Coming from Saint Edward High School in Lakewood, Ohio. I would like to introduce you to Andre Holland, me! Currently, I live in Cleveland Heights. However, in the fall I will be moving to Columbus to begin studying at The Ohio State University. When I’m not at home with my mother, two siblings, my nephew, and my very energetic dog, I’m likely doing something with a camera. Over the past few years, I’ve gotten really interested in film and everything stemming from it. Whether, I am simply binge-watching a show and admiring how incredibly well-made it was, or working on my own projects, I’m doing something regarding film. 

Since I’ve brought up the topic of binge-watching, it’s time to tell some of those shows that surfaced the list. One of the first to mention is my most recent; Game of Thrones. Don’t judge me, unpopular opinion: I’d give the show an 8/10 (Including the extremely disliked final seasons)!  The next that I’ll mention is Ozark, bring me another season! I would recommend it to anyone that is not struggling with an upcoming deadline to finish something. Mostly, for the reason that if you get into Ozark, there is no chance you’ll be able to focus.

With the opportunity to work with the GCFC, I was excited to see all the things that are being done to land films in the area. In addition, I was genuinely interested in meeting new people that are passionate about growing the film industry.  Something that I plan on getting out of this internship with the GCFC is simply more insight on the work that goes into bringing films to Cleveland. 

Further down the road, when I’m much more experienced in all aspects of life, I look forward to being involved with producing and entrepreneurship.

As for my future, I am not sure what exactly I want to do. There are so many working parts that go into a creative process; all I know is that I want to contribute. Although I am exploring many creative outlets, I am gravitating towards a long-term pursuit of jobs in production management. It is a great time for people of all backgrounds and identities to tell their stories and communicate powerful messages; I hope to be a part of this.

My name is Tom Zavertnik and I’m an upcoming Senior at Cleveland State University, currently going for my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Post Production. Though I’ve always been fond of movies, my interest in working and creating films mainly began when I went to the Medina County Career Center for Video Production. Taking what I learned from there, and first going to the University of Toledo for my freshman year before transferring to Cleveland State University, prepared me to escalate my craft in filmmaking at a much higher level. I am glad to expand my knowledge of filmmaking this summer at the Greater Cleveland Film Commission.

I live in Brunswick, Ohio, which is a fine spot in terms of going to the movies since there are so many movie theaters around me. My favorite hobbies include video/film editing, going to rock concerts and reviewing movies! I like to write reviews and breakdown films, ranging from huge blockbusters to independent low budget films. There is a great site called Letterboxd, and if you are someone that likes to log what you watch or read what other film lovers have to say about a certain film, definitely check it out, I use it all the time. Some of my favorite films are 2001: A Space Odyssey, Apocalypse Now, Magnolia, Blade Runner 2049, Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings and Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters. My favorite TV show of all-time is Batman: The Animated Series. Two TV shows I had just recently started watching are Barry and Chernobyl; pretty much anything HBO makes is usually what I’m currently watching.

I wanted to intern for the Greater Cleveland Film Commission because it looked like a great opportunity to meet a bunch of new people involved in the film industry and to help bring more filmmaking opportunities to others. What I hope to get out of my internship is to learn what happens from behind the scenes first hand, and how film production is coordinated and executed on a professional level.

My time and experience as an intern at the Greater Cleveland Film Commission will no doubt help me further my path onward in the film industry, as I pursue my dream of being a professional feature film editor.

Hello! My name is Margot Reid and I am from Gates Mills, Ohio. I am currently attending Fordham University with a major in Global Business with a minor in Film and Television. I just returned from a semester abroad in London, England where I traveled extensively around the UK and Europe. I am extremely excited to be back in Cleveland this summer exploring opportunities in the media industry with the Greater Cleveland Film Commission!

I decided to apply for an internship at the GCFC because it is an organization that combines my greatest passions: film, television, and social justice. As a nonprofit dedicated to improving economic development in Northeast Ohio through culturally enriching activities such as film and media production, it provides opportunities to support and bolster local businesses, minorities, and underprivileged communities. The GCFC is truly a “for purpose” business that seeks to create sustainable growth in Cleveland and other areas in Ohio. I am incredibly grateful that I will be able to contribute to this advancement. 

My goal for this internship is to discern which area of film and TV I am best suited for. I am currently interested in production because of my work as a Student Officer for the New York Film and Television Student Alliance, which is an organization that provides help and support to students in the media industry. This past year we hosted producer Christine Vachon who spoke about how her position blends the creative and innovative aspects of film with the logistical and organizational parts of business. Her description sparked my interest, so I hope to learn more about the production process and where I thrive within it. Ultimately, I hope to work in production on scripted films or live/late night television shows. 

On a more personal note, I am a huge Cleveland sports fan and recently interned with the Content and Production team at the Browns and the Marketing department at the Indians. Additionally, I love theater and am known for scoring extremely cheap tickets to Broadway shows when I am at school. In addition to going to stage shows, one of my favorite activities is seeing films at the theater. There is no greater feeling than experiencing a new movie in that setting. I have trouble picking one movie as my favorite, but I am extremely partial to Forrest Gump, The Empire Strikes Back, and Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse. The movies I am most excited to see this summer are Rocketman, Spider-Man: Far From Home, Yesterday, and Booksmart. I am also a dedicated Harry Potter fan and my favorite movie from the franchise is The Prisoner of Azkaban. 

I can’t wait to learn more about the media industry with the GCFC this summer! I know this opportunity will be rewarding and educational. 

Hello, my name is Carly Armen. I am a current intern at the Greater Cleveland Film Commission for the summer of 2019. I recently graduated from Columbia College Chicago, with a major in Arts Management. I just moved back to Cleveland from Chicago six months ago, and I am excited to learn more about the arts community in the town that I grew up in. I live in Cleveland Heights right now in Coventry and am currently working at Playhouse Square and at the Lee Road library. 

I studied film business in college because I knew that I wanted to be involved in arts and entertainment, but I wanted to do something more aligned with my skills. I’m a creative person but I am mostly interested in the production side of film, which involves more logistical knowledge than being an actor or a writer. I grew up watching so many movies and my favorite genres are definitely fantasy, mystery/thriller, and I have a soft spot for British movies. My favorite movies include A Room with a View, the Lord of the Rings series, Amelie, The Usual Suspects, and a small Irish movie called Waking Ned Divine. I haven’t been watching much film lately though because of all the amazing television shows recently premiering. Currently, I am watching The Magicians, Killing Eve, and the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. 

I wanted to intern at the GCFC because I wanted to see exactly how movies are brought to Cleveland and I wanted to see the beginnings of production. I also wanted to intern here because it’s nonprofit. I really do love the community of Cleveland and I want to see it thrive, especially in the arts. I like the idea of bringing work back to Cleveland through film and getting Cleveland exposure in the process because I feel like everyone outside Cleveland doesn’t know how cool of a city it is. I hope to gain a lot of practical knowledge out of this internship about working for a nonprofit arts organization, and I’m excited that location scouting is part of the internship. It is an area I never really focused on in my film classes at Columbia and I would love to see how to scout locations and what Cleveland has to offer filmmakers. Hopefully, I could become a location assistant!

I really don’t know exactly what I want to do with my career. I know I want to stay in the arts and I want my career to be purposefully helping the community that I’m living in. I do think I want to get my master’s degree, possibly in Arts Administration. I’m only 23 though, so I’m looking forward to where life leads me and I’m going to try not to stress myself out about it too much. 

My name is Gabe Shapera and I am a rising Junior at Emerson College studying Film Production. I am very excited to continue my education by interning at the Greater Cleveland Film Commission this summer.

Although I go to school in Boston, I live in Beachwood, Ohio and am excited to be back in Cleveland for the summer. By interning at the Film Commission, I hope to help positively impact the city of Cleveland through my passion for filmmaking. In my free time, I love to work on film projects with friends. I have had incredible opportunities to work on student film sets in many different positions and on a few professional sets as well. 

I wanted to intern at the GCFC this summer so I could learn more about the film industry in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio. I love working on sets and being involved in productions, however, there is so much work to be done before you get to that point; I am excited to learn more about these aspects of the filmmaking process. Additionally, the Film Commission plays a key role in economic development and job creation in Cleveland and I can’t wait to see how big of an impact the film industry really has on this city. 

One task, in particular, I am looking forward to working on is recreating movie scenes shot in Cleveland. By acting out some of these famous scenes, I hope to inspire filmmakers to bring their productions and more business to the city. My first scene recreation will be from the Fate of the Furious where I will be racing the company van down Lakeside Avenue. 

After college, I hope to work in the film industry no matter where I live. In addition to interning at the Film Commission, I am preparing for a career in film by watching every movie ever made (except horror films). I know this is a daunting task I’ve set for myself but I am dedicated to my work. Some of my favorite movies I’ve seen so far include E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Star Wars, and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. As you can see, this list is not very diverse, so I am open to any suggestions. One thing to keep in mind, however, is that I don’t like horror movies so please keep those suggestions to yourselves.

Hi, my name is Ben Kemper! I’ll be an intern at the Greater Cleveland Film Commission this summer (2019). This year, I’m a senior at Kent State University’s Digital Media Production program. I met the Commission’s Production Coordinator, Mike Wendt, a few years ago at the Cleveland International Film Festival. Through speaking with him, I got my opportunity here at the Commission. 

I’m a film writer and director. I’ve been making movies since I was 10 years old, and I can’t see myself doing anything else for a living. Growing up, films like Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Star Wars sparked my love of movies. I love (in recent years) movies like First Reformed, The Lobster, and Good Time. Movies have been a huge part of my life ever since I can remember. A select few have pushed me to think about film in different ways than I had before. The prime example of boundary-pushing cinema that comes to mind for me is the movie Se7en. The last 20 minutes of that film taught me more about directing, motivated-camerawork, and visual storytelling than any class, video tutorial, or lecture ever has. The power of film is conveying what can’t (or shouldn’t) be said using only words, and that’s what draws me to filmmaking. 

My primary motivation for wanting to intern at the Greater Cleveland Film Commission is that it really is the place for film in Cleveland. Being in Ohio, there isn’t a city that you’d consider a hub of film production the way L.A. or New York might be. However, I believe the GCFC is changing that by putting Cleveland on the map as a viable option for large productions to come to Ohio. It’s a lighthouse for someone like me trying to navigate the sometimes choppy waters of the film industry. 

For my internship, I’m most looking forward to taking a peek behind the curtain of how organizations like the GCFC are run, and how they help make the movies that we all love. From here, I plan to continue writing and directing shorts and hopefully features soon. 

Ben wrote and directed Pop! as a sophomore at Kent State. Pop! features a gay main character, a thirteen-year-old boy named Ty, as he faces obstacles like a bully and an alcoholic father.

Read more about Pop! on OhioFusion.com

My name is Emilie Evans and I am currently a senior at Shaker Heights High School. For my senior project, I am fortunate enough to have the opportunity to work with the Greater Cleveland Film Commission.

Next year I will be traveling to Southern California to attend Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts to major in Television Writing and Production and I couldn’t be more excited.

As a kid, I was addicted to storytelling and it was evident in everything I did. At my soccer camps during break time, my teammates learned to look to me to hear whatever fantastical adventure I had contrived that day. When the opportunity came around at a campfire, I would jump at the chance to share my scary story first, eager to watch the surprised looks on those firelit faces. My mom’s favorite story to tell about me was when I was just 3 years old and would flip through the pages of Madeline saying the words just as I had watched her do a hundred times, except of course I wasn’t reading as she had, I was citing them from memory.

Growing up, if I didn’t have my nose buried in a book, I would be getting lost in the magic of the glowing TV on the wall. This passion I’ve always had for stories has intertwined with my love for writing as I’ve grown up and by the time I reached high school, I was positive that I wanted nothing more than to write for the screen.

I’ve taken the opportunity to practice my writing as much as possible, whether that be signing up for the school newspaper freshman year, or enrolling in our playwriting class where I learned to write for the stage. During that class, I wrote my first short play which I eventually submitted to our school’s 10-minute play series and was fortunate enough to have it chosen and produced. I love both writing on my own and working in groups to create and film fun shorts.

When it comes to my favorite shows and movies, I could honestly name a million. I love every type of genre and I would credit this to my early exposure to a wide range of films as a kid.

My father has a huge love for horror movies and starting from the age of 6, I would outlast both of my older brothers and my mother whenever my dad played one for the family. It ended up being just the two of us watching something like Splice until the very end (a movie that was permanently scarred into my 8-year-old mind).

My grandmother introduced me to crime TV shows and it became our ritual to sit down together to watch the weekly episode of Bones, a show that I still love (and rewatch) to this day.

My obnoxious older brothers introduced me to comedies like Dodgeball and shows like South Park at maybe too young of an age, but nevertheless helped me foster an appreciation for simply silly entertainment.

Lastly, my mother introduced me to dramatic shows like Gossip Girl and romantic comedies like 10 Things I Hate About You or Definitely, Maybe a genre that holds a special place in my heart to this day. Some of my favorite shows now are New Girl, Psych, Greys Anatomy, and Bones while my all time favorite movie is Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind.

I wanted to complete my project at the Greater Cleveland Film Commission because while many of my classmates saw this project as an excuse to skip the last month at school, I saw it as an opportunity to get started as quickly as possible contributing to the industry I’ve always dreamed of working in. The GCFC is doing groundbreaking work helping to bring films to Cleveland and I couldn’t think of anything I would be more excited to be a part of. While I will be traveling out to LA to try and make my mark on Hollywood, I cannot wait to return home every year and see the progress the GCFC is making for the Land. Being able to spend my project here, I cannot wait to start learning the in’s and out’s of what it’s like working in film and am grateful to be able to begin my college career with some prior knowledge of the industry.

One day I hope to be a part of a show as beloved as Game of Thrones, working in the writer’s room, making an impact on thousands of watchers, and looking back to my roots feeling pretty lucky that I developed from being just a kid from Cleveland who loved to tell stories to the person I had always dreamed of being.

One of the core pillars of GCFC’s mission is workforce development. We work with local educators to help students who have a desire to enter a career in media production gain exposure to the industry. Throughout the year, several opportunities are available to students interested in the media production industry to come work with us and learn not only about the industry but also about non-profit organizations and day-to-day office life. We also host students for limited time shadowing and senior projects, which can last anywhere from one day to one week.

My name is Logan Willis, and I go to Mentor High School. I am currently on my Senior Project and I’m super excited to be working with the Greater Cleveland Film Commission.

I first found out about GCFC when I did the Band Of Brothers Workshop back in the Fall. It was an amazing experience and I checked the website weekly for new events. When it was time to search for places that would host me for Senior Project, I was very happy to discover that the GCFC accepted interns.

I am so thankful for this opportunity to work with them, and I hope to gain more experience in any area of Film Production. I enjoy all parts of Film Production and will be attending Cleveland State University in the Fall of this year studying Film Acting/Directing. 

When I was little, I used to watch Monsters Inc. and Toy Story almost daily. These two movies were the equivalent to Frozen to me; they never got old, no matter how many times I watched them. When I got a little bit older, my Dad introduced me to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. The first time I saw The Curse of the Black Pearl I cried, and it wasn’t the good cry like, “wow this movie is amazing!” No, this was the “I’m scared” cry and my Dad had to turn off the movie. By the time the second movie came out (and I was three years older), I ended up loving the movie and the entire series. I saw the next three movies in theaters as soon as they came out.

I also love The Emperor’s New Groove and watch it just about once a month. It’s a very underrated Disney movie and deserves way more attention. I’ve watched it more than fifty times, and I still laugh my butt off.

I also just recently started watching one of the Guardians of the Galaxy movies each month to prepare for Halloween. I take Halloween very seriously and no one understood that until I met my best friend this previous Winter who also likes Halloween (but not as much as me obviously). My most expensive costume cost me over $400 and that was when I went as the Tenth Doctor from Doctor Who two years ago. This year will be another expensive year because I plan on going as Star-Lord basing my costume off of the second movie. 

Disney will always have a special place in my heart and will always continue to inspire me. Not just the movies, but the parks and even Walt himself. Walt was a man ahead of his time and he will always be my hero. The Disney parks bring out the kid in me. Ask anyone that knows me and they will tell you how much I adore Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress. It’s my all-time favorite ride ahead of the Tower of Terror and Space Mountain.

Disney movies get me through hard times, and I would be a totally different person if I didn’t have them in my life. I’m so passionate about Disney I have even started debates on Disney topics. My most recent being; debating some theatre kids on if Mulan is a princess or not. She obviously isn’t a real princess, but she does deserve to be a part of the Disney Princess Franchise.

I don’t watch much television, but I love Parks and Recreation. It is my all time favorite show and it is far more superior to The Office. To all those who oppose that statement, all I have to say to you is this… “Chris Pratt”. I rest my case.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine is probably my second favorite because Andy Samberg is a comical genius and there is a good storyline. I’ve given The Office chance after chance, but it always disappoints. I’m sorry to those who like it, but it’s just not that good; it’s funny, I’ll give it that, but it’s just not good. I watched it up to the seventh season, and I just can’t bring myself to watch the next episode. 

My dream for the future is to watch a movie and be able to spot my name in the credits. I want more than anything to be a voice actor. I want to be a part of a movie like Monsters Inc. or Toy Story, and have kids look up to those characters that I play like I did as a kid. I want to be a part of movies and give back to the industry that shaped my life.

If I don’t make it into voice acting I’d like to do pretty much anything in film. I have experience in Pre-Production, Production, and Post-Production, and I like it all. I just want people to watch a movie and get inspired, or be on the edge of their seats, and know that I had a part in that. 

One of the core pillars of GCFC’s mission is workforce development. We work with local educators to help students who have a desire to enter a career in media production gain exposure to the industry. Throughout the year, several opportunities are available to students interested in the media production industry to come work with us and learn not only about the industry, but also about non-profit organizations and day-to-day office life. We also host students for limited time shadowing and senior projects, which can last anywhere from one day to one week.