Week 2

At the end of this week (6/19), I will have worked my first 2 weeks at Nancy Nayor Casting. It has been an absolute joy working at NNC, and I especially love working with everyone in the office. My first day was nerve-racking; however, it ended up being the slowest of the days I've worked. I was actually glad this happened because it gave me a chance to become familiar with the office, the employees, and it provided me with a good idea how the office is run. So far, I have indulged in a variety of tasks including but not limited to "running" casting sessions, assisting in the creation of session sheets, and calling agents for availabilities as well as general office duties (answering incoming calls, restocking office supplies, creating and organizing binders for different productions, etc.). Needles to say, my first few weeks have been quite productive and exciting! My favorite part thus far is running session, which involves welcoming the actors and escorting them to and from the session room. Thus far, everyone has been very welcoming and helpful and I am very thankful for everyone who works there especially Lauren, who I am hoping to secure an interview with during the second summer session.

It's Been Confirmed!

It's been confirmed (again)! I just wrapped up an email correspondence with Tanya Salas, who is in charge of coordinating the internship schedules for Nancy Nayor Casting (see link to agency website below). I will officially be working at NNC on Monday, Wednesday, Fridays from 10A - 5P, starting June 8th!

The feels are reel right now (see what I did there?). The process has been exciting, nerve-racking, and hopeful. I am truly excited for the opportunity to work with this casting agency out west this summer. Everyone who I have talked to at the agency have been real nice and accomodating. I am very thankful for Terry Linehan and NNC's continued efforts to give me this opportunity. I am beyond grateful for their efforts, and I am so thrilled to be in this position.

While I am currently securing housing arrangements, I am doing as much research on the company and the names I have come across so as to be as knowledgeable of the company and its history as I can before I start working. When I'm not researching information regarding NNC, I am looking for other places to visit while I'm there. Right now, the LA Film Fest has caught my eye (another blog entry detailing the places I want to visit will be released soon).

Listed below are my three (3) primary learning objectives from this internship, and I do hope that I am able to achieve all three because if I do, I know more opportunities will knock..



Learning Objectives:


1) DO AN EXCEPTIONAL JOB - I understand that when I am working for NNC, I am not just an employee but also a representative of the university. Not only do I want my performance to be exceptional for my personal gain, but also I want to represent the university in the best light possible. There are a few things that I think can help me achieve this goal..
        
        A) Being positive.
        
        B) Being a good team player.
        
        C) Demonstrating enthusiasm for my work.

I truly believe that exemplifying these three tendencies will be beneficial to everyone involved and who knows, maybe this will help me land another job..


2) NETWORKING, NETWORKING, NETWORKING - Networking is key to landing job opportunities, and knowing a lot of people is beneficial particularly when you are just starting out. There will be plenty of opportunities to network (inside and outside of NNC), I will just have to keep my eyes open. In addition to my existing contacts in L.A. and the UNCW alumni already out there (thank you Terry for the list!), I will be looking for networking opportunities like festivals, particularly the LA Film Fest. This list will continue to grow as I continue to research, and I'll be sure to post info and my experiences as I go along!


3) LEARN - I am entering this internship because I want to have an experience in the heart of the filmmaking industry and understand the work and processes that it takes to make this industry work. I do not necessarily intend on staying in L.A. past this internship (unless I am offered a job out there, in which case I definitely would!), so it is important to me to take everything that I learn out west back to the east (or south, or north, who knows?) and be able to apply it to my everyday life. More specifically, I would like to use my experience and knowledge and be apply to apply it to my own independent films (in hopefully a better and cheaper way). Having this experience will be tremendously helpful and allow me to grow as a young filmmaker. Listed below are areas in which I want to improve my knowledge..
        
        A) Casting Process - How to attract talent, How to attract a casting director to a project,              etc..
        
        B) Writing - For what kind of roles are talent most excited? What are the most popular                trends for roles today? In the future?
        
        C) Job Opportunities - What kind of jobs are out there that I didn't know about? What                  kind of experience do I need to land certain jobs? Who do I need to know?



This will be an incredible experience, and I cannot wait to start working this summer!

Be sure to stay tuned with future posts regarding updates on my experience with NNC and L.A.!


Nancy Nayor Casting: http://nancynayorcasting.com/