Not a goodbye, but a “see you soon.”
by Alex Siwik
During any typical week of a typical semester, my life would tend to feel a lot like the movie Groundhog Day. I was a trapped Bill Murray doing the same stuff everyday of every week. However, this semester was a lot different.
Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, I spent my days with the folks at JTwo. Whether I was at the office or on a shoot, each day was different. I was no longer Bill Murray. One day I would be camera assisting or shooting product photos for Victus, and the next editing a new project. It was always interesting and kept me on my toes… not to mention, the people at JTwo are hilarious and very fun to work with.
They say you learn the most by doing things, which is certainly true. I learned a ton on set, but believe it or not, I also learned a whole lot just by eavesdropping on some of the conversations flying around the studio. I often found myself tuning in to Travis’s post-production-related talks and commands, usually not understanding some of the lingo, but by the end of my internship, I definitely gained a better understanding of workflow and the importance of being an organization freak. Although my career goals consist of me being a shooter, I feel that these things will help me in general in the long run.
JTwo wasn’t all about work all the time. We did some fun things together, such as go to the ADCP Louix Awards, where I had an embarrassing moment in which I went up to accept an award before our name was even called (Imagine if we didn’t win that award… Moral of the story: Open bars are cool, but don’t get too tipsy at award shows). The coolest thing about the Louix Awards though is that we shot the badass opening film that screened at the beginning of the ceremony, which was perhaps my favorite project I got to work on.
I also enjoyed our trip to DC for the Responsibility.org shoot with Summer Sanders and all the attorney generals. It was a long couple of days, but I got to stay in a pretty nice hotel and be surrounded by super official-looking people in suits. I shot and edited the behind-the-scenes video for the shoot. You can check it out on JTwo’s website or Vimeo page (No, this is not a shameless plug).
At the end of my internship, Justin tested my abilities and sent me on a trip to Rehoboth, Delaware to shoot a video with Bringing Hope Home. I was totally nervous and afraid that I would screw something up, but everything ended up going very smoothly. It was awesome that the guys at JTwo felt they could trust me to go as a one-man-band and shoot something for them.
To sum things up, my internship at JTwo was a great experience. When you hear the word “intern,” you may think of a student who is forced to do crap work and then is let go and forgotten about at the end, but at JTwo, I got to work on awesome, real stuff and was more than just an intern. I was part of the team and part of the family. My fellow interns, Ian and Kyung, were also great dudes and I plan staying in touch with them. I will already be coming back to JTwo’s office next week when the Movi Pro comes in, and then again to work with on the next Victus shoot. So yes, I may be shutting the door to my internship, but it is more like opening the door to an extended stay with the JTwo crew.
This project was created as part of the JTWO [INC]ubator Project. A semester long internship program built from the ground up to give young filmmakers, content creators, and all around hungry for a challenge individuals a place to stretch their creative minds while preparing them for the road ahead.