My Last Day

So, this is it...

After today, I no longer have to battle traffic for two hours and I've successfully completed another job on my resume with a recommondation. Overall, how would I rate this experience? I'll go with a solid 7. 10 being if I had landed a job from my internship and absolutely loved it. It's helped me decide that this is what I want to do, and I'm comfortable doing it. After work, I leave feeling slightly uppity knowing I did something other than sit around all day. I wish I had gotten to know my superiors a little better, but when I compare my position to that of the creative interns I realize I have it pretty good. They just sit around all day reading. At least I get to walk around while finding binders to stuff papers in.

Also, I like the idea of working in physical production. It's an all encompassing place where you follow the movie from production to post, helping along the way whether it be finding locations to shoot or delievery of the film to the distributor. And you are not stuck on one project, you get to jump around. Starting this internship I thought I wanted to be in post, but now I realize I'd rather be here. Producing something through the whole process. Why decide on one aspect when you can do both?

Have I really not posted for so long?

Okay, haven't been too good on keeping this updated recently...like for a week and a half.

But it's because I've been busy. Even though my time here is finally winding down (only one more day left) my days have been more action packed. I took on the task of organizing all of the files left on my desk since the company switched buildings, which is no easy feat. But my organizational skills have proven themselves fruitful as I've cut the pile in half.

I think it's one of the first times my boredom has transferred into productivity. Yay!

But I did throw up at work on Tuesday. And that was not fun. But embarassing. And sometimes embarissing is funny, but never fun.

Now I need to write my own recommendation. And try and diminish one more movie's staggering paper trail.

She works hard for the...self-satisfacton?i

lI'm trying to keep up to date with these posts, and interesting enough to pass as journal entries for my class. And since I have some free time now, I thought I'd do a real update.

Management styles.

So, the role of the intern is to fill in when boring tasks are too tedious for the busy assisstants. I.e. unstapling things, filing, being put on hold with Hotel concierges (I'm not a paying guest, so why should they take my call?) But this allows me to keep my ears open and watch how things are played out. I'm starting to understand the power structure better and understand how things are getting done...I'm not as lost as before, but I'm definitely more bored. Now that I know that the bald man is in charge of the dark haired, pretty girl...it isn't as appealing to watch them talk. No more torrid love affairs to think of, just work. Now, this doesn't have anything to do with management styles. More of a note that the lack of structure in my job means it's taken more time for me to find structure within the company.

I can't actively discuss the projects' problems and the exact mechanics involved in creating the features currently in production, but I can tell you how much everyone is getting, who has been on set what days, and if the project is over/under budget. But the more I work with production, the more I'm aware of the fact I like production. I like organizing how things are going to get done and managing them, the best part is that producers get to travel to the sets. So yes, this internship has been fruitful because it's showed me various job positions I'd like to have. Perhaps being a line producer? Supervising producer? Not executive. I can't schmooze that good, that constantly.

Alright, back to work. And what the hell is this brown envelope with the scribbling for?

She works hard for the...self-satisfacton?i

lI'm trying to keep up to date with these posts, and interesting enough to pass as journal entries for my class. And since I have some free time now, I thought I'd do a real update.

Management styles.

So, the role of the intern is to fill in when boring tasks are too tedious for the busy assisstants. I.e. unstapling things, filing, being put on hold with Hotel concierges (I'm not a paying guest, so why should they take my call?) But this allows me to keep my ears open and watch how things are played out. I'm starting to understand the power structure better and understand how things are getting done...I'm not as lost as before, but I'm definitely more bored. Now that I know that the bald man is in charge of the dark haired, pretty girl...it isn't as appealing to watch them talk. No more torrid love affairs to think of, just work. Now, this doesn't have anything to do with management styles. More of a note that the lack of structure in my job means it's taken more time for me to find structure within the company.

I can't actively discuss the projects' problems and the exact mechanics involved in creating the features currently in production, but I can tell you how much everyone is getting, who has been on set what days, and if the project is over/under budget. But the more I work with production, the more I'm aware of the fact I like production. I like organizing how things are going to get done and managing them, the best part is that producers get to travel to the sets. So yes, this internship has been fruitful because it's showed me various job positions I'd like to have. Perhaps being a line producer? Supervising producer? Not executive. I can't schmooze that good, that constantly.

Alright, back to work. And what the hell is this brown envelope with the scribbling for?

It's my birthday, my ba-ba-ba-birthday

Yay, gift card to Barnes and Noble!

It's amazing how presents make you feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside...but then the cynic awakes inside of me when I realize the amount of the gift card is the same amount I withdraw everyday to pay for parking.

But I'm still smiling.

Tuesday was a busy day, worked on expense reports until I left a little early in order to prepare for my critique, which went well.

And today I really did break the copier, but then I fixed it. I think the post-production guy was impressed with the fact I got ink all over my hands as I pulled out all of the different trays in the copier in order to pull out all of the scraps of paper. Copiers are intense pieces of machinary. Don't mess with them. Today is relatively quiet, which is kinda nice. I like looking at the storyboards for the VFX (Visual Special Effects). It does remind me of the storyboards I need to do for my project.

Hold please

Today has been more interesting than previous, partly because I've been upgraded from copy bitch to phone bitch. Even if all I am doing is making reservations at the Ivy, I can still feel the glamour dripping out of the maitre d's voice.

I went out to lunch today with two other interns, and it was nice to talk to other people about other positions at Mandate. I also got the answer to, "Where does the money come from?" It's generated through the selling the rights of the movie to other (mostly foreign?) markets. The process usually goes as following: script gets greenlight, people get drunk and schmooze with rich foreign businessmen/women, drunkards make drunken agreements to invest money, and as soon as the hangover have diminished, a film can be made. I guess the profits mostly come from sales of the distribution rights and the distributors are the primary benefactors of box office sales and the foreign businessmen will hopefully get their money back with the possibility of a slight profit.

Why did I ever think the stock market was not a good way to make money? The headache the stock market used to induce from thinking too much pales in comparison to that money-making hangover.

so smooth, like butta

So, I finally slept over at Kristin and Vicki's before work, and it made a huge difference. Getting extra hour of sleep? And not having to deal with loud roommates? Who knew heaven was so easily accesible?

I missed work on Tuesday because traffic was just horrific due to that little bit of rain we got. There was just no way I could drive 2+ hours in the morning without copious amounts of black tea. Instead I worked on my senior project and got some major headway on that. So, I learned from my mistake on Tuesday and drove myself halfway to work on Wednesday nigsht. Much better.

I just hope Vicki fights her food poisioning. Because that doesn't seem like much fun.

Today I've been researching passport wallets as wrap gifts for one of the projects. It's intense doing bulk orders, you're suddenly transfered to "Corporate Sales" and the hold music gets a little better. Also, you automatically get discounts. This is how the rich stay rich. And no, I am not complaining.