Meet the Intern: Rahnissa Ware

Posted on February 7, 2018

Ever since I was 8 years old, I always wanted to be an actress. I use to practice mini scenes in my room when no one was around. I pictured myself acting in Syfy & action films. I also pictured myself being on set working on films behind the scenes. I’ve done theatre apprenticeships, acting classes, and acting in plays just to get better at my craft. My goal is to be a film actress instead of theatre actress just because I have stage freight and I feel better in front of a camera rather than on stage. I get really shy when I have a crowd of people eyes stuck on me. Which is why being in front of a camera is the best option.

College is an option after high school and my career goal is Film Acting and Field Producing. I would love to attend HBCU. My main two colleges I’m looking at are Howard University and Florida A&M University. These two schools have  great film programs and I feel as if they will take me to where I would like to be in life.

My interest in producing comes from watching behind the scenes footage of movies and TV shows. I want to be a hands-on producer and I feel field producing fits that position. A family friend referred me to The Greater Cleveland Film Commission because she noticed how passionate I was about film. I wanted to attend the film commission for my senior project because I felt they could give me the experience I needed to get more into producing.

I get a lot of family members that tell me that I won’t go far in film and they feel it’s a waste of time and I should be a doctor, but my mom has always been on my side to keep my confidence up so I can keep my eyes on the prize. I would never give up on acting and producing. I feel once your heart is set on something you should go for it and let nothing get in the way.

I’m happy to say Ashley Alexandersen made my dream come true and got me closer to my goal. The Greater Cleveland Film Commission is the number one place to go to for all movies filmed here in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio. They’re a high nonprofit organization that gives back to their city through various events and internship hosting, which I really appreciate. Some of my favorite movies were made here in Cleveland like “Avengers”, “My Friend Dahmer”, and a popular Netflix movie “Little Evil”. I am thankful to be a part of an organization like the Greater Cleveland Film Commission and I feel my experience here will set me far in life.

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. Rahnissa Ware is a senior project intern from Maple Heights High School.

Intern Camren Davis – Martin Moments Spotlight

Posted on January 25, 2018

Saint Martin de Porres High School chose our intern Camren Davis for their Martin Moments Spotlight section of their monthly newsletter. Inspired by the Gospel, Saint Martin de Porres High School is a Catholic college-preparatory high school that combines innovative academics with a unique work program preparing students of limited economic means to become men and women of faith, purpose and service. Saint Martin prepares students for post-secondary success in education and work through a mutually transformative learning experience sustained by 21st century skills (communication, collaboration, creativity and critical thinking), good work habits and a commitment to justice and peace.

When you walk inside the Greater Cleveland Film Commission you are struck immediately with the smiling faces and kindness of the staff. Then as you tour the pristine offices, you quickly realize it is a who’s who of Movies; titles like Shawshank Redemption, Antwone Fisher, The Deer Hunter, and regional favorites A Christmas Story, Believeland, and Draft Day adorn the walls. What you may not realize is all of these films, and many more, were shot right here in our home town, and it is due in large part to the efforts of the Greater Cleveland Film Commission.

GCFC’s mission is to promote increased media production in Northeast Ohio, and aggressively pursues media productions and businesses that can positively impact the local economy. Ultimately, this creates more local jobs for our residents and increases economic development in the region. So when you are surprised one day seeing Kevin Costner, Morgan Freeman, or Katherine Heigl walking the streets of our fair city, you’ll know who helped get them here.

Every day is different and exciting, and it is why Camren Davis ‘18 can’t wait to get to work each week! Through Saint Martin’s Corporate Work Study Program, Camren is fully immersed in the entertainment scene of Cleveland, and loves every minute of it. “I love interacting with film companies, and the people in the film industry, said Camren. “Being on set and seeing them set up, angle out the lights, get out the microphones, and seeing them record in multiple sessions was incredibly interesting and a definitely highlight working here.”

Antonio Harper, Assistant Production Coordinator at GCFC, got to know Camren by taking him out on scouting trips for proper film locations, and he quickly became a fan, “Camren is a hard worker, very focused. He does his thing and it always turns out pretty awesome.” Office Manager and supervisor Ashley Alexandersen concurred, “He is constantly a calming presence. I never have to worry about Camren. He’s quiet in a fun way, engaging and a very sweet young man.”

There is never a dull moment for Camren. When he is not our scouting or actually on a set location he does a lot of much needed film data entry, reads scripts, looks at script formatting and suggests how to improve it, and garnering content for GCFC’s social media platforms. The work experience has him thinking about what he wants to study in college. Camren’s plans have always been to be a computer software specialist, but his time at GCFC has him contemplating a career in the film industry. “Being in these Corporate Work environments at our age is fun,” he said. “It is a glimpse into our future and we get an early taste of it. It’s great and I feel blessed to get that experience.”

We are very proud to call the Greater Cleveland Film Commission one of our over 130 Corporate Work Study Partners. “The Saint Martin students have been great. Each intern we have had is different, they are a breath of fresh air and we enjoy having them here,” said Alexandersen. You can learn more about how to get engaged with our unique CWSP here.

Meet the Intern: Jada Jenkins

Posted on January 22, 2018

I have been interested in film and television since I was very little, but my direction of focus changed once I reached high school. I attended a STEM school centering mostly around science, technology, engineering and math career fields. There were little to no extra-curricular activities and the only art class I had taken was during my freshman year.

Throughout high school I held various internships involving medicine, some including Cleveland Clinic, Case Western Reserve and the Great Lakes Science Center. I was being groomed to become a surgeon, a neurosurgeon to be exact, and would major pre-med upon entering college. My focus reverted back to film and television when I obtained an internship with WVIZ and realized that medicine was not the field I truly desired.

Entering college, I did not know what to major in or what I wanted to do with my life. Due to my advanced credits, I was entering college as a sophomore and was told to choose a major quickly.

Ultimately, I chose Communications as my major and soon realized that I could mold in my love for entertainment. I am currently studying Applied Communications with a double minor in Digital Media Productions (Film) and Theatre.

I learned about the Greater Cleveland Film Commission from a fellow classmate while studying abroad in Italy. We were discussing internship opportunities and he’d mentioned his involvement with the organization.  After doing research, I knew that GCFC would be a great opportunity for me to learn more about the Northeast Ohio film industry and the needed skills to navigate the entertainment industry as a whole. Hopefully, with the skills I have obtained during my college experience and my internship with the Film Commission, I can branch off into a notable career as an actress and director.

Zahrya’s Takes

Posted on October 19, 2017

On the perks of being a student intern…

The best perk of all is getting the experience of work before I can actually work , I say this because as a 14 year old girl there aren’t a lot of job opportunities that will open themselves up to me. I can use this as experience on resumes and any other opportunity I apply for.

Another great perk is co-working with adults , they show me how to be mature and how to have fun in the workplace. This is important because you can always have fun but it must be productive. I can apply these encounters as connections with people who work in film.

The final perk is interacting with people in the field I hope to succeed in one day. Seeing as I want to be a screenplay writer this internship lines up perfectly with the jobs I hope to get in the very near future. This will give me background knowledge and support my choice to go into film.

On what it’s like at GCFC…

My agenda on Wednesdays is as follows: I arrive around 8:45 to start working around 9. Following this we usually have a staff meeting from about 10-12 . Around 12, I go to lunch, then around 1:30 I am scouting until about 3:00. Once I return I will finish up any work before leaving around 4:15.

At GCFC it’s like a group of friends who decided to start a business together and have stayed together since. They are all here to help each other and I have learned that they have my best interest at heart, they want to see me succeed in my career and they will do anything necessary to help me out.

Meet the Intern: Zahrya Robinson

Posted on October 17, 2017

Hi, my name is Zahrya Robinson and I am a freshman at Saint Martin De Porres high school. I work at GCFC as a part of the work study program at my school , I intern every Wednesday and the occasional Monday. I do this in order to pay the tuition at my school, but my internship also teaches me certain soft skills that every job desires.

I’ve only worked for six days so far and the staff already treats me like I belong here. I usually scout every Wednesday and scouting the city I grew up in has broadened my view of Cleveland. I have unraveled the more beautiful parts of the city that is known as the worst of the worst.

Interning has taken my eyes off of the ideal stereotypes of women limiting them to “ girl things ”and allowed me to further explore my interests in writing. I have aspirations to be a scriptwriter in the near future however my work has already begun as far as development of ideas. I have always been a passionate writer and put the things that are going on around me into my writing, however middle school and further education has greatly influenced me to push even more. Below is an excerpt of a screenplay I have been working on:

 

The screenplay above is something I’ve been working on with three friends who are all going through something painful. They are all there for each other and they all put their input in on each situation, which makes it both serious and surprising because what the other two’s reaction will be is often unknown.

My Favorite Places in CLE by Colette Jefferson

Posted on October 12, 2017

Quicken Loans Arena
The Cavaliers play here and there are concerts almost every weekend- nothing better. Every time I go in the Q, whether it’s for a game or for a concert, the atmosphere is always energetic. It’s also that much better when you look up to see the 2016 NBA Champions banner hanging above the court.

Progressive Field
Many Clevelanders and Ohioans basically grew up at Progressive Field (or Jacob’s Field, if you’re a true Clevelander), including me. It’s a fun time all the time, and it’s the home of the (w)Indians- not much explaining needed.

East 4th Street
If you go downtown for any holiday or special occasion, you are sure to find the party on East 4th Street. There are restaurants for everyone, stores, and the atmosphere gives off lively and energetic vibes. Whenever I am downtown with friends, the first thing we do is go to East 4th Street. It’s literally impossible to not go down East 4th when you are downtown- that’s how fun it is!

Meet the Intern: Colette Jefferson

Posted on October 10, 2017

My name is Colette Jefferson and I am currently a junior at Trinity High School in Garfield Heights, OH. I am so lucky to be able to have such a fascinting internship and I cannot thank the staff enough for how friendly and welcoming they have been to me. I cannot wait to see all of the exciting projects that I will get to be apart of this year. It has already been an amazing experience so far.

My love for film began as soon as I started getting interested in horror movies and television shows. The first horror movie I ever watched was Stephen King’s Children of the Corn, and I instantly fell in love with every creepy aspect of films. I have watched almost every Stephen King movie, seen all of the classic horror movies (such as Scream, Nightmare on Elmstreet, Halloween, etc.), and I get excited whenever I hear that a new horror movie is coming out; lame, I know.

However, I cannot give all of the credit to the classics. Back in 2014, I was watching an episode of amc’s The Walking Dead, when I learned that they do not use a lot of CGI effects for the wounds on actor’s bodies, yet they use makeup. Special effects makeup is a process using various mediums of body paint, prosthetics, molds, and many other products to create advanced makeup effects. I fell in love with the idea of it all, and while back then I was not so good at it, I have improved in the past three years:

            

I hope to improve my makeup and sculpting skills even more when I head off to college in just two years. I plan to major in SFX Makeup, and minor in dance and mathematics. My love for makeup and dance is so big that I could not imagine letting them go, so being able to continue with them throughout college would be a dream come true.