California Community College Support for The
California Film Commission Career Readiness Program

Dan Says: Let us help you train the next generation of film professionals through paid internships. Through the technical training and hands-on experience provided, student interns will be better prepared for success as upcoming film industry workers. Internships can be within the film project’s departments such as the production office, on set, or post-production. Internships can also take place inside a production company or studio department, e.g., development, accounting, production, construction, studio operations, costume shop, sound services, video mastering.

Ideal positions give interns in-depth exposure to a particular department as well as an opportunity to explore the breadth of jobs available in the entertainment business.

Internship Examples

• • Art department internship that includes preliminary drafting experience with software such as Storyboard Pro
  • General production assistant internship
  • Apprenticeship in how to break down a script for a specific department
  • Working with wardrobe department on aspects of costuming, e.g., how to distress clothes, continuity, costume design, alterations, dying.
  • Interning with makeup department to learn aspects of the trade: aging, prosthetics, beauty makeup

Make sure to Ask Dan about how we can help with intern selection.

Dan Says: Help students and instructors create a more effective classroom experience. Industry professionals are invited to give guest lectures, in-class demonstrations, or career day presentations. Coming on campus to work with faculty and students is a rewarding way to share the expertise gained through years of industry experience. Production companies can structure their 8 hour commitment by combining individual classroom, lecture and/or career day presentations.

Activity Examples:

• Give a guest lecture
  • Example: A cinematographer visits a camera class and gives insights into new technologies being implemented in the camera department
• Provide a classroom demonstration
  • Example: An editor shows students how to do parallel editing from three camera studio sessions
  • Example: A cameraman demonstrates the menu structure of a Red or Arri camera
  • Example: A Digital Imaging Technician explains the protocols of transferring footage from data card to computer and proper backup procedure
• Attend student and faculty career day presentations
  • Example: Provide an overview of the production process featuring a number of industry pros
• Help develop and revise current curriculum

Dan Says: Inviting students for a tour of your facility is a great way for them to see how the entertainment industry works "behind the scenes." Whether it be a tour of a studio, sound-stage, set visit, or a trip to a control room, this would provide the student with a hands-on experience of how the various crafts and technicians work together. The studio or production facility tour is not what the public would experience – it must be individually tailored to the students’ areas of interest.

Examples:

• • Visit to a working set with time set aside to speak to working professionals and ask questions.
  • Tour of a studio, sound-stage, or facility to provide a detailed understanding of how these facilities operate and/or are utilized by motion picture or television productions.
  • Arrange an on-site experience with a vendor (such as JL Fisher, Avid or Panavision) to showcase the various tools of the trade and familiarize students with state of the art equipment and its uses.
  • A "fly on the wall" experience for a student. Examples: Sit in on a development meeting; Attend a production concept meeting with director, production designer, cinematographer and/or producer; or visit a writer's room.
  • Observing an aspect of post production, such as a sound mix, ADR seesion, Foley session, Color-correction session, Visual Effect shot review with visual artists and director, and/or an editing session.
  • An opportunity to visit an industry event, such as the upfronts, NAB, NATPE, or AFM.
  • Q&A with on-staff department heads

Dan Says: Community college students benefit when industry experts and educators work together. Help with curriculum development or record how-to videos that can be utilized across multiple campuses. Hosting a conference can be a great way to create a "one stop shop" that serves students, instructors, and administrators. Keeping educators informed of industry changes helps us better prepare students for success in the film industry.

 Faculty Development Examples

• • Attend a meeting in which a script is broken down into visual effects shots
  • Participate in a planning session for a motion capture or green screen shoot and observe the filming
  • Spend a day with a post production supervisor to better understand today’s delivery elements for film and television
  • Observe a spotting session with a director and composer and/or spend time with the composer to better understand the latest music technology
  • Attend a 3-D film shoot and discuss the technology with the D.P.
  • Attend a color correction session to gain up to date knowledge of the latest tools

Dan Says: Our CCC Entertainment Collaborative Intern fund is hosted by the Foundation for California Community Colleges, a 501c3, and will allow qualifying students to receive paid internships at meaningful entertainment production sites relevant to their career goals.

Make check* payable to:

Foundation for California Community Colleges
Attention: Nicole Scholes
1102 Q Street, Suite 4800
Sacramento, CA 95811 

*Please note CCCECIF on the check to receive CFC Tax Credit receipt.

For more information please contact Nicole Scholes at 916.325.8578 or [email protected]