What does a film intern do?

Film production interns are sometimes asked to perform a wide variety of production tasks that can range from administrative answering phone calls, or emails, sometimes they are tasked with researching a host of different topics. Film production interns are sometimes asked to edit videos, and photographs, or work with lighting or with sound. The overall experience, for me anyway, was learning about how film production flowed when it came to capturing as much on film/video as the time, weather, and actors would allow.

In the early days of my film production life, I served as an intern on a couple of locally shot motion pictures. Aside from my first day on the set search for a C-47, I was a flag person who, armed with an umbrella, provided some much-needed shade from the hot noonday California sun for actor Darren McGavin. Providing both him and myself with some protection from the solar rays while the rest of the production crew scurried about to set up the next basketball court scene Darren told me that when his scene was over he would be headed back to Europe to join his family on a barge to continue their vacation. 

I told him that in a few days I would be taking my family on a one-week cruise of the California Delta onboard a houseboat and a boating conversation between us went on until the director sent word they were ready to shoot the scene. On the same film project, at another location my intern duties landed me and another intern, the keepers of a giant spotlight, illuminating a beachfront hotel from a pier in Santa Cruise Ca.

My internship introduced me to the army of behind-the-scenes gaffers, electricians, carpenters, assistant directors, and more necessary to being a major motion picture to life on the big and little screen. My internship also went a long way in helping me establish a network of film and video production specialists, writers, directors, and producers that would eventually result in some other film production jobs coming my way. 

That other intern I spent most of a chilly night taking turns to warm ourselves beside the giant spotlight contacted me a few years later for a movie he was directing and asked me to be the behind the scene videographer, I said yes and went to work on the movie Skin Deep.

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by TimeStore

Film production interns can get paid but there is really no internship payscale. I did not get paid but I did value the experience. The time I spent working on the production as an intern was usually my own time, meaning if a school, work, or anything else got in the way I was free to go take care of it. My time on the set as I remember was totally up to me. Not all internships work that way so take the time to get an answer to any/all questions important to you, such as "will I get paid?"

A good film production intern will find the following skills helpful and in some cases necessary. Knowledge of editing and editing software, some strong storytelling skills, and most important of all good teamwork and communications skills mixed with the ability for attention to detail and organization will open some film production company doors.

What camera does Netflix use?

There are actually quite a few different cameras that are accepted by Netflix like the Canon C-300 Mk II and III, The Panasonic BS1H, BGH1, and the S1H. The Red Komodo 6k and the Panavision DXL2 to name just a few. This post focused on the ARRI Alexa 65.

The ARRI Alexa 65, at 54.12 x 25.88 mm, is the largest sensor from ARRI. More than a few huge Hollywood movies have been shot using this camera. The ARRI Alexa 65 is a Netflix-approved camera and this post is sprinkled with some useful information about understanding some of Netflix's guidelines. The Alexa 65 has been approved for anamorphic capture. When using the Alexa 65 the following setting is preferred by Netflix 6k (6560 x 3100) in ARRIRAW which is another way to ensure that your footage can be used on Netflix, which by the way has some fairly strict image capture requirements.

The sensor has to be able to capture a resolution of 3840 pixels per width so you want to make sure that your camera will be able to shoot a minimum of 4k UHD. As mentioned above your camera should be able to record in a Raw format like ARRIRAW, REDCODE, X-OCN, or in compressed format with intra-recording and a high bit rate like ProresHQ or XAVC. The minimum data rate should be 240Mbs at 10bits UHD 2398. All files should contain Timecode, ISO, Frame rate, WB, etc., metadata. You will also need at least 10bit of log processing or a minimum 16bit linear recording.

You'll want to use as wide a color space as possible, capture as much shadow, and highlight information as possible with the log profile. I don't recommend this camera for the beginner. For the student, or beginner creating a low-budget creative film shooting with a mirrorless camera will do. Some of them can be even better than a camcorder when it comes to low light. The compact system of the mirrorless camera can shoot stills and great-looking 4k video and can fit different lenses.

Cameras capable of being acceptable by Netflix don't come cheap in most cases to rent, or to buy, but the quality you need is there.
 

How to become a filmmaker?

Most of the filmmakers I know are an interesting blend of talent and education and since there are some skills involved step number one for becoming a filmmaker would be to finish high school. Complete high school. Most of the writers, directors, and producers I have met have a sizable amount of college under their belts and have earned a college degree, so add a bachelor's degree if you can.

Seek out an internship, just about every film/video production studio and even major television station offers some kind of internship in film/video production. Produce a short film of your own. These days all you need is a good phone with a camera. Whatever you have access to capable of recording moving images use it. Do what you can to develop film-related experience.

Pillows
by GK Designs

Build your own professional network for example when I was in school I joined an organization called SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture & Television Engineers) which didn't require me to be an engineer and accepted interested non-members. Their meetings were once a month and there was no requirement to attend.

As a result, I ended up running into other film and video-related friends from other schools and just about every production manager from every major production house and television station in the SF Bay Area. One of the SMPTE meetings was held at George Lucas' Lucas Productions and another at a television production company in the south bay where I ended up being offered a job on a television sports program titled Giant's Vision.

Besides SMPTE there were the Broadcast Engineers and other film art associations that made building a professional network relatively easy with a little effort. My interest was always to write and direct my own film/video production and with the help of all the above, that opportunity finally did come earning a trip to Hollywood and everything.

When I started out I didn't know where, or when, my filmmaking opportunity would come from but following the steps above I did everything I could to sharpen my filmmaking skills so that when the opportunity came I was ready.

How long does it take to complete a movie?

 

Well, if you go by Hollywood standards the average time that passes between the announcement date, the date the project is publically announced, and the eventual release date, the date the project reaches the paying public and the cinema, is about 871 days or two years four months, and nine days.

The above encompasses the first day of pre-production, the first day of principal production, and the first day of post-production. Put all of the above in the hands of a, relatively well-oiled, production staff and there's another finished motion picture in the can. I have almost always functioned at the Low to NO budget end of the production scale and even though most of my video projects were headed more for the small screen than the big screen I was still able to get my film production tasks done.

I think the thing to remember is the less complicated and the shorter your film project is the easier it will be to bring your film/video production to the screen. To shoot on a minimum style budget try very hard to restrict your locations to 1 (as is only one) The more different locations you have the further about zero your budget will need to be.

The good thing about creating your own filmmaking production is that you are in complete control. Control of the shooting location ideas, the budget (if any) securing the talent, and production necessities. Filmmaking these days takes time and money and has become a giant and expensive undertaking.

So for those of you who want to get started and are working on close to zero/no budget here are some filmmaking cost-cutting ideas that have worked for me. Since just about every movie idea requires a location the cheaper the location the better. Keep in mind that if you're planning on shooting anything out in the public, permits may be required.

Shoot as much as you can without a production crew. For this, you will need to be on your toes production-wise when it comes to capturing good images and good sound. If you're lucky enough to have a production company in your area sometime if you get lucky they will allow you to shoot some or all of your production at their facility.

The key will be trying to find everything you will need to complete your filmmaking idea without having to sell everything you own. When it comes to low-budget filmmaking a friend of mine named George used to say when working with a budget that is under-low, mix the right plan with the right attitude and you'll be able to get your film done.