"WHERE GINGERS HAVE SOULS" BY KERRI SAGE
"WHERE GINGERS HAVE SOULS"
Director: Keri Sage
Twisted Gingers is the success story of a Brewing Company opened in December 2019 in Northwest Philadelphia by Mark Mayer.
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Twisted Gingers Brewing Company opened in December 2019 in Northwest Philadelphia. Mark Mayer opened a place to share his love of beer, unknowingly right before a global pandemic shut things down- and for many small businesses, for good. But it launched this brewery into a whirlwind of success, thanks to the community surrounding it and the dedication of the owner. Mark’s spirit and success inspired me to create “Where Gingers Have Souls”.
I think the biggest challenge while creating this film has been in the planning stages. Through the process, there were multiple communication issues with clients for previous [INC]ubator project ideas. Additionally, I encountered some technical difficulties as well as a learning curve with new programs such as Davinci.
MEET THE DIRECTOR
Kerri Sage is based in Philadelphia, PA. She is a film major at Temple University with a focus on Cinematography. With a background in photography, she decided to shift her focus to film. JTWO has encouraged and inspired her to learn more about coloring.
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.
"BLACK BOOK TO BURNER" BY EVA CHEESEMAN
"BLACK BOOK TO BURNER"
Director: Eva Cheeseman
Exploring the world of street art in Philadelphia and why murals aren’t just a way to make walls look more exciting.
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Street artists face stigma in society, sometimes making it hard to make a living in an urban setting. This documentary is meant to shed light on the culture behind street art in Philadelphia and why murals aren’t just a way to make walls look more exciting. In Black Book to Burner, we will get to know some local artists and learn their experiences in this industry.
MEET THE DIRECTOR
Eva is a rising senior at Temple University studying Film and Media Production. She had the opportunity to intern with JTWO Films this summer and learn more about all things production as well as create her own documentary start to finish. Moving forward, she wants to pursue professional edition and post production in digital media.
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.
"THE FLOCKS THE DAY YOU WERE BORN" BY SIENA TWISS
"THE FLOCKS THE DAY YOU WERE BORN"
Director: Siena Twiss
The voice of Johnny’s dead mother reads a letter to her son; guiding him through his entire life. As she reveals herself as a soaring bird, we understand the everlasting love she has for her son.
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I chose to make this film because these types of projects are where I can get the most creative and have the most fun. This story came to me after writing a short monologue that eventually turned into the monologue read by the narrator. I think experimenting with film and different forms of storytelling is where you learn what is t you love about your craft. It is important to challenge yourself and I think this film challenged me in a number of ways that have helped me become a better filmmaker. In the end, I chose to make this film because it made me excited and felt like something I could do well while learning.
I think the biggest challenge while creating this film has been trying to put all these pieces together to create a flow and order that tells the story the way I want. There are so many moving parts within this project with the narration, shifts in time and experimental visuals, that the story itself was feeling confusing at points.
My other large challenge was casting and finding someone that matched who I had in my head. However, I think in the end, Ethan Binder was perfect for this character.
MEET THE DIRECTOR
Sienna Twiss is a third year at Drexel University studying Film & Television. She is an aspiring cinematographer and has worked on a handful of successful short films including a project featured in the Annapolis Film Festival. She has worked for several film production companies on the East and West Coasts including JTWO Films, Native Content, Wild Gift Productions, and Filmsters Productions. She will continue her filmmaking journey after graduating in spring of 2024 with a BS in film.
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.
"ALEX BLOM CREATES" BY JASE GIBBONS
"ALEX BLOM CREATES"
Director: Jase Gibbons
Alex Blomstrom owns and operates Alex Blom Creates, a clothing brand that aims to spread kindness and positivity. However, this isn’t always what Alex had in mind for her future.
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Alex Blom Creates has been steadily growing purely through social media and the videos that Alex creates to post on her social media accounts. My goal was to give her brand videos that could both elevate the visual style of Alex’s brand and also serve as hero videos for Alex Blom Creates. Each video highlights a different aspect of Alex Blom Creates: Alex herself, Alex Blom Creates’ brand principles, and the products that Alex creates. This gave me the challenge not only to create three videos that were similar yet unique enough to be watched back-to-back, but also that would fit in with Alex Blom Creates’ current visual style. This challenge is what drew me towards this project, as it caused me to think deeply about every creative decision.
![230810_Jase_ABC_[INC]ubator_Poster_v1.2](https://b2972485.smushcdn.com/2972485/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/230810_Jase_ABC_INCubator_Poster_v1.2.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)
The largest challenge faced was working as a one-man band for majority of the shoots. All b-roll was captures as a one-man crew in small areas. All footage was shot on a 50mm film lens at f1.4 so focus had to be pulled manually, while also directing Alex whenever she was included in the shoot.
MEET THE DIRECTOR
Jase Gibbons is a DP and Editor dedicated to telling the stories of others. While studying film production at Penn State University, he creates films that showcase those who work to better the lives of others. Using an adjacent interest in digital analytics to promote different videos on social media platforms, Jase mixes the creative with the analytical to reach a broader audience.
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.
Alyssa Capitini Graduates [INC]ubator Project
Final Thoughts
By Alyssa Capitini
As my internship comes to an end here at JTWO, I am reflecting on all that has happened these past few months. I truly believe I am a different filmmaker from when I first started. However, I feel this in ways I did not expect. I’ve learned quite a bit on a professional scale of what it’s like to work under other creatives and learning how to take criticism as well as standing up for yourself when it’s necessary. I’ve also been challenged in positive ways to be a more intentional writer, director, shooter, and editor. I’ve gotten to dip my toes in each of these areas and realize where my strengths fall and what I enjoy most.
My final project was a rewarding experience for me as I poured my heart and soul into the final picture. Writing has always been a daunting task for me but with this project I wrote a story close to my heart and with the help of JTWO I was able to hone in the story and think intentionally on how I wanted to portray it. Through every step of the way I had guidance on my editing, sound, and color choices which pushed me to become a better editor. My favorite part of the final project was getting to take my quality of sound and color to the next level.
It was definitely a lot of preparation leading up to the shoot, and if I had to fix how I did anything it would have been to think through some of my shots and block the actors better. I believe this project is just the beginning to my career path whether I choose to be a director or editor.
I will take everything I learned and continue to build off of it as I continue. I hope I never get too comfortable, because there is always something to learn no matter what stage of life you are in.
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.
Benny Flora Graduates [INC]ubator Project
Final Thoughts
By Benny Flora
When I first started brainstorming for my final project the only thing I knew was that I wanted to do a documentary. I had never been involved in the production of a documentary in anyway, so I figured this would be a good chance to spread my wings a little bit. I originally wanted to do a portrait of a teacher at my high school who quit to be a full-time rapper, but he never responded to my messages (I assume he got too famous to have time for me now). Before I was struck with my accordion idea, I was tossing around several other potential docs in my mind. Nothing was super exciting to me though, and I was feeling like I was going to have to settle for something I wasn’t truly enthusiastic about. Then one night I was laying my weary head to rest and it popped into my head: “last winter break I visited an accordion store in the city. Wouldn’t that be a weird documentary?” After that night I was super excited; I emailed the owner of the store, Mike, the following morning and he responded within the day.
In the week before the shoot I was getting pretty nervous. Knowing that this was my first documentary made me scared I wasn’t doing everything I needed to do to prepare: my shot-list wasn’t in-depth enough, I didn’t have enough questions for the interviews, etc. I kept asking my fellow interns what I should do to be ready, wishing that their response would free me from my anxiety. Come shoot day, I was pretty amped up, albeit still nervous. As soon as we got there, a very old man and his slightly younger companion (the details of their relationship weren’t entirely clear…) were waiting for Mike to open the store, accordion cases by their feet. They greeted us with enthusiasm for the documentary. Mike came and opened the store up, and pretty shortly after an argument began between the old man’s friend and one of the employee’s. I wasn’t really sure what the nature of the argument was, but I whispered to Alyssa and Brooke to roll camera and sound – I knew this was gold. What shocked me about this was that the people behind the camera weren’t even fazed by our presence, they didn’t try to act friendly or dial down their anger or ask us to stop, they just went on like we weren’t there. I was surprised, and that was absolutely my favorite thing we captured that day.
The rest of the shoot went smoothly, and I was really happy with all the footage we got. The weight of my pre-shoot anxiety was lifted! Watching back the footage, I saw things that went worse than I had hoped and things that had went better, but I guess the unpredictability of a shoot, doc or fiction, is just part of the game. Starting my edit was fun, but as the days went by I got sick of looking at my footage. The initial excitement dwindled and the editing process became strictly business. I had a cut that I was pretty happy with, however Justin gave me a lot of notes that required me to rethink my whole structure. I was really grateful for this guidance; by this point I had become numb to the contents of my short that I really couldn’t think about it critically. After several more cuts, I came out with an acceptable product and was ready to move on to color and sound-mixing.
My final product had things I liked and things I didn’t like. I was happy with the shape it was in and the story I brought to life, but even so there’s always some regrets that surface when finishing up a project. Even though these regrets are no fun to face, they are ultimately the reason we make these projects: to improve. I’d say that I always rush when I’m on set, and I think I can attribute that to the nervous energy I get when I’m directing. If I was more cool and collected, I could have got more of the shots I wanted. On top of that, I wish I took more risks with the stuff I shot. Towards the end of the day I was getting tired, and I was not nearly as pumped to get myself out there as I was at the beginning of the day when we filmed the argument scene. Going into my next documentary, I would say taking the extra step to get that money shot, even if it risks putting me in an uncomfortable situation, is the most important improvement I can make.
Overall I am super grateful that I got to make this project a reality. I couldn’t have done it without Alyssa and Brooke, and everyone at JTWO. This has definitely been a huge learning experience for me.
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.
JTWO's [INC]ubator Project Brings You "Painting Home"
GO DEEPER
Coming up with this project idea was hard for me. I am usually the one behind the computer cutting up someone else’s idea. I knew I wanted to make a story that mattered and created awareness. I started researching nonprofits in Philadelphia and immediately went right to their “story” page to read about individuals they have helped. I came across Philadelphia Artz, which is a nonprofit organization that helps individuals with Alzheimer’s by having them interact with art. This sparked my idea for my project.
Dementia is a very common term used for the many forms of mental decline that has unfortunately affected many individuals in some way or another. However, there are glimmers of hope through research and therapies that have helped stall and prevent major symptoms. That is what I wanted to capture in my short. There is hope.
Filming this project was definitely a challenge. Finding an art gallery in Philly to film in was not easy. I emailed, called, showed up and got declined. Eventually a gallery responded to me and it was the perfect spot, The Art Space Gallery. The owners, Chris and Andrea were so supportive and really believed in the story. The film would not have been made without them.
Directing is something I have not done in several years. I wanted to be the most efficient and effective director for this project by handling my pre-production work as much as possible before the shoot. This definitely helped me, my crew, and cast know what I wanted for this project.
The shoot went great and that’s all to my crew and cast. They helped me along the way to make this project turn out the best it could be.
After production, I was in my comfort zone. I immediately started cutting and assembling footage. I found that I did not like the way I set up the props in the beginning shots. I was very frustrated that I didn’t take the time for set design and make sure everything looked good. I ended up cutting out those shots and moving forward. I had as many people as possible watch my cut to receive feedback. I believe feedback is the most important in editing. It helped me make the project stronger.
When I felt happy with the cut I took it into Davinci Resolve and played around with color and movement. I really would have liked the colors to be more practical effects, but the gels we used for the film were not saturated enough for the effect I wanted. However, it made just enough of a color difference in the footage where I was able to key out the colors and manipulate it to what I wanted. I think it’s the best part of the project.
I am so grateful for all the help and support I received to make this project.
Meet the Director
Lana Duda is a recent film and post-production graduate from Temple University looking to pursue and edit stories that are under-represented in film and media.
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.
Credits
Writer and Director – Lana Duda
Cinematographer – Alex Nicoletti
Editor and SFX – Lana Duda
Sound -Tony McCall
Old Man – John Nicoletti
Museum Employee – Lauren Koob
Location – The Art Space Gallery
Music – Darkstar83: “As I Breathe In Memories”
JTWO's [INC]ubator Project Brings You "Interview"
GO DEEPER
JTwo’s internship project was an exercise in guerilla filmmaking. With limited resources and a hard deadline, the full filmmaking process was condensed to just 2 weeks. Coming off of my Junior year studying film production at Penn State, this was quite the adjustment. The last short film I directed took an entire semester to make. As a result, when I pitched my first idea to JTwo, it was… over-ambitious.
While I had a premise with a lot of potential, in reality it needed at least a few months of production to do it justice. It was also riddled with logistical problems (as in filming with realistic guns, next to active train tracks, in a national park kind of problems). These are all things that could be resolved given more time but I quickly realized that this was not a project suited for the timeframe I was given.
Now I’d burned a couple days and I was back to the drawing board. I had to think on my feet and reevaluate what I wanted to get out of my intern project if I was going to finish on time. So I assembled a brand new pitch.
My new idea was much simpler on paper. It was about a girl getting ready to leave her house for an interview in the morning. I would be able to film it in my own home using my sister as an actress. By comparison, the idea seemed considerably less glamorous than its predecessor. But it was begrudgingly approved by the Jtwo executives nonetheless.
It was the right decision.
The controlled environment made shooting much more manageable considering that cinematography has never been my strong suit. I was shooting with both a camera and gimbal that I had never used before. But my new script allowed for enough time to learn as I went and troubleshoot when problems inevitably arose. As a result, I was able to gain experience in an aspect of filmmaking that I often leave to other crew members. If I had opted to film my original idea on a tight schedule, the results could have been disastrous.
The real substance of my project however, manifested in post production. I came to JTwo as a video editing intern. So ultimately, I designed the plot of my short as a means to experiment with a variety of quick cut editing techniques that I had wanted to try for a while.
Before I even began editing, I studied scenes from several films that had successfully executed the type of fast action montage I was after. Dissecting Edgar Wright’s films in particular taught me the importance of camera movement and sound design in order to pull off this filmmaking style.
A few days and plenty of whooshes later, I had assembled a cut of the film that wasn’t half bad. I was ready to show it to Justin and with one day to spare no less! I had met the deadline after all.
It was at this point that the true value of my internship with JTwo became clear. That version of the film turned out to be only the first of ten separate revised cuts that were made in the subsequent weeks. With each cut of the film, Justin watched, rewatched, and gave numerous notes. Every time I thought it was finished, Justin gave me more ideas to improve the film: little sound tweaks, pacing tips, editing suggestions. By the end, I had an entirely different film than the one I started with. This was an incredibly valuable experience. I discovered firsthand the benefit of collaborating with a seasoned filmmaker.
My biggest takeaway from the editing process was a better understanding of the intense detail work that goes into creating a professional quality final product. Although a casual viewer wouldn’t immediately notice some of the minutiae that changed between the cuts of my short, JTwo’s meticulous approach to editing went a long way in making my project more engaging.
After all was said and done, my film wasn’t finished by the two week deadline 🙁 But there wouldn’t be much point in interning if I came in with nothing to learn. I’m happy with the short film I was able to create. Although overall I still prefer working with a crew, there’s something to be said for completing an entire short film by yourself. It’s a nice reminder that I’m still capable of doing it all even though I choose to focus on editing. I will take the lessons I learned at JTwo with me into my senior year at college and beyond.
Meet the Director
Lex Forge is a rising senior studying film production at Pennsylvania State University. Rooted in a childhood of making embarrassingly bad short films in his basement, he now strives to create inventive content with a sense of humor.
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.
Credits
Writer/Director – Lex Forge
Cinematographer – Lex Forge
Editor – Lex Forge
Talent – Brynn Forge (& Her Dogs)
Music – Captain Qubz & ANBR
JTWO Bids Farewell to Intern Megan Swick
In the whirlwind of this past week, I’ve had my fair share of goodbyes. With the pandemic on the rise, I’ve bid farewell to some of my closest friends as they moved back home, states away. I’ve said goodbye to my professors and professional mentors on campus since we shifted to online learning. I hugged my roommates goodbye before they left me in an almost-empty house for the next few weeks. I’ve even kissed my final college experiences goodbye; even my graduation ceremony is still up in the air. But perhaps the hardest, and saddest goodbye will be to this internship, and all the amazing people (and pets) I’ve met here.
JTWO in three months has taught me more than I learned in three years of college. If you let it, this internship will grab a hold of your creative mind and steer you in the right direction to your career path. Being a part of each production process here allows you to familiarize yourself with what you love, or might hate, about everything production. Through my incubator project, days in the office, and assistance on shoots, I’ve been able to understand what I can add to the production process. My advice for whoevers in my position next is to soak it all up. Say yes to tasks you’re unfamiliar with, say yes to 12 hour shoot days, and say yes to projects that are outside your realm of experience. If there’s one place to learn from your mistakes, it is surrounded by the experienced professionals at JTWO. As someone who left for a shoot with everything except the battery to power the camera, I know they might not let you live it down, but they’ll be happy you learned and ready to support you on your next film endeavor.
Yes the experience was one of a lifetime for a college production student, but besides access to professional opportunities, JTWO showed me a fun and open workplace. I showed up in business casual work pants the first day, and I can tell you now I am typing this in jeans and a tee shirt. The weekly meetings and discussions of our weekend or relevant news allowed me to feel at home in the office. I know I am an intern, but I was treated as a coworker, and I have found that to be a rare circumstance in my experience. I also want to shout out JTWO as the sole reason I tried my first Popeye’s meal (sponsored content). I’ll carry the memory of the three piece dark with me forever. It will be hard to settle for an office culture any less than the best after my time here.
Finally some things I learned. As someone who aims to be a producer, I picked up some hard skills here like making call sheets, week-long shoot itineraries, and arguing with all walks of customer service associates on the phone. But the most important thing I learned here was my own capabilities. JTWO saw the potential in me before I did, and I couldn’t believe when they would allow me, a little intern, to play a role in their important projects. The more I worked with everyone here, the more I saw what I could do. This is a place that absolutely fosters growth, and on my way out I am applying to jobs I would have never thought I was qualified for before working here. As this is my last day physically in office, I’d like to extend a “see ya later” to everyone here. I’ll still be lurking around in Philly, so you can’t get rid of me that easily. See ya later JTWO!
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.
JTWO bids farewell to Saba Ahmed
What's Next?
By Saba Ahmed
As my spring semester was coming to an end, the stress of figuring out what to do with my summer was growing daily. Where do I want to intern, what kind of internship do I want, and many more questions were circling around my mind. One afternoon out on campus, I looked up “Philadelphia production companies” and landed on JTWO’s website. I found their contact email, send them a link to my reel, and got a reply to come in for an interview. From my first interview at JTWO I could tell this was a place where I was going to learn about myself as a creator.
Coming in with a set of tools that range throughout the process of filmmaking, I was excited to grow in these skills which included cinematography, editing, and sound. What I wasn’t expecting to grow in was the role of a writer/director. Seeing myself mainly as a cinematographer, it had been a long time since I created an original piece. By going through this process of creating my own film, I am excited to do it again.
One of the biggest lessons that I learned during my time at JTWO was how important the story is and making sure you are telling it authentically. This theme of “authenticity” has been a prominent one for me this summer and will continue to be for my work going forward. Before entering the internship, I was abroad in South Africa learning the stories of the places I visited and understanding how to tell my experience in the right way. Coming into JTWO, I learned to tell my short film’s story authentically, seeing my fellow interns tell theirs, and understand JTWOs approach as well.
Connecting with people and building relationships is one of the most important things for me as a creator. I am thankful for the new friendships I have made during my time here at JTWO and knowing in the future I can reach out to the people I’ve created bonds with here. As I prepare to start my junior year at Temple University under the cinematography track, I am excited to take the lessons of this summer, the rediscovered passion for writing/directing, and the drive to tell stories right, and have a great year.
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.