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Meet the Spring 2022 Interns!

This semester, we have two crafty college students on our internship roster! From weaving stories and drawing up ideas to hooking social media users and finding patterns in our portfolio, these artsy undergraduates bring their creativity, patience, and passion to everything they do. 

While the college experience for Avery and Sarah has been a little bumpy (you know, the whole pandemic thing?), they’ve approached their educational and professional endeavors with optimism and gusto. 

 
 

Avery Cohen

Where do you go to school?
I go to Tufts University.

What is your major?
I major in Child Study and Human Development with a concentration in 21st Century Media and Literacy.

Where are you from?
New York City!

What is your role at FableVision?
I’m a production intern! I review deliverables, add graphics to scripts, help collect data about studio bookings, and do essentially any task needed to help things run smoothly behind the scenes! I’m also completing an intern project – a podcast for preschoolers called Big Ideas for Little Hands.

What is your journey to FableVision story?
My advisor Professor Julie Dobrow spoke very highly of FableVision and the internship. Many Tufts students have interned here and LOVED it. I browsed the website and fell in love with the creativity of the projects and the integration of education and curriculum into content creation.

What’s your favorite thing you’ve learned this semester?
I loved learning the progression from week to week on projects. Tuning into the weekly meetings, I am able to understand the process from ideation to creation. I love hearing the questions and brainstorming/problem solving that occurs every meeting! (I especially love the meetings discussing wireframes!).

Why did you choose production?
I choose production because I’m interested in children’s media, but I’m not sure where I fit into it. This production internship has given me an overview of each department and how they work together. It is an amazing experience to zoom out and look at the bigger picture from ideation to final product!

What is your favorite craft?
Knitting or painting (although I'm not too great at either!).

What is your favorite type of music?
I have a very eclectic taste in music. I will pick a song or band to obsess over for a week or two and then I’m over it. I will say, my two constants have always been “Africa” by Toto and “Rich Girl” by Hall and Oates.

Fun Fact:
I went to a performing arts high school, Laguardia, and majored in drama. I acted for four hours every day and had to wear all black!

Sarah Revis

Where do you go to school?
I go to Emmanuel College.

What is your major?
I’m an English Communications and Media Studies Major, and I’m minoring in English Writing, Editing, and Publishing (can you tell I like English?).

Where are you from?
I’m from Pepperell, Massachusetts, a tiny town about an hour outside of Boston. 

What is your role at FableVision?
I’m a marketing intern! I draft social media posts, help write content for blogs, and aid in completing case studies for projects. I also explore the potential for utilizing TikTok as an intern project.

What is your journey to FableVision story?
My mom is a teacher, and the elementary school she teaches at celebrates International Dot Day every year. Paul Reynolds visited them in May of 2019, and after chatting with him about some of FableVision’s earlier work (Essay Express, from way back in 2005!), she found out that FableVision offered internships. I’ve always loved working with education, communications, and media, so when I found that the marketing internship let me combine my interests, I was hooked! Almost three years later I applied, and here we are. 

What’s your favorite thing you’ve learned this semester?
I’ve loved learning about the intricacies of social media marketing, and taking a marketing project, like an employee spotlight blog post, from the interview phase to publishing to promoting it on socials. Practicing communications skills I learn in the classroom and applying them to real-world marketing situations has also been amazing!

Why did you choose marketing?
I chose marketing because it involves direct communication – talking directly to followers, consumers, and clients. I love thinking about how every aspect of a message, from word choice to medium to font, can impact how someone perceives what you’re trying to say, and figuring out what strategies to use to create a certain message. 

What is your favorite craft?
I love to embroider, cross stitch, and weave! I also love stagecraft art, like doing props, sets, and technical aspects for theater productions. 

What is your favorite type of music?
I love folk! Folk rock, indie folk, all of it! My all time favorites are America, Hozier, Lizzy McAlpine, Simon and Garfunkel, and “American Pie” by Don McLean. 

Fun Fact:
I’m also one of the social media coordinators for Emmanuel’s Her Campus chapter! I get seven trillion Instagram and Twitter notifications a day because of it. *sigh* The price of success, I guess. 

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"Animation Imagination" Podcast Launches by FableVision Summer Interns

Musical Mona (above) was designed by Christina Kelly.

Musical Mona (above) was designed by Christina Kelly.

Animation Imagination is an independent project by FableVision Studios’ summer 2021 interns

As children watch cartoons with wide, excited eyes, some may wonder how their favorite characters come alive on screen. To help children broaden their horizons and learn about creative careers in the arts, musical podcast Animation Imagination brings them behind the scenes of the animation industry. 

“I wanted to integrate music and animation because the podcast showcases people who love to make art, and music is the art that I love to make,” says FableVision production intern and Animation Imagination creator and host Mona Tavangar. “The personal musical touch also supports the learning goals of the project by educating children in a fun and engaging way. I wanted to explore creating content for kids and gain experience moving through the production process.”

Christina Kelly’s personal character design work.

Christina Kelly’s personal character design work.

Hosted by Musical Mona, the podcast series helps children in kindergarten-third grade understand animation careers, teamwork, and creative learning. Through interviews and musical recaps of key ideas, the first episode features FableVision’s Lead Artist Christina Kelly as she discusses her character design process and encourages children to work creatively and collaboratively. 

“I like to draw blobs in my sketchbook and then draw over them with pencil,” says Christina. “Sometimes it’s hard to come up with an idea of what to draw. In that case, I like to turn my brain off, draw a shape as weird as I possibly can, and try to make something out of the shape.” 

Listen to the episode now to learn more about Christina’s art journey, her recommendations for children who want to draw, and why she loves adding hats to her characters. Check out Christina’s artwork below!

Christina’s Paper Girls Show Edie character design (initial design by Sonnye Lim).

Christina’s Paper Girls Show Edie character design (initial design by Sonnye Lim).

The images above feature Christina’s vampire character designs done for Hero4Hire Creative for a Hub commercial; cat character designs for A Rhino Named Paul musical shorts for the Curious World app; and rabbit character designs done for the Astroblast! TV series.

Animation Imagination was created by FableVision production intern Mona Tavangar with help from marketing intern Nadya Karpova. Special thanks to our internship coordinators and supervisors Sarah Ditkoff and Melissa Schoeller for their guidance and support, and to Christina Kelly for her time and unique insights about creating characters. Learn more about FableVision’s internship program and how to apply here.

Listen to the trailer and the first episode on SoundCloud.

Meet the Summer 2021 Interns

Mona Tavangar

Where are you from? Lexington, MA—where the American Revolution started!

School and major: Double major in psychology and music at Tufts University.

Position: Production Management Intern.

Portfolio: linkedin.com/in/mona-tavangar/ (portfolio coming soon!)

What’s your journey to FableVision story? FableVision is a coveted and popular place to intern among Tufts students, and an advisor at Tufts suggested I reach out to Sarah Ditkoff to learn more. I loved chatting with her and was drawn to the company's vibrant website and culture. I had always wanted to try production, so I put my hat in the ring and am so happy it worked out!

What skills have you gained during your FableVision summer? I have learned so much about the production process for animation and game development projects. I've sharpened my organization and communication skills and developed my eye for detail, especially when testing games. I've loved jumping into different projects and meeting so many amazing people! It's been a great summer.

Favorite song or music genre? I love ABBA! The world of Mamma Mia is the best.

Favorite cartoon character? SpongeBob forever!

Nadya.JPG

Nadya Karpova

Where are you from? I’m from Nizhniy Novgorod, Russia, but I grew up in Brookline, MA.

School and major: M.S. in Public Relations at Boston University.

Position: Marketing Intern.

Portfolio: nadyakarpova.wixsite.com/site/portfolio 

What’s your journey to FableVision story? As an undergraduate student at Boston College, I learned about FableVision when I took Paul Reynolds’ film and TV production class. FableVision continued to stay in the back of my mind while I worked for several years in client services because I realized that I want a career in the children’s media industry. In my graduate media relations class at Boston University, the stars aligned as I worked on a project for The Reynolds Center with Paul and Andrea Calvin. I applied for the marketing internship, hoping to get my foot in the door of this company and the industry, and here I am!

What skills have you gained during your FableVision summer? I improved my writing and social media skills. I hope to work on a variety of communication projects in the future, so it’s been great to write blogs, social media posts, and case studies about FableVision’s fun portfolio and amazing staff. I also enjoyed learning about the animation and game design pipeline—I feel better equipped to work in this industry.

Favorite song or music genre? I love music from the ‘80s, especially Modern Talking.

Favorite cartoon character? Cheburashka, “an animal unknown to science,” and Kot Matroskin, a witty and sensible cat. Created by author Eduard Uspensky, the adorable animals then turned into popular Soviet cartoons.

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Shared With 3 Others

 
 

Shared With 3 Others is an independent project by FableVision Studios’ spring 2020 interns. 

Meet your new group members: Taylor, Amber, and Oli. Your team is tasked with a school project. But when you meet up for the first time, you find that each person has a different way to approach the assignment. Can your group of classmates work together to complete the project? Or will the combination of conflicting personalities drive your team apart?

FableVision’s spring 2020 interns are proud to present Shared With 3 Others, an interactive narrative game about working together and managing conflict. Through mini-games and dialogue choices, you’ll get to know your group members and how their experiences have shaped who they are. By listening to their stories and talking to each member one-on-one, see if you can figure out how to unite your group as a team—and, perhaps, even as friends.

Check out a behind-the-scenes look at Shared With 3 Others here!

Note: Click the blue full screen button in the bottom right corner for optimal playing experience

 
 

The Shared With 3 Others team is:

  • Esther Tzau

  • Greg Bond

  • Janina Huang

  • Natalie Charewicz

  • Rubin Soodak

  • Sophie Chung

Thanks to our internship program coordinators and FableVision staff members, Bob Flynn, Christina Kelly, Brian Grossman, Jordan Bach, Michael Fogarasi, Monica Chen, and Sarah Ditkoff, for their guidance throughout the development of our project! Learn more about FableVision’s internship program and how to apply here.

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Sharing a Sneak Peek at "Shared With 3 Others"

When the spring 2020 FableVision interns first met as a group in February, we were excited to get to know each other—and begin working on our independent project. We met in a studio conference room to brainstorm ideas, and found common themes in what we were passionate about: empathy, self-acceptance, and learning people’s stories, to name a few.

This initial conversation eventually spawned Shared With 3 Others, an interactive narrative game set within the frame of a middle-school group project. Group projects are a common experience that many people, regardless of age, can relate to, and we wanted to explore the various interpersonal (and personal) dynamics within them. From brainstorm sessions and conversations at our intern table in the studio to text messages and Zoom calls from our homes, we have spent the last few months bringing this project to life.

Shared With 3 Others follows four members of a newly formed group: Taylor, Amber, Oli, and you, the player. Through mini-games and interactive stories, trial and error, help guide your project to completion—and get to know your group members along the way.

Hear from the group behind the group project in this behind-the-scenes look at Shared With 3 Others. And stay tuned for the game’s release soon! 

What was your role in this project?
Rubin: I was a co-producer for this project! Sophie and I mapped out the project timeline, led the production process, and helped with writing, editing, and game development as needed.

Greg: I was primarily a background artist! But I also did some other art for the game here and there. I also was the voice actor for one of the characters, Oli!

Natalie: I was an artist! I mostly worked on the characters, but I also created some of the illustrations and voiced one of the characters, Amber!

Janina: I worked on the marketing and the script!

Sophie: I was one of the two producers on this project.

Esther: I was the programmer!

What was something that surprised you about this process?
Greg: I don't think I ever expected to enjoy doing background art as much as I do! This is my first illustration/animation internship, and I think I went into it expecting to do a lot more character work, as I definitely draw people more often. But I'm so happy seeing my art progress by working on backgrounds!

Janina: I was surprised by all the little details it takes to make a game! This was my first time working on an interactive narrative, so it was exciting to approach the project from a development perspective. For instance, we put a lot of thought into user experience, tracing each branch and choice in the story to make sure it flowed properly and made sense. 

Sophie: I'm being completely sincere when I say that I was most surprised by how TALENTED our team is! Truly, production progressed smoothly because of how well we worked together and worked hard to contribute individual talents FOR the sake of the team. From the art to the development to the scripting—the synergy was our biggest asset.

What do you hope players will take away from this game?
Rubin: More than anything else, I hope players will emulate the game’s tone of acceptance and compassion in their own lives. I think our game does a really good job demonstrating how even the least alike people can depend on each other for warmth. I hope players will feel that warmth and recognize new ways they can be caring towards people in their own lives, especially people they don’t yet know.

Natalie: I hope they enjoy playing it, first and foremost, but I also hope the storyline helps them think about how they work in a group setting! It can be difficult to have to manage working in teams, but I hope this game helps people consider how to approach conflict and how even people you don't know might be struggling with things that could reflect in their work. And I hope players feel close to our characters by the end—I certainly do!

Esther: I hope players will identify with each of the characters! We put a lot of effort and heart into bringing them to life, especially through the script and gameplay. Oftentimes in work environments, there’s an intense pressure to just get things done and push teammates to perform, but the best projects come out of groups of people who encourage one another and help each other grow in the process.

What have you taken away from this experience?
Rubin: My biggest takeaway is a whole bunch of new friends! As someone just starting out in children’s media, working with this specific group on this project has been such an affirming experience. It’s no coincidence that we chose to focus on a group that gets to know each other through a project!

Greg: I've definitely learned a LOT about the animation production pipeline by working on Shared With 3 Others. I don't think I ever realized how much work goes into animated pieces outside of the art realm. I've also gained five truly amazing friends from this experience. I'm so happy I met every person on our intern team, and I hope we'll all continue to be friends for a long time. 

Natalie: So many things! For one, it was enlightening to plan such a massive project from start to completion. We handled this game by breaking it into small goals, which made a genuinely huge task feel much more achievable. I've also learned a lot about myself creatively from having to develop ideas with my teammates and talking with all the mentors at FableVision. Ultimately, I learned a lot and made some great friends. I’m so glad to have had this experience!

Janina: I think this project is a great example of what can happen when people combine their ideas and strengths to create something new! Shared With 3 Others is uniquely ours—it couldn’t have been replicated if any one member of our incredible team wasn’t a part of it, and it’s really special to see how each person’s personality and passion contributed to the project.

Sophie: That something as small as a spark of an idea can be so powerful as to actually give birth to a tangible thing. No doubt, our team was the reason why it happened. Nothing but love and respect for this group.

Esther: Through the exciting challenge of building a game from start to finish, I practiced finding creative coding solutions, working through technical challenges with teammates, and communicating my ideas with confidence. I also got to know so many cool people! I’ve learned so much from supportive mentors within the studio and my incredible teammates, and I look forward to spending more time with our group once we’re all together again. Just as all our characters become friends in the end, so did our team! (Although we got along way quicker than they did.)

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