When I learned about the incubator project I felt overwhelmed by the options, logistics, and deadlines. In the beginning of this internship I felt anxious even thinking about my project and I struggled with coming up with a unique idea. It was only after talking to my fellow interns and internship supervisors that I began to feel that this project was attainable for me. I was still without an idea until one of my supervisors suggested that I work with a local charity. As soon as he said those words the idea clicked in my head. I decided I wanted to do a documentary on Angels Community Outreach. I had donated to them in the past and they seemed like a great local charity to work with. When I began doing my research on the charity I discovered the story behind the founders. Learning that the Darrows were survivors of domestic abuse and house fire, and yet decided to start their own charity led me to realize how impactful their story was and how important it was to tell it. 

When I pitched it to Justin, I pitched it as a regular sit down interview with B’roll of the charity’s space and inventory. Justin pushed me to get more stylistic with this documentary. He recommended shooting the B’roll in slow motion (which was certainly the right decision). With these notes and approval from JTWO I began to plan for my shoot and where my first challenge showed up: scheduling. Getting in contact and arranging the shoot with Angels was difficult. My goal was to shoot before Thanksgiving but I wasn’t able just due to how busy the charity was as well as the hectic shooting schedules for my fellow interns’ projects. But eventually I was able to arrange a day to film the charity. 

When I began editing I found that the hardest part was deciding which soundbites to use and how to tie them together. That’s where the slow motion shots really shined. I utilized the slow motion shots with the emotional music as a transition between different questions. This effect I think really tied my project together.

By the end of this incubator project, I felt really confident and proud of what I was able to produce. This whole experience really taught me how to work with others and how to push myself further than I think I can go. Wherever I end up after this, I am confident that I will be able to handle it and make some pretty great things.

Starting this internship I honestly knew I had a passion for production and entertainment but honestly never really had any experience, especially anything hands on. While being here I feel as though I have learned what I’m good at and also things I needed to work on to be better and thrive within the industry. After two months I would definitely say I gained a ton of useful knowledge and experience within the field of production. Being from New Jersey traveling to this internship within the city everyday was a brand new experience for me. From the city atmosphere to the environment within the internship this has surely been a fresh new dope experience for me.

Looking back at it now there’s a couple things I realized I could have done differently. One thing I noticed within this field once you get to post production you realize how important filming in production is. Once you get to post production there is only so much you can do to make sure all your visuals and the color within the video are in order, which is why I wish I spent more time catching as many shots as I can while making sure each frame is appropiate. Doing so could have made post production more easier for me, I found myself not being pleased with shots in a few projects across the semester of this internship which could have been avoided within production.

Working within this environment made me so much more comfortable with the decision I made to pursue the field of production. Working together with different people to make entertainment and content shows you how others view the world and adapt their imagination to it. I believe interning here at Jtwo was the perfect bootcamp of production I needed to get my feet wet and comfortable. From the Intern Basement to the Green room this internship has definitely been very memorable for me. I will not forget the things I learned and the people I have met here.

My incubator project is something I thought long and hard about. I wanted to document something that I truly cared about and for me it’s stand-up comedy. It’s something that connects the world, but the question that I wanted to answer was “Why do people do it, and how do they get started?”

It was awesome being able to talk to someone like Chip Chantry who has so much experience in the comedy industry. His insight really helped pull the film together and opened the door to explore so much more with our 2nd interviewee Sam Silverman. I really appreciated Sam’s openness and contribution to the film!

In terms of crafting the project, my pitch took many different turns. I think in many ways that is what I enjoyed so much about this project and documentary filmmaking as a whole. You never know what is going to happen while working through the process, but you have to keep going and continue to tell the stories that need to be heard.

The Incubator Project was a truly amazing experience. It was certainly a challenge, but I feel it was great preparation for what its like working in this industry. Learning the proper editing workflow and post production aspect is what I found to be the best aspect for my future projects and career. Very thankful for the experience!