Before I started my internship, I knew I wanted to work in film. Why? I do not only like to watch movies, but after conducting research in Entertainment Communication, I also knew I needed to get a better understanding of how film works to evoke responses. However, getting an internship at a movie production company was more easily said than done. I was facing the greatest challenge of my internship. Either companies had already found their interns way in advance, they did not hire an intern due to the ongoing pandemic, or they offered a position but unfortunately canceled. After sending over 100 applications, I persisted and sent one last text message before I was about to give up.
And, it is true: you need one person to say yes. Luckily, PSSST! Film, the production firm I was going to intern at, needed someone for their upcoming movie shoot. I didn’t hesitate and immediately said yes. So, a couple of days later (including quarantine), I was on my way to Munich.
The first few days were very hectic, including meeting the whole team for the first time when we took our required corona test, picking up the production car which I was going to use for my position as chaperone and intern, and making sense of all the questions I tried to get an answer to.
Finally, the first third of my internship began: the movie shoot. After planning everything, it is an art to bring all departments together to create one final product. What is most important is the opinion and the imagination of the director. It is their decisions that make the movie, but it takes a whole village to make this vision of this one person possible. Having an open attitude towards changes is essential for creativity and the final product.
While driving home towards the setting sun after a sunny day on set, I knew that I was right where I wanted to be. The next few weeks were incredibly stressful but taught me that shooting a scene let alone a whole movie takes a long time. Patience is your new best friend. Depending on factors like sound, light, location, time, and weather, among others, you have to wait. However, time is limited, and every second is valuable time in the movie industry, so if you are on set, and the camera department asks you to step in as a light stand-in, you do it, no questions asked.
My main responsibility during the first part of the internship was being the chaperone of the main actor. I accompanied the actor on set to make sure they had everything they needed. That task provided me the opportunity to get an overview of all the departments as well as to speak to as many people as I could. The question I asked the most: how did you end up in film? Most of them work in the movie industry because they know someone else who works in it.
Now, I am back in the office where I am busy with communicating to stakeholders, writing the credit list of the movie, as well as conducting research. I have already learned that the credit list deserves much more than the viewers leaving the theater or getting cut mid rolling. Let’s watch it till the end next time and pay respect to every member who made this movie possible!