20th Century Fox Film Corporation, Los Angeles, CA
It was the end of sophomore year, and I was in the heat of finals. While I was primarily worried about the two econ exams that required boatloads of notes and hours of studying, there was something else looming over my mind: summer internships. Being at Williams is like being at a Camp for Gifted Children. Everyone is smart, and everyone is motivated. Most people had been sending out their résumés as soon as winter break ended. I, on the other hand, had been applying in the spring to places here and there, not sure where I would end up. Since I had considered pursuing law in the entertainment industry, it was a pleasant surprise when the ’68 Center for Career Exploration sent out a campus-wide email about an internship in the law department of Twentieth Century Fox in Los Angeles. I applied, but didn’t hear back for a month, so I let it slip to the back of my mind, convinced that the hiring committee chose someone else, someone more qualified.
I was at Tunnel City Coffee, writing an essay on The Guard for my Irish film class when I got a call from HR at Twentieth Century Fox. Immediately rushing outside to take the call, I jumped around in the rainy drizzle as the HR coordinator Bowye confirmed an interview date for exactly a week later. Ok, I told myself, you have exactly a week to prepare for this and knock it out of the park. A week passed, and the Skype interview was about to start. I was nervous beyond belief. My interviewers were Cooper Campbell Jackson ’89 and Dennis Franks. Goodness. Even their names sounded intimidating. But then the screen popped up and there they were, sitting back, at ease in their office. They asked me about books, what I like to do, just about everything but the nitty gritty questions I had prepared for. And you know what? It was so unrehearsed, relaxed and genuine that I walked away with the feeling that I had a good shot. But as the week went on, doubt started to creep in. Did the interview not go as well as I thought it had?
Since it was finals season and the year was wrapping up with festivities, I tried to push the interview, and the fate of my summer, out of my head. Then I got an email from Dennis Franks, the email that I had been waiting for with baited breath all week. I got it. I jumped around the dining hall for a whole ten minutes, not caring what people thought. Racing home, I got on the phone with my mom to tell her the good news. Not two minutes into our conversation, the Director of Intern Affairs called, saying she needed an answer. I didn’t have time to think, so I just said yes! My mom immediately booked my flight, and all of a sudden everything felt so real.
After I was done with finals, and the sun was shining and loaded-up Subarus were driving away, I felt so good about my choice. I wouldn’t see my friends all summer, but I was about to embark on a truly once-in-a-lifetime adventure. I was nothing but excited.
My Boston flight took off the morning after my cousin’s Williamstown farm wedding, so I was already exhausted. The six-hour flight from Logan to LAX was grueling, but when I touched down at LAX it was a relief to shed my sweater. It really was warm and sunny all the time! The taxi drove me to Sherman Oaks, where I would be living for the summer. I dropped my suitcases on the floor, and as much as I wanted to go out and explore, sleep was way more appealing. I ordered In N Out and hit the pillow!
Having slept off my jet lag and sheer exhaustion, I arrived to work at Fox Plaza in Century City for my first day. My coordinator and confidant, Marilyn, was nothing but kind to me and told me what I should expect on the first day and in coming weeks. Later, I met Dennis, and he took me to The Commissary, the fancy Fox ballroom where executives, actors, and directors wine and dine. The walls were covered with maps of the world, with huge mirrors on every wall.
There were two theories as to why there were floor-to-ceiling mirrors:
1. During World War II, tensions were so high that mirrors were intentionally placed over Germany, Italy, and Japan so as not to ruffle any feathers.
2. Since The Commissary was frequented by so many celebrities, people often wanted to get a sneak peek without seeming like desperate country mice, craning their necks. The mirrors allowed them to see anywhere in the room without turning their heads and seeming too desperate. This is Hollywood, after all.
Nervous beyond belief, I was practically shaking when I was introduced to the woman who would grow to become a very close friend and confidant over the course of the summer: Liza. She showed me to my cubicle (with my name in the cardholder!) and walked me around the entire fifth floor of Home Entertainment, the department I would call home for the summer, stopping at every cubicle and office to meet a new face. The first week was exhausting, but once I got into the swing of things, my weeks became fun and exciting. Since the internship program was so established, there were often events, and I was lucky to have attended all of them, from ice cream socials, to movie screenings, film premieres, Q&A with actors/actresses, networking events, promotional and legal meetings where people would pitch their ideas (usually concerning Deadpool 2), with things getting heated from time to time. The perks were endless, and it felt like I was going home with a new movie every day!
Working on the legal side of entertainment showed just how much goes into making a film: a lot of time, money, and energy. Sometimes one three-second clip would take up an entire meeting. It was the legal department’s responsibility to thoroughly vet movies for any possible lawsuit, so one can imagine how many meetings took place for a two-hour film! Attending the meetings was really rewarding for someone like me with no experience, because I was able to sit at the big conference table with all the other Fox employees and absorb information and legal jargon that I wouldn’t hear if someone was just speaking to me directly. Nothing was watered down, and everything was fast-paced. I loved it.
In addition to meetings, I was often given research assignments and other projects that pertained to current events in the entertainment industry. Since Fox was going through a rather transitionary period, uncertainty was radiating throughout the floor. Everyone on the fifth floor, as well as the fourteenth and eleventh (shout out to Cooper!) was very accommodating and kind to me during my stay, and I am so grateful to them for making this a summer I will never forget.
As time went on, I realized my internship at Twentieth Century Fox was no ordinary internship. My manager Dennis paid his daughter, a hairstylist at a fancy Beverly Hills salon, to make me and another intern blonde! I was truly becoming a California Girl. Another day, he took us for an excursion to see the sights of L.A.! We went to Venice Beach, saw the Hollywood sign, and drove through the tourist-packed streets of Hollywood, passing Grauman’s Chinese Theatre and topping the day with burgers and fries from his favorite place: Jack In The Box! I would meet Liza with her daughter on Saturday mornings at the park, and she always offered me rides home so I could avoid my two-hour bus commute. One morning, Marilyn asked me if I wanted to go to breakfast, and I of course said yes! Becoming an adult means free food is practically gold. Instead of breakfast, she and her amazing fiancé, Nick, took me for incredible tacos, and then we spent the day at Hermosa Beach and walked around an extravagant outdoor shopping plaza, The Americana, at night! It was a day like no other, and really fun to get out of the valley and explore Los Angeles for a day!
Toward the end of the summer, Cooper invited me to her house for pizza, and I couldn’t have been more excited, because it meant quality time with her and her family. Throughout the summer, I hadn’t seen much of Cooper, so I was looking forward to this dinner. Sitting down with her and her family, exchanging stories about Williams, truly made for a special night. The longer the night went on, the deeper the connection I felt with Cooper. We were both from New England, both hard workers, and both extremely proud to have been afforded the opportunity to attend Williams. As I looked around the table at her family, I couldn’t help but see my future life. She, like myself, had never intended on moving to L.A. This summer has completely changed my mindset and made me certain that I want to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. What started as a summer internship became a completely transformative experience that changed my life trajectory.
To the people who have made this summer unforgettable—especially Ms. Martha Williamson ’77 and Mr. Peter Nelson ’76—I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Everyone played a role in shaping me into who I feel I was truly meant to be. I look forward to the years ahead and what’s to come. This internship has been so much more than I could have ever dreamed, and I am excited for my future—and adulthood—in Los Angeles.
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