it takes to bring life to the screen. The classes, the people that I’ve met in these classes, and the sets that we’ve been on outside of them are the reason why I have a grasp of all of the random quirks and technicalities that I took with me.
• Professor Rony has been so welcoming and encouraging and I've definitely been finding my voice under her instruction. I feel like the department, in general, is so interested in tailoring to our needs, even if they span beyond theory and the study of film.

How has this internship influenced your career path plans?
• I’m still really interested in Director of Photography; I think things have only changed in terms of how comfortably I navigate that space. I’ve found more focus with how to get to where I need to be. Might consider going again to explore more of that side of me!

Where can people reach you?
• All of my work is on my IG@llndzn. Shoot me a message - I’ve really only been in film for a year and I’ll always be available as a resource to pass on whatever knowledge I have. See ya'll in the editing lab and on set once COVID blows over!