A Very Useful Internship: Roy’s Story
If we want a resilient screen industry, we have to give real opportunities to emerging talent. That kaupapa drives a lot of what we do at Useful Media and the Vista Foundation 48Hours.
We’ve had some fantastic interns over the years, and this season Roy took on serious briefs - collaborating on content for major sponsors like Wētā Workshop Ltd, WingNut Films / Sir Peter Jackson, and Letterboxd.
Seeing young creatives step up to exciting, creative projects is the most rewarding part of the job.
Roy shared some reflections on his time with us.
When I entered my first 48Hours Film Competition at 18, I felt like a late bloomer as a creative. I’d always felt nervous about filmmaking because of my lack of experience compared to my peers, but the competition allowed me to dive into film production without feeling embarrassed by my lack of technical skills or experience. Looking back, being able to create without pressure during that first 48Hour project helped me let go of my self-doubt and pushed me to pursue my passion for filmmaking.
Four years later, I had the opportunity to intern at Useful Media, assisting with the running of the 48Hours competition and the post-production of the Life in the FFN series. I was stoked to join the Useful Media team, as the 48Hours competition is something I truly believe helped start my creative journey, and I wanted to help other future filmmakers find their passion too.
Going into any new job can feel daunting, but Ness and the rest of the team made me feel comfortable from the jump. The environment in the office was always calm and warm, despite the demands of undertaking such large-scale projects, and I was always able to ask Ness, Ashley, Maria, and Willem for help when learning new skills or software.
Throughout my internship, I was encouraged to learn at my own pace and was given the freedom to learn from my mistakes. Over the past three months, I’ve had the chance to see the ins and outs of running a film festival firsthand, while learning more about creating content for social media, fulfilling sponsorship obligations, and creating graphic assets.
It was great to be trusted to do real work from day one. I was never forced to make anyone coffee, although I did choose to do so voluntarily. During my first week, I was tasked with updating all the missing nominated films from the 48Hours screening room and subtitling episodes of the Life in the FFN series.
Since then, I’ve been able to cut social media reels for 48Hours, assist with the operations of the 48Hours competition, edit the 48Hours Wellington Regional Awards show, and assist with the 48Hour launch event and Across Aotearoa Regional Awards shoot!
My last three months at Useful have been great. It’s been inspiring to see the tight-knit team juggle the goliath that is the 48Hours Film Competition alongside other Useful Media factual content, and I’ve been able to learn heaps from the wide range of work I’ve been given. Looking forward, I know my time here will prepare me for whatever comes next, and I’ll always be able to ask Ness or any of the other team members for advice.
