Meet the Fall Interns!

Fall is here! And with it comes cooler days, changing autumn colors, pumpkin spice lattes, and of course a new group of FableVision interns! After the back-to-school jitters passed, we began our work at the exciting and eclectic studio that is FableVision.

We are learning about FableVision’s projects, diving into social media, and bringing art to life, all while experiencing the inner workings of a multi-media production studio. We are a creative bunch, outside of the office you might find us performing for crowds, sketching strangers, or attending film festivals. Learn more about who we are and what inspires us as we share our stories.

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Isabella Boettcher, Marketing Intern

Hometown: Wilmette, Illinois

Education: Emerson College, Majoring in Media Studies: Television Production

Childhood Hero: My mom

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Jon Sudarkasa, Art Intern

Hometown: Johannesburg, South Africa

Education: Senior at the Lesley University College of Art and Design as an Animation Major with Creative Writing Minor

Childhood Hero: Andrew Stanton

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Karina Kolb, Marketing Intern 

Hometown: Gainesville, Florida

Education: BA in English, Film and Media. Currently a Masters Candidate at Harvard Graduate School of Education, focusing on Technology, Innovation and Education.

Childhood Hero: Bill Nye The Science Guy

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What is your favorite thing about autumn in Boston?

Isabella (I): Not feeling like I am trapped in the penultimate scene in Day After Tomorrow. A.K.A, that it's not Winter. Which means I get to walk everywhere. That's the best thing about Boston; because of its size, it's not impossible to avoid the T and walk instead. Also cool in autumn: the food trucks! Getting back to Boston means experiencing the joys of Roxy's Grilled Cheese and the Chicken and Rice Guys all over again. It also means seeing the money from my wallet slowly disappear.

You know nothing, Jon Snow.

Jon (J): When Boston turns into autumn everyone goes into a preparatory mode for winter, as if it could snow at any moment. The people walking down the street are on high alert and always conflicted. You can see everyone questioning whether or not to put on their scarves or gloves, etc. They create great caricatures to draw. Also the brown and orange overtone of the city is beautiful.

Karina (K): I just moved here so I haven’t experienced it yet, and I’m excited to finally see what autumn is really like! I’m from Florida and we don’t usually get to experience the seasons changing. Before you tell me ominously that Winter is Coming, I want to let you know that I’ve already bought a winter coat worthy of Jon Snow.

What are you most excited to learn during the extent of your internship?

I: How to employ marketing practices to increase a brand's visibility. In creating anything, it is important to know how to make sure people actually see it. I'm not 100% how to do that, and FableVision seemed like an excellent place to learn!

Jon's passion and talent is clear in this example of Robin from his work.

J: Well, for a start getting feedback from the resident animators to improve my character animation. But I'm most excited to gain the skills to manage the time I have in a work day to create efficient and well-timed animation. As a student, you set your hours and can often find yourself animating into the late hours of the early morning. But when working at a studio you have to be efficient to get your work done at a certain time. I'm hoping to get good at that.

K: I’m excited to learn about the studio functions! I want to know what everyone is working on separately and how they come together to make something amazing. I’m already learning that marketing plays such a diverse role in the studio because it is a part of every step in the process, from pitch to wrap.

When not at FableVision, what do you do for fun?

Isabella, far right, hangs out with her improv troupe SwoMo. 

I: I'm on a constant search for the best burger in Boston. Additionally, I'm in an improv troupe (called SwoMo) at Emerson College, direct a satirical news broadcast (Breaking News!) and Executive Produce a late night talk show (Closing Time with Amanda Breen) and Emerson's award show, The EVVY Awards, which is the largest student-run production in the nation. I also sell cupcakes at Georgetown Cupcake on Newbury Street -- come visit me!

J: I'm currently in my senior year so I'm usually working on my senior film, animating for fun to loosen up and then getting back to work. I also like to storyboard and watch movies. Occasionally, I'll storyboard the movies I'm watching, which is always fun.

K: I watch a lot of movies. I come from a film studies background, so movies are a major passion for me. I love watching movies over and over again, and also going to see what’s new in theaters. I’m a part of a fantasy-football style movie league, in which we pick a “team” of movies coming out in each season and get points based on how well the movies do in the box office, among critics, and if they win any awards.

What do you hope to do once you graduate?

I: I want to work in television content development and production for children and teens, specifically 11-16 year olds. I think the television currently being presented to that age group can potentially undermine the intelligence and creativity of its audience. I am eager to change that.

J: I hope to ultimately end up a director of either, a short, a feature film, or television show. Once I graduate, I hope to get a job as a story artist and work my way up from there.

K: I would love to work in a studio like FableVision! I have a passion for educational media and informal learning. I hope to design/write/direct/produce/improve educational media as a career.

What art supply best represents you and why?

I: Does Play-Doh count? It would represent me because I'm happy to adjust and mold to any environment I'm put into. Also similar to Play-Doh, I am entirely composed of flour, water, salt, boric acid, and mineral oil.

J: Oh, this is tough...but if I had to choose one I would probably say an eraser. I find that reflection and revision is the best tool an artist has. Sometime it can cause you to move backwards, always taking away your first artistic impulse, but it always leaves room for growth. I love learning new things and growing and erasing what you think you know, opening yourself up to a completely new mindset, in order to learn new things can lead to pure enlightenment that rapidly matures your artistry. I always encourage collaboration and revision to first passes to get the best possible end result.

K: I think I am best represented by finger paints. I like to be hands on, I like to let my creativity flow freely (I’ve never been a fan of coloring inside the lines), and I really like to get messy, or maybe I just can’t avoid getting messy (I’m really clumsy).

Introducing “Make School Work”

I’m excited that the first episode of Make School Work is live! The opportunity to produce this podcast has enhanced my internship and has given me a window into what it’s like to work here at FableVision Studios.

Before I dive into Make School Work, let’s step back one year to see how the idea for this podcast came about.

In the fall semester of my junior year at Tufts University, I wrote a research paper called Restoring the Educational Relationship: Viewing an Ineffective Model of Education Through the Lens of Entertainment Media. It explores the ways that media reinforce a negative and top-down depiction of the student-teacher relationship and its effect on learning.

In developing my independent project at FableVision, I wanted to repackage this idea for a younger audience: from academia to the iPod. What evolved was Make School Work, a podcast that uses personal storytelling to explore mentor/mentee relationships in a school setting, and how students can use them to become better people.

When it came time to record, I brought in Laila Goodman, who you’ll learn more about by listening to the episode. It was an honor to have her in the studio; being able reflect with her on my experience was a strangely apropos experience.

Sarah Ditkoff, Andrea Calvin, and Jordan Persson helped shape my idea and guided me toward making this vision a reality. I hope to expand upon it as I being my senior year at Tufts and I hope to take all of the valuable lessons I’ve learned at FableVision with me into the real world. Happy listening!

Interested in being an intern at FableVision Studios? Check out their listing here and apply! 

A New Podcast

Carl Haber, a summer marketing intern at FableVision Studios

From the beginning of my marketing internship at FableVision Studios, I knew I wanted to do something big for my independent project. I decided to create my very own podcast, called Make School Work.

In Make School Work, I take a look at mentor/mentee relationships in a school setting, and how students can use them to become better people. A lot of this is based on research from my psychology and education classes at Tufts University. I’m passionate about this topic; I believe that one of the biggest barriers to a healthy educational relationship is teachers and students seeing each other as real people.

Here’s a taste of what’s to come in the pilot episode of Make School Work. And be sure to come back to InternVision next week to hear the whole pilot – enjoy!

Meet the Summer Interns!

Summer is finally here in Boston! Bringing in the much needed warmth and sunshine to the city after the ice age known as winter 2015, and new summer interns at FableVision Studios!

This batch of summer’s interns are an eclectic bunch, eager to bring creativity and sparkle to the already whimsical office that is FableVision Studios. Find out more about who we are and what we do as we tell you our stories that may or may not include ukuleles, crepes, and singing college boys.

The Marketing Interns

Carl Haber
Hometown: Wellesley, MA
Education: Tufts University with a majors in Psychology, Education, and Music

Hobbies:

• Singing with my acapella group: I choose and arrange music.
• Hiking: I’m getting ready for a five-night backpacking trip at the end of the summer, so I’m hitting the trails to train.
  • Traveling: more often than not, I find that my weekends fill up with quick getaways, and I’m telling my housemates, “Bye, see you Sunday night!”

Alexa Molinaro
Hometown: Stamford, CT
Education: Just graduated Boston College with a major in Communication and will be attending FIDM in the fall. 

Hobbies:

• I love anything where I can be creative - from dancing and performing, to drawing and illustrating, to playing with my camera. I find that I am happiest when I am able to express my creativity. 

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Q&A with the Marketing Interns

How did you get involved with FableVision?

Alexa (A):  I first learned about FableVision when I had Paul Reynolds (FableVision's CEO) as my professor in TV production at Boston College. After falling in love with the place and wanting to stay in Boston for the summer, I decided to apply for an internship position.

Carl (C):  The way that I heard about FableVision was sort of coincidental. I was at a family reunion of some distant cousins, and I met Brian Grossman (FableVision's Technical Director). Turns out Brian is my second cousin’s husband’s brother-in-law. How’s that for six degrees of separation? Anyway, Brian talked to me all about FableVision, and I realized that what the studio does is so in line with many of my interests. Next thing I know, I have an interview and here I am!

What are the responsibilities of your internship? 

A:  I am currently a marketing intern at FableVision with a specialty in video production.

C: Social Media: Drafting posts for FableVision’s twitter and Facebook pages, finding articles to retweet and comment on. 
Blogging: Update the FableBlog and InternVision pages on the website
Promotional Materials: Copy editing proposals, show bibles, blog posts, etc.
Support the marketing team: Research various projects of interest to the team, create spreadsheets, etc.
Work on an independent project of my own direction. 

What are you most excited to learn about during the extent of your internship?

A:  I’m the most excited to be using the skills I learned from my communication major since my past job experiences have been almost exclusively in the fashion industry. 

C: For my independent project, I’m working on creating my own podcast from some of my previous research at Tufts. I’m really excited to learn about what it takes to manage my own project from start to finish. I’m already learning that there’s a ton that goes into a project like this, and that there’s so much more to think about than just the content. I’m excited to learn from other project managers and producers around the studio, too. 

What are you most excited about for this summer in general?

Carl front and center of his acapella group the Beelzebubs

A: I'm excited to be having the opportunity to live in Boston for the summer with my college roommates!

C: My acapella group at Tufts, the Beelzebubs, has been working on a potentially HUGE international trip at the very end of the summer. Fingers crossed that the logistics work out and we can go! 

When not at FableVision, what do you do for fun?

A: I love photographing and video taping anyone or anything that will let me, trying to find new adventurous things to do with my friends, watching a Disney movie, or working on my portfolio to build my future fashion brand. 

C: You can usually find me doing one of things above. But when I’m not doing one of THOSE things, I really enjoy cooking, even though I’m no good at it. Which is why I like being a sous chef in a skilled cook’s kitchen. My mom and I partner up to make some pretty sick dinners. I love trying new foods and wines, so I try to get out there in the restaurant world as much as possible. I’ve also been known to hop on my bike and just go 16 miles down the Minuteman Bikeway without realizing how long I’ve been gone. 

If you could be a toy, what toy would you be and why? 

A: A Fashion Polly, I loved them when I was little! They had limitless amounts of little rubber clothes but I liked that they were much smaller than a Barbie and I could carry them around with me

C: I think I’d be Magnetix. I recently came across Tim Lapetino’s idea that there are five types of creative people out there: The Inventor, The Craftsperson, The Connector, The Curator, and the Critic. I feel like I definitely fall into the category of The Connector. I like to draw on the knowledge, styles, and creations of others and remix them, building a newer, stronger product. So maybe I’m one of those metal balls that connect the plastic rods. 

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The Art Interns:

Samir Abdallah
Hometown:  Virginia (it is a ways away from both Boston and Rochester, but I’ve been enjoying my stay in the New England area!)
Education: a rising senior at Rochester Institute of Technology as a Film and Animation Major in the School of Film and Animation. 

Hobbies:

• My hobbies include gaming with my friends late into the night, collecting discount DVDs and VHS tapes, and learning new jokes to share.

Christopher Taniguchi (Chris for short)
Hometown: Laguna Beach, CA
Education: Studies animation at Laguna College of Art and Design

Hobbies:

• A lot of my hobbies are related to art and music! I also like talking to people! 

Andrea Cabral
Hometown: Somerset, MA
Education: A rising senior at Massachusetts College of Art and Design

Hobbies:

• Drawing is a huge hobby of mine, but I also love reading comics, mostly independent comics people post on the internet. I used to make my own comics back in high school, but now I enjoy reading other peoples’ work. 

 

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Q&A with the Art Interns

How did you get involved with FableVision?

Samir (S): A fellow classmate of mine had interned at FableVision the summer previous, and I applied here on his high recommendation of the studio.

Chris (C):  As I was searching for internships to take on after my third year of college, I stumbled upon FableVision’s website and was immediately captivated by their work. There was this warmth and charm in all of their work, and I could really tell that the people there were trying to make a difference for kids. I bought a plane ticket to Boston, and here I am! 

Andrea (A):  I originally heard about FableVision through my school when discussing animation studios around the area. I did an internship last summer at a painting studio, but this year I really wanted to get some experience in an animation studio not unlike one I may be working at after I graduate. I applied for the position, got to talk to John Lechner the art director of FableVision, and he offered me the position for the summer! 

What are the responsibilities of your internship? 

S: As an art intern, I get to use my creativity, art sense, and knowledge of Photoshop and Flash to help the FableVision staff with any photo edits, animation tasks, and other projects that need to be completed.

C:   A lot of my responsibilities involve assisting the artists and programmers with assets needed for games, animations. and websites. All the while FableVision is training me to acclimate to their professional flash animation workflow and style. It’s fun stuff! 

A: I help with several different projects FableVision is currently working on using Adobe Flash and Adobe Photoshop. 

What are you most excited to learn about during the extent of your internship?

Art Intern Chris Taniguchi displays his artistic talent in this example of two young heroes 

S: I’m most excited to learn new a bunch of cool new techniques and art styles from all the amazing artists and freelancers that work here.

C:   Adobe Flash is notoriously hard to get appealing brushwork and lines from during animation. I’m very excited to learn how to make stylistic line work so that I can make my characters animate more cleanly and look more professional. 

A: I’ve already learned a lot about Flash and Photoshop that I didn’t know before, but what I’m most eager to learn about is how animation studios usually run and the process of multiple people working on a single project. 

What are you most excited about for this summer in general?

S: I’m most excited to go sight-seeing and explore all the fascinating things that Boston has to offer.

C:   Exploring Boston! This is my first time visiting the North East, and so far I have been amazed by all the new sights here. I hope exploring this summer! 

A: This summer I’m really excited to build my portfolio, work on my degree project, and make more art without worrying about school.  

When not at FableVision, what do you do for fun?

S: When I’m not at home curling up to watch a good movie, I’m outside doodling new ideas in my sketchbook and going out with all of my friends.

C:   When I’m not at FableVision, I like playing the ukulele and writing songs. I have this ukulele duo band with my brother, and we cover and write songs for the internet. I also like long distance running and a good board game! 

A: When I’m not at FableVision I’m working at a creperie in Coolidge Corner. While it can be a lot of work, I have fun joking around with my coworkers and making crepes for customers (plus the food is delicious and I get as much as I want for free!) Aside from that I just enjoy hanging out with my roommates and friends from school, going to the movies, going out to eat, etc.

If you could be a toy, what toy would you be and why? 

S: I would be a shiny HotWheels. That way, I could spend my days running endless laps zooming down the tracks, through the loop-de-loops, go soaring off of crazy ramps, and harmlessly smash into other cars!

C:   An electronic Arthur doll, because I like hugs, like to be helpful, and can connect to the computer to do more things! 

A: I’d definitely be a slinky. I used to play with slinkies all the time as a kid. I like how they’re so simple in design compared to other toys, yet moving them around creates all these fun and interesting possibilities, whether you watch them fall down stairs or just move them back and forth in your hands.