#dc interning

Initially, when accepting the offer to intern at Double R Productions, I was not sure what to expect. Rosemary had told me that we would be shooting and editing our own video but I was pleasantly surprised this month when we were presented with the opportunity to host the DC premiere of the documentary CinemAbilty.

In order to prepare for the event, we got down to business right away! We had about a week or so to promote the premiere (which is a blink of an eye in the event planning world). We started out researching different organizations in the D.C. area that we believed would be interested in attending. Once a list was created we reached out to dozens of groups, to formally invite them. First, we sent out an email to each group, then the next day we followed up with phone calls. 

The next step in our event planning led us to creating a press release. Once the release was created, we referred to a media list of all of the newspapers and news channels in the metropolitan area. Similar to our outreach to DC’s organizations, we sent a preliminary email out, which contained a press release that we wrote along with all of the information regarding the premiere and a quick summary of the documentary. The following day consisted of follow up calls.

This was exciting for me. As embarrassing as it is to admit this, I was fangirling a little bit (or a lot a bit but hey! Who's counting..). How often can someone say they were on the phone with someone from Fox’s News Room pitching an event that they helped organize! (well maybe most people here in DC actually, but this was new for me)

The night of the premiere was a success! Despite the rain and short amount of time we had to get things off the ground, we had a great turn out! Director Jenni Gold and comedic actor Danny Woodburn from Seinfeld attended the premiere and stuck around for a Q&A after the film. (I fangirled a bit here too)

The film was amazing, unexpectedly funny and eye opening. I definitely recommend you all to look into it!

Organizing and promoting the DC premiere of CinemAbility was the first time that I had been introduced to this aspect of communications. I find that with my internship with Double R I am learning and growing with every experience. Being able to work in such a hands on atmosphere has not only taught me more than the basics of what it takes to work in such a demanding and versatile business, but it has truly brought me out of my shell and has introduced me to something that I love. 

-Meg

Spring is here! At least it's starting to feel like it. The temperatures have slowly been rising, and for this week the highs are allegedly supposed to be in the 70s! So in order to celebrate, my roommates and I, (one of them being Shari) decided that we were going to start a new morning routine. Everyday, starting at 6:30am we force ourselves out of bed and jog from the RAF to the Capitol building. While it's hard to motivate myself to get out of the apartment before the sun is up, once I start running it is the most amazing feeling. The city is already up and buzzing (I'm starting to think DC never sleeps) people are walking to work, secret service and DC police officers are monitoring the streets and government buildings, and the busses and taxis are zooming by.

-Meg

(there is nothing prettier than viewing the Capitol in the wee hours of the morning, without the hustle and bustle of tourists.)

Shari and I recently attended a TIVA event with our producer Catherine to represent Double R Productions. TIVA (Television, Internet & Video Association) teamed up with WIFV (Women in Film & Video) and invited the DC film community to spend an evening with Pierre Bagley, the newest director of the DC Film Office. When we arrived Catherine introduced Shari and I to a number of influential people in DC's film industry. I always find networking to be a little weird, however, I am starting to get used to it, and its becoming kind of fun getting to meet with and talk to new people who share the same interests as I do.

When the event began, Mr. Bagley and a panel of local industry professionals introduced themselves. They talked about their history in the film and video production industry and commented on what they believe needs to change in order to strengthen the industry and help out local communication firms such as Double R Productions. 

I found this exceptionally interesting (even though most of you may not find it as riveting as I do). But this part of the event allowed me to see a broader perspective of what goes on behind the scenes of the DC film industry. For example, shows such as House of Cards are not actually filmed in DC, because the District is not necessarily conducive to filmmaking. There is a lot of red tape that often deters production companies from making DC their primary location; they believe it is easier to recreate a set and film in Baltimore, rather then right here.

 This for me was surprising; I didn't realize that shows based in DC were usually filmed outside the city in Baltimore.

 Another fun fact that I learned while attending this event was that in order to film on even just a piece sidewalk or patch of grass you have to get permission. However, the issue with that is that there are too many jurisdictions in DC to name, making it difficult to pinpoint exactly whom you need to address. This was something that I was unaware of, and to be honest I found this kind of intimidating. Having to figure out what jurisdiction is in charge and having to then ask their permission if I want to film someone walking down the sidewalk for something as simple as a vlog seems like a lot of work to go through.

However, the message that this event sent, to me at least, is that DC is a city of opportunity, especially for production firms. The panel emphasized that the film community just has to be resourceful, and cannot be afraid to ask questions. If you want to feature the Capital in your work, DO NOT be afraid to ask, and don't assume they're just going to say no, because it has been done before (even cooler)