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.

I lived in Northeast Ohio most of my life. I grew up in a couple small towns about 30 miles east of Cleveland, but ended up spending most of my teens in Madison, Ohio.

When I got my license, I would attend concerts in Downtown Cleveland area. I was always drawn to the big buildings, and I knew I just wanted to be close to the city.

I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my life, so in 2006, in the middle of two wars, I joined the military. This took me all over the world, and to fight in a war. On November 9th, 2007, I was injured on a combat patrol in Northeastern Afghanistan. Fast forward about a year,  I retired from the military, and I bought a house about 15 minutes away from the city.

Freshly back from traveling the world and fighting a way, I had to find what I was going to do with my life. After all the experiences I had just went through in war, and just my military experience in general, it turned me into a person with a lot of drive, and a nothing-can-stop-me attitude.

I followed my heart and pursued my passion of music, more specifically playing guitar. Started a band, got really good, and ended up getting signed to a record label. I got to travel and play music with my best friends, seeing places I had seen a million times in magazines or movies. Big cities like Seattle, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, just to name a few. With that, also getting to see the everything in between; i.e. middle of nowhere towns with the population of 100 or some random mountain passes.

In between all the traveling and sightseeing, I was able to do what I love to do, which is play music and inspire people. Seemingly as life has a way of moving forward, all of the music stuff has ran full course, and its time to find the next big adventure.

As all roads have led back to Cleveland, I’ve found myself (with the help of the VA) in touch with Ivan Schwarz, who is the reason I have this opportunity. I’ve always loved movies, just like most everyone does, but I’ve always been fascinated with what it takes to make a great film. There are so many opportunities to have an exciting career in the film/TV industry. I’m trying to jam my foot in the door, and take any and all opportunities.

Cleveland, and the whole Northern Ohio area, have a lot to offer the film industry. It’s exciting that I get to be a part of it, and as it grows, hopefully I’ll grow with it and get to be a part of it. I feel like a career in the film industry in general would be very fulfilling because you get to be a part of a team that produces something that people enjoy.

Who knows, maybe I’ll get to be a part of some major blockbuster; you never know.

GCFC Intern Colette Jefferson is an extremely talented special effect makeup artist.  In her original Meet the Intern post, you may recall her incredible “missing finger” effect that still has people wondering how she did it (hint: she didn’t use photoshop).

Colette’s love of horror movies like the classic Scream, Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, and more continue to inspire her to create new makeup videos that teach others the art of special effects makeup.

Check out Colette’s most recent SFX makeup video tutorial!

Last Halloween, Colette also made this video, showing you how to turn yourself into a zombie!

When looking for opportunities to expand my career knowledge in film and media productions, it was the Greater Cleveland Film Commission (GCFC) that really connected with me.

I was born in Cleveland. Raised in Cleveland. Went to school in Cleveland. Cleveland is where I found and recognized my passions for film and storytelling (in a little theater right across the street from my home).

One thing I knew when getting hired to be a GCFC intern was that not only would I learn more about the industry, but also I would be able to merge filmmaking with the love and appreciation I have for the city that took part in creating who I am.

Here at the GCFC, if you pay close attention to what is happening, it’s obvious that it’s less about going to the movies and seeing your downtown get invaded by super heroes and villains (even though that is super cool), and more about showcasing and promoting Cleveland’s potential. GCFC accomplishes something even greater by doing this. They build, grow, and expand an industry and a community. This is what connected me to GCFC.

So now I am here! I am filled with excitement as this is my first day and already I’ve been given the task of breaking down a script. I’ve come to GCFC to learn more about the business aspect of film. I want to learn more about the industry and how it works. Who are the big players? Where’s the talent? How do you find who you need to find for what? For those of us who aspire to have a real career in film, this is an opportunity to get first hand experience on how all this stuff really works. How does a movie make it to the big screen or any screen for that matter.

I am a senior at Kent State University majoring in Digital Media Productions and Journalism. What I hope to succeed at in my career is to establish my own production company where I can produce and write films. I’m excited to learn more about how pre-production works here at GCFC, as this is what sets a film in motion.

Perhaps the most exciting part of being here is the opportunity to scout locations. Very recently have I discovered the role of a location manager, which is to scout and confirm locations for specific scenes in a movie. I thought not only would this be a good entry level job (although I’m not quite sure how entry level this can be considered) to get into the film industry, but also how awesome would it be to say you’ve chosen the location for some of your favorite movies. It was this thought and my passion for travel and discovering new places that lead me to decide this is where I want to start in film.

As a GCFC intern I’m thrilled to able to scout locations as it’s opportunity for me to gain knowledge but as well as show the best parts of my city and it’s potential.

As you can see I think I am right where I belong and I am excited to begin this journey and give GCFC everything I have to offer and allow my contribution to add to their impact.

Hi there! My name is Christopher James, but my friends call me Chris.

I’m very excited to have the opportunity to work here. I started my internship with the GCFC in September of 2018, with a variety of tasks alongside the rest of the interns.

I come from a family of five: my mom, dad, myself and two younger sisters. I am an animal lover, having a soft spot for horses, cats and dogs, and one special dog in particular named Froggy. When my youngest sister was volunteering with the organization 4 Paws for Ability, I got to know Froggy while he was training. You may recognize the name of the organization because they were featured in the first episode of the Netflix show DOGS!  Froggy is now a trained service dog living in Illinois, and has his own Instagram page thanks to my sister, @4paws_froggy.

During the time I’m not at my internship, I am either listening to records (Glenn Miller, Barbara Streisand, and Frank Sinatra are among my favorites), playing my violin, writing poems on my typewriter, or watching movies.

When it comes to movies, I prefer classic black & white films, musicals, romantic comedies, and movies from the 80s.

Two lessons that will remain with me when I leave my internship here, is to always remain friendly, no matter how stressful the work is, and to always stay organized to help reduce the chances of feeling overwhelmed.

I am glad that I have had the wonderful opportunity of being an intern for the Greater Cleveland Film Commission.

My name is Olivia Wulff and I am a junior at Trinity High School in Garfield Heights. Trinity has a program called the Pre-Professional Internship Program. It allows us to intern in a field we may be interested in in our future. We go once a week for most of the school year. I’m very grateful for all the opportunities given to me through this program and the experience I have earned.

Ever since I was little, I have loved being creative and making things on my own. I would watch Youtube videos on different DIY’s and search on Pinterest for crafts to do. If I found a video/tutorial on how to make something, I would make it instead of wasting money at the store. I know I want to utilize this skill in my future.

My sophomore year at Trinity, I had to decide what Internship Track I wanted to go into. I have never really known what I want to do or major in, but I decided I would give graphic design a shot, since I had learned a little bit about it in my Art 1 class. I took an introductory class to learn about the basics of different Adobe programs and the art behind graphic design. It was cool to be creative and design logos and make a stop motion film based on hundreds of pictures all designed by me. I love being able to brainstorm in my head and then design a final product and see what I have made.

Continuing into my junior year I have decided to continue on in the graphic design program. I’m so excited to have my junior year internship at the Cleveland Film Commision. Everyone is so friendly and supportive and always find projects for me to do based on my interests. I’ve been going on scouts in the downtown Cleveland area, designing graphics for the GCFC’s social media pages and doing normal office work. I’m so excited and cannot wait to continue and improve in my abilities and interests throughout my year here!

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.

Hi, my name is Milan Hargrove. I’m a 15 year old freshman at St. Martin de Porres High School. I was born and raised in Cleveland.  I’m a cheerleader at St. Martin. I have been cheering since the age of 11. At the age of 6, I always loved watching movies and  concerts, and watching the behind the scenes on how the set and scenes were made, which was pretty fascinating to me.     

Once I became older, I began to be in the performing arts. At the age of 11, I was in a play about Mary having Baby Jesus; in the play I played Mary, where I had a solo. At the age of 13, I was in the play Peter Pan were I played Wendy, which was pretty cool. At the age of 14, I sang one of my favorite songs from one of my favorite plays Les Miserables, “I Dreamed a Dream”.  

Coming to St. Martin, I didn’t really know anyone there, so it was already a big step to becoming a student intern at a place where I didn’t know anyone either; I was happy when they gave me a job that works with the arts. I am pretty excited to be a part of the of a real film commission where I might get to meet actors and directors of real movies. I hope me being at Cleveland Film helps me succeed in my dream to be in the performing arts. I also want from this experience to be able to work in the performing arts when I get older. Being at the Film Commission I am learning important things about the business world and film.  

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.