My name is Marina Corbi, and I am a junior studying Global Communication and World Languages. This summer, I had the opportunity to work as an intern at Motion Pictures Corporation of America, a production company that makes and distributes films. You might have heard of some of their projects, such as Annie, The Princess Switch, and Beverly Hills Chihuahua, among others. 

Internship Office

Over the course of my summer internship, I had a wide variety of responsibilities that taught me a lot about the entertainment and film industry and the importance of effective communication in the workplace. One of my major responsibilities was organizing the production database. This was a regular task for me every day, where I organized administrative files for each film, dealt with budgeting, legal documents, filming schedules, talent flight information, and other logistical details. This exercise gave me a lot of insight into what it takes to make a film come together. Managing all these moving pieces required me to pay attention to detail while also keeping the big picture in mind. Another fun part of my job was to review “takes” of scenes and spot continuity errors. For example, was a glass of water full in a previous take and half empty in the next? As part of the internship, I also reviewed picture-related marketing materials, attended management meetings, and got to sit in on table readings with the actors. 

This internship was a fantastic experience for me, and I recommend that anyone who is interested in entertainment spend some time working in the field. Doing this job, I realized the importance of getting practical experience. There was so much I learned on the job that I probably would have never learned in a classroom. This kind of information is not something that can be easily taught in a book or through a lecture. It is something one learns by doing and observing others around them. 

Many of the topics we explored in my Communication Studies courses also helped me in the workplace. For example, the concepts I learned about group managing skills and navigating conflict were very useful because the majority of my time this summer was spent working with others. Thanks to my communications background, I was in an excellent position to guide our group’s discussions about dividing our work and responsibilities. One part of this was recognizing each person’s strengths and goals in the internship, and then together, we decided how to balance our unique interests. We also had a very eye-opening discussion with one of our fellow interns about gender fluidity. It was a good example of creating an environment where people feel safe to ask questions and explore different views. 

Overall, my internship was a challenging and fun way to learn about the entertainment industry. I gained a lot from the experience and highly recommend it to anyone.