I’m a film major at Penn State, so the experience to be able to go to Cannes was absolutely lifechanging. I saw so many films and met so many different people I’d never have the opportunity to if I didn’t get to go on this amazing experience. On top of the obvious awe of being able to go to one of the premier film festivals in the world, I feel like my impact was very quickly felt as a part of the social media team – my first day at work I redesigned their logo to better fit their profile pictures on all their social media platforms. I also had the opportunity to intern for IMDb’s On the Scene interview series for 2 day. I helped on set and took photographs for their social media, which was a huge responsibility and a lot of fun.
So much of my studies revolve around film, so going to this festival completely aligned with my interests. Particularly working with IMDb, I was able to use the skills I’d learned in class about being on set to know how to carry myself to always be there to help if needed, and to be prepared to do whatever the producers or crew asked of me.
Above all else, I saw the highest levels film can take you – both in the independent and studio system. Being in the biggest theatre at the festival watching a premiere of a film I’d never heard of made by a director I’d never heard of – and then seeing a 10-minute standing ovation take place after the film was just mind-blowing as a concept to me. I also talked a lot with producers from the production company behind the classic Baby Geniuses movie franchise. They talked a lot about what it takes to make money in the industry, and said a lot about how, while they’ve completely sold out, they’re still on set doing what they love, and they get to live comfortably because of it. While I definitely want to go into the independent film industry, this was a very eye-opening experience to be able to talk to both sides and see how they ended up there, as well as solidifying (not that there was really ever any doubt) that independent was the way I wanted to go. As I move out of college and into the industry, I’ll always keep this experience in the back of my mind, a subtle reminder that something like this, premiering at a major festival, is the ultimate dream to chase and aspire to.
Soaking it In
This is me looking out at the Cannes while I was off-shift.
More Views
Here’s the view on the beach from the American Pavilion.
France’s Beaches
Here, people are enjoying the beach that’s not inhabited by the festival.