JTWO Welcomes Intern Jake Horoshko
WHAT I WANT TO DO
By Jake Horoshko
What do you want to do?
This is probably the most annoying thing a teenager can be asked. As you get older and learn to drive and take care of yourself you have to start thinking about college. When that time starts to come everyone is wondering what you want to do with your life. In reality it’s pretty crazy to expect a teenager to know what they want to do with their life when their biggest concern is their next intramural basketball game or what video game they are gonna play when they get home. Those are not the top priorities of someone who should be making major life decisions. So I said what most other kids my age said, “I don’t know.” I played sports my entire life and always intended to play football in college but I knew that my playing career would come to an end sooner rather than later. I had become so invested in sports that I thought maybe I could be a high school teacher and a football coach at the school. That was a path that many people I knew had taken and something I could see myself doing. In the back of my mind however my dream was to work with movies. While sports had become very important in my life, movies were my first love. My grandmother always tells me I learned to work the VCR before I could talk and I would watch the Toy Story movies on a loop everyday. However this just seemed too far-fetched for me to even bring up to other people, especially because my childhood home was about 5 minutes away from pure wilderness and no one I knew ever even tried to make a career in film. I was always considered the funny guy and prided myself on being the most creative person in the room. Looking back it frustrates me that I didn’t realize what I wanted to be for so long but I eventually did.
I started to come to a realization when I was 16 and I went on a vacation to California with my family. Our first stop on the trip to California was Los Angeles and we had a few studio tours planned. I am a massive fan(probably a little too big) on anything you would consider nerdy so this sounded like a dream come true. Our first trip was the Warner Brothers lot and the entire time I was in awe of what I was seeing. I saw home fronts that were used in iconic movies and shows, I saw sets that were being used just a few minutes before I was there and then I was shown the props and costumes from Batman v. Superman and I was at a loss of words. As we walked out I said to myself “I can do this.” After seeing those sets and the people working on them I realized that this was the industry I wanted to be a part of. Movies were movies that meant so much to me growing up and helped shape me as a person, so why wouldn’t I want to help create those moments for someone else? We continued on our trip and went on a few more tours and I continued to be mesmerized by what I was seeing. Countless props and locations that I watched everyday and my mind was made up, this was what I wanted to do. We eventually went home and I continued with my normal life of playing football and basketball and being a regular kid, however it felt like a small weight was lifted because I finally felt like I could answer people when they asked me “What do you want to do?”
As my college search began there were two things I knew, I wanted to study film and I wanted to play football at the highest level I could. After recruiting trips and long phone calls I decided to attend Monmouth University in New Jersey to play football and study communications. I was so drawn to the school because I was offered the opportunity to play Division 1 football for a team on the rise. However I grew frustrated being away from home for the first time and not knowing anyone. I enjoyed communications however I did not love it, and playing football was fun but lots of hard work. I decided I didn’t want to waste any of my time so I had to make a decision. Ultimately my life there did not last long as I left after one semester and I was once again looking for a college.
When I was applying to colleges the first time I was really interested in Temple University because of its high level football, location, and great film program, however I did not get in the first time around. So when I applied again I knew that was where I wanted to be. It was the only school I applied to and that made me very nervous. I eventually got in and decided to attend as a film student and not pursue football anymore. My first few weeks there were great as I loved the school, the location, and the people but I felt like something was missing. I once again decided to take a gamble and tried to get in contact with the football coaches at Temple and tried to walk on. After talking with them I was offered a spot on the roster as a walk on and was once again a student-athlete. I worked hard and had so many great experiences on the team and made lifelong memories. As someone who cried when the Eagles finally won a Super Bowl it is safe to say running out of the tunnel at the Linc is something I could never forget. However I eventually had to make one of the most difficult decisions of my life when I got a concussion during practice, which was not my first. When it first happened I’d decided I probably wasn’t going to play anymore for my health, however as I got better I decided I should play my final season of football. The more I thought about it though the more I realized that telling stories was my true passion. If anyone tells you they loved every second of playing football they are lying right to your face, especially if they played in college. I decided it was time to hang it up and focus on my passion that I eventually wanted to make my career.
Reflecting on my time as an athlete, I learned so many valuable lessons. I felt odd when I was playing because I felt a little different than everyone else on the team. I was a Division 1 football player who had aspirations of becoming a filmmaker. At the same time I felt different in my film classes because there were almost no other athletes that were studying film. At first this made me question if I was making the right decision because no one else was really like me. However I quickly realized that I was gaining experiences that no one else in my space had. This reflects me as a person and who I have always been, I have always thought about things differently than everyone else. I was always the funny creative one rather than the smart analytical one.
As my college career ends and I prepare to enter a new chapter of my life I cannot overstate how excited I am for my internship at JTWO. I know that during my time here I am getting to work with so many talented individuals on so many great and exciting projects. I cannot wait to see how my skills grow during my time here and see how much I grow as a content creator.
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 Welcomes Intern Matthew Sullivan
SHARING PIECES
By Matthew Sullivan
As I was growing up my grandfather had a saying that he repeated to me over and over again – knowing I was the middle child of a big family and more than occasionally felt lost in the crowd: “You’re a combination of all these incredible people around you.” The idea was sometimes comforting and sometimes horrifying depending on how I felt about my family any given day. I clung to the idea as it gave me a sense of togetherness with my family, and provided me role models to look up to in my siblings. The concept of sharing qualities, interests, and points of view with those around me opened a world of new outlooks and took me from a little kid lost in the crowd to one learning from it. I have my older brother’s sense of humor, as I grew up desperately trying to make him laugh. I share in my sister’s relentless sense of empathy, and therefore her unending passion for social justice. Even my closet is full of vintage pants, t-shirts, and Hawaiian shirts after raiding my grandfathers’ closets to emulate, and revamp, their styles. These pieces, which I originally only emulated, eventually built a strong perspective and sense of self as I’ve grown and made them my own.
The idea of people having the power to influence each other is something that has always guided me creatively, personally, and socially. I’ve always kept in mind that my passions, interests, beliefs, and actions can all be shared to benefit those around me in the same way I’ve benefitted from others. This sense of impact whether it be with family, friends, or neighbors I barely know, has guided me to use film as a tool for change. Through storytelling, whether it be commercial, narrative, or documentary, we can communicate our struggles and solutions, and more importantly we can share in common experiences. In doing so difficult events, subjects, and possibilities can be dealt with and evaluated in a safe environment. These pieces of ourselves, whether they’re positive or negative, simple or complex, can be shared through stories in the same way they can be shared through personal relationships – and I think that holds a power to represent every community.
Though I don’t specifically know where I’m going with my journey in the film industry, I know that I’m bringing a piece of every single person who’s influenced me along for the ride. Whether I end up a Producer, a DP, or something else entirely different down the line, my goal, as vague and simple as it is, is to use the pieces of those around me and share them with others. When I work on social justice documentaries I hope a piece of my sister’s passion for others shines through, and when I’m working on a short or music video for YouTube I’m simply trying to make my brothers laugh. These pieces of others that I see in myself motivate me and help me keep my perspective.
I want to create work that reflects the incredible friendships, families, and communities that I’ve been a part of. This guided me to interning with JTwo, as their work brings attention to the stories of different communities, and brings to light issues and experiences that may not currently be solvable, but must be talked about, evaluated, and felt. The work JTwo does through its internship program specifically interested me as it not only gives young creators the space to figure out the route they want to take, but provides the steps and lessons required to get there. I see this internship as an opportunity to learn and develop both personally and creatively, and I couldn’t be more excited or thankful for the opportunity or to see what the next twelve weeks hold in store.
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 Chloe Butler
When I started my internship here at JTwo Films I was so nervous and I didn’t really believe in my own abilities as a filmmaker. I had never even felt comfortable calling myself a filmmaker until I started at JTwo. Even after studying film in college in Ireland and doing a semester at Drexel I wasn’t fully convinced that I was cut out to work in the industry. I had never actually filmed any projects on my own outside of college settings and I was worried that I had relied too much on friends who I had worked with and never fully gave myself enough credit. After my interview with Conor and Ian I can’t lie and say I wasn’t worried that JTwo’s intern program would show me I was pursuing the wrong career.
My time at JTwo gave me so much more confidence in my abilities and taught me what it’s like to be part of a production company. In my first blog post I said that I would cringe away from the question of what area of the industry I was most interested in and at the end of my time at JTwo I am more confident in my approach to that question. After getting the chance to make my own [Inc]ubator Project I was able to try out so many different roles (as I took on most of them myself for my project) I figured out that there are so many different areas that I really enjoyed but it became more and more apparent to me that I want to pursue editing.
I can’t express how grateful I am to all the guys at JTwo (and Nova and Griffy of course) for giving me this opportunity to learn so much and grow as a filmmaker. I will never forget my experience as a JTwo intern and I’m so thankful to have gotten to meet so many amazingly talented people.
Slán agus beannacht ☘️
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 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 Viveka Galindez
Final Thoughts
By Viveka Galindez
As my last day as an intern at JTWO , I believe one of the most important things that resonates to me is the ability of storytelling. Coming into this internship I believed I knew what storytelling was, but I actually had no clue. You can have beautiful footage, beautiful graphics, great cameras and gear. But if you don’t know who to tell that story, you have nothing.
Coming in I knew there was a lot for me to learn, such as specific terms for equipment, how to prepare for shoots and overall logistics on how the film industry works. I am leaving JTWO with new skills and knowledge , ready to take the next step in my career.
I produced my first ever short film “Sweet Home Alabama” with the help of Chris , Jordan Saba and the rest of the JTWO team. It was an amazing experience, from start to finish. Here I really understood the importance of storytelling. This story was so important to me, and the way I told It would shape the entire film.
Going on shoots for JTWO also was a great experience to dive in to real client work and see the logistics of a shoot. It was awesome to see a product come to life, from start to finish.
I leave JTWO super proud of everything I have accomplished, and would recommend this program to filmmakers, non filmmakers or honestly anyone who wants to dive in the world of film. As a graphic designer myself, the program was understandable, challenging but doable. The team was always willing to help out and give me an extra hand.
Thank you JTWO for this amazing opportunity, I go back to DC with knew skills, new friendships and a great short 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.
JTWO bids farewell to Chris Tocchet
Crazy Fast Summer
By Chris Tocchet
This was a crazy fast summer, the days seemed to just fly by. Working at JTWO kept me on my feet and working all the time. From running intern errands, to working on big time sets, there was always something to do and work on.
Filming the intern projects was the best part. Being able to see someone’s idea on paper and convey that with a camera is always something that gets me excited. Seeing the other intern’s faces after showing them takes is a very rewarding moment for me, I love to be able to surprise people with what I can come up with and how I make their vision into a reality.
One thing from my days at JTWO that were the most beneficial for me was how I was expected to work on many projects at the same time. Before JTWO, I would have one main project I was working on and maybe a paper for school on top of that. But over this summer I sometimes had three of four projects all going full throttle at the same time. I had to learn how to balance my abilities as well as how to make certain things a priority over others.
Taking criticism is something that I have always struggled with. At JTWO there is no time to really reflect on that kind of stuff, after one of the editors or producers looked at what I did, they immediately told me what to change (they were always right by the way). I did not have time to think about myself and how I was feeling about the criticism because I had to get back on the computer and fix it. This type of workflow was really good for me, since I got feedback right away I was able to forget about what I did wrong and take the project to the next level with what everyone was saying. This sort of thing I will take with me to college and future jobs and I think will help me stand out as a filmmaker.
The shoot days were always the quickest, even when you had to get up at 4am. On set, everyone is doing something, everyone has a job and knows exactly what they have to do. That is the biggest difference between sets at college and sets with JTWO. In addition the knowledge that everyone has on set is remarkable and being able to learn from everything they do is something that will stick with me for a long time.
Even though my time at JTWO is coming to an end, doesn’t mean that I will stop creating or making new things. I have a strengthened passion for film and I feel invigorated to pick up my camera and make new films.
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 Jordan Brown
Lucky 46
By Jordan Brown
I knew I wasn’t going home for the summer. I knew that at 3am sitting in my dorm filling out my 46th internship application. I knew that if I stayed at home, I wouldn’t grow. I wanted to learn more about myself as a filmmaker and as a person. I had gotten rejected from 45 of the internships I applied to and I didn’t think I would get anywhere with the 46th, but I was wrong.
After consulting with my friends and family, creating a pros and cons list and relying a little too heavily on a coin toss, I decided to make the move to Philadelphia and take the internship at JTWO no matter the cost. Initially, I had nowhere to stay. I commuted (almost two hours with rush hour) and stayed in a hostel while searching for apartments for the summer. I was burning through money on gas and failing at making friends at the hostel. It turns out, people aren’t too keen on you after you accidentally walk in on them in the shower at 1am, but that’s another story. I talked with some people online and was able to secure an apartment in West Philly in a matter of hours of seriously inquiring.
I don’t want to tell you I was nervous at first, but I also don’t want to lie. I was standing in the middle of an apartment I just rented by myself, in a city where I didn’t know anybody, taking an internship that seemed promising but only I was able to judge because I hardly told anyone when I first got it. I realized that everything is what you make it, so I went all in.
Right off the bat, I became really good friends with all of the other interns. This helped me become more comfortable at work. As time progressed I got to know everyone and I found my comfort at JTWO as a whole. I learned the workflow of JTWO and how to work with them. They taught us their equipment and they treated us like coworkers instead of interns, but sometimes we still had to run errands or build office supplies. This internship kept me busy. I was able to work on two projects of my own, help each intern out with their projects and help JTWO out with some of their work as well. The experience was definitely worth it and I am so glad that I was able to do the internship at JTWO. I learned something new everyday and I made friends who I hope to stay in touch with after I move on from Philadelphia.
Overall, I’d say I had a pretty great summer. I met some incredible people outside of work, went on countless adventures and was able to make some memories that I’ll never forget. I indulged in cheesesteaks, discovered new music, went to my first pro-baseball game, connected with strangers on the subway, tried falafels, found a month’s rent in heads-up pennies and overall, created work that I can genuinely say that I am proud of.
I’m heading back to New York soon and summer will be over, but I’m going back with stories that’ll last me a lifetime and a new set of experiences that did the only thing I was hoping to do this summer; grow.
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 "RED"
GO DEEPER
Project Breakdown:
My main interests as a filmmaker are cinematography so from the start, I knew that I wanted to create a visually focused piece. Throughout my two years at college I’ve found it easier to independently write, shoot, and edit projects. The main genre of film that as been easiest to pull this off in is mini-docs, so from the first day of brainstorming I knew I did not want to make a documentary. I wanted this experience to be very collaborative, allowing myself to focus mainly on directing. My biggest struggle was to write a narrative that would be logically achievable in the short time I had. Being inspired by previous interns blogs, I decided to brainstorm a story based on what I had available to me. The two main resources were my friend Kayla who would act and the location of her house (also my cool internship friends).
Music is one of my main sources of inspiration and I try my best to listen to new music as I brainstorm. The main song in this short was what I based the story off of. When listening to it, I felt many different emotions and themes but went with beauty because it made most sense to me. Now since the song can go in many different thematic directions, I wanted to take on the experimental genre for the film, so that when others watch the film they can interpret which emotions it sparks for them.
During my pitch to the JTwo crew they could definitely tell I had a solid foundation of what I wanted visually but had tips to make sure I drive the emotions. Around this time was when I started to focus on how I will be using lighting.Throughout the short the three main color tones are (1) Warm – when she is getting ready, (2) Cool/Moonlight – when she comes home, and (3) Red – to show her hidden emotions. 1 and 2 blend together in the final shot to show irony in the balance of these two sides of her emotions surrounding beauty.
On the day of the shoot, Chris did an amazing job taking my storyboard to reality, Vi used her creativity to set design the rooms along with handle wardrobe, and Jordan was a huge team player helping from lighting, slate, and anything else needed. I haven’t had this collaborative experience on a project I wrote and directed in a really long time and having such a great crew was amazing. Through editing this project and learning about the proper structure of sequences and organization, it was truly rewarding at the end comparing the first cut and how the timeline looked, compared to the last one and visually seeing the growth the project had even after filming took place.
Overall, the experience creating this project is one that has made me really inspired to create more narrative work. Even though the pre and post production took all the time it needed, the entire shoot was only one day. It makes me think, how many more amazing projects I am sitting on that can be accomplished with just one day of shooting, a few great crew members, and resources already available to me. All I can say is, I’m ready to find out.
Meet the Director
Saba Ahmed is an undergrad at Temple University studying film and media arts with a concentration in cinematography. Gaining an understanding of how visuals work through cinematography and editing, she hopes to tie it all back to telling real stories when directing her own work.
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 – Saba Ahmed
Cinematographer – Chris Tocchet
Set Designer – Viveka Galindez
Editor – Saba Ahmed
Production Assistant – Jordan Brown
Actress: Kayla Gleason
Music by MUSICBED