Over winter break, I had the opportunity to work on a professional television set. Throughout the semester, I was interning with a fairly new production company in South Florida. I was working on smaller sets with people within the local industry. South Florida is not a big market for film compared to New York or California, so when word spread about a potential Netflix series to be filmed in Florida every production company wanted in. Luckily, I was involved with that project.
The first day started with first light, 5 a.m. on location. There was trucks filled with expensive camera equipment, trailers inhabited by the main actors, more trailers for makeup and wardrobe and one for a production office. I was amazed by my surroundings. I’ve never seen so many people on a set before and because there was so many people the only method used for communication was walkies. My task was to check-in talent and make sure they were transported to the filming location.
I felt like I was at the Warner Bros studio lot. In the production trailer everyone had a set up with their computers and were in charge of handling any mishaps that would happen throughout the day. On set, people would use jargon from the industry like “basecamp”, “action”, “pickup shot”, and I slowly began to use them too, although on a much smaller scale. But when the director was about to call a shot, the assistant director would call the shot over the walkie so everyone would know that we are “rolling.”
We were on location at the Miami Marina for the shoot. While the director was calling the shots, we were surrounded by yachts. It felt like I was in the movie because of how glamourous everything looked.
A lot of people think the film industry is ever-moving and it is true. I learned that time cannot be wasted. Everyone on-set had a purpose to the production. As someone who loves filmmaking, this experience clarified the need for collaboration. No one can create a film by themselves without the help of others— it is almost impossible. So, by working with everyone not only did I learn how to network but I also learned the purpose of each role. There’s a place for someone in film regarding camera work, script writing, post-editor, makeup, wardrobe, stylist, photographer and that’s only to name of few.
It was intimidating at times because of how fast-paced everything was, but working on a professional set let me explore my future in film and learn how people in the industry organize and time manage.
