Skye Film Studios Film Production Internship

About the Project

I received Benenson Award funding to live in Los Angeles and complete a Film Production Internship at Skye Film Studios, a woman of color-owned and operated independent film and television studio. I worked under award-winning writer and director, Sahvannah Rae and producer, Skye Bleu on various personal and commercial projects throughout all stages of production.

I had the opportunity to attend the premiere screening of the short film Binate, which won many awards at independent film festivals throughout the nation, including the Studio City Film Festival, the Toronto Film and Script Awards, the Boston Indie Film Festival, the Hollywood Discovery Awards, and the WideScreen Film & Music Video Festival. Soon after, Skye Film Studios took to Boyle Heights, LA to shoot event coverage for the Boyle Heights Arts Conservatory, a nonprofit organization that seeks to lower the barrier of entry into careers in the entertainment industry for children of color by hosting free media arts classes for the community. It was an honor to help document the Boyle Heights Youth Festival and immerse myself within a minoritized community that is as passionate about artistry as I was as a youth and still am today.

I was also tasked with conducting distribution and marketing research for their next upcoming film, Worked to Death. After reviewing the film’s official press kit and pitch package, I curated a comprehensive list of companies, independent film festivals, and press opportunities for its tentative release. My internship experience with Skye Film Studios was bookended by the opportunity to assist with the pre-production and production of their most recent short horror film, The Holding. After assisting the writer and director in editing multiple rounds of script drafts, I worked as a Key Set PA for the film’s shoot in Hollywood Heights, LA.

With the time I had to spare outside of my official internship responsibilities, I also had the unique opportunity to support Jackson Prince, Duke Alum, and co-founder of Patchwork Piñata Media, an end-to-end, multi-platform digital media production company. Earlier this month, I worked as a Camera Assistant and on-set BTS Stills photographer for two series pilots. While my summer in Los Angeles was quite action-packed, my experience was extremely rewarding and fulfilling. It was truly an honor to learn and grow underneath such accomplished powerhouses in the entertainment industry!