Summer is in full swing, ladies and gentlemen, and the Summer 2016 interns are ready to bring their variety of talents and skills to FableVision Studios. Coming from all corners of the Boston community, we represent Boston College, Boston University, Lesley University, and Fitchburg State University. In the spirit of collaboration, for the first time, the interns from the art and marketing departments are teaming up to craft an ambitious independent project over the course of the summer (more on that later, stay tuned!). This year’s cohort of junior FableVisionaries are quite the bunch, so read on to get to know us, how we got here, and why we’re all at least a little weird.
Courtney Copelin
Marketing Intern
- Hometown: New Orleans, LA
- Education: Boston College, '17
- Major: Applied Psychology and Human Development; Communication, Women and Gender Studies minor
What drew you to FableVision? Why did you want to intern here?
More than anything, I love that FableVision is a company where “work” is fun. Every member of the team here is super talented and wonderful at what they do, and have so much fun while doing it! I love that the company strongly emphasizes the idea that play is important at every age. The collaborative style of this work environment makes each day enjoyable and makes me feel like I’m living with a greater purpose.
I was drawn to FableVision because the mission of this company is a perfect integration of my two majors! I have been interested in "helping professions" since I was a young girl, and I saw this internship as an opportunity to teach me a new perspective. I knew that FableVision would allow me to explore my own career interests, especially the independent project component of the internship. This project will be a personalized component of my internship experience where I will be able to develop and utilize my skills in a way allows me to make a significant contribution that will benefit the community and myself.
How does your major apply to the work you will do here?
I’ve had the pleasure of taking a writing intensive course called “Children and the Media” in the spring semester of my junior year, which not only improved my ability to write more effectively, but also taught me to identify the most relevant information with respect to children’s development, which is critical for my internship position at FableVision.
I was honestly intimidated at first because the other interns are studying specific majors that seemed to better prepare them for professions in media. While they have concrete portfolios to show off their work, I only had research papers. But, I have learned that this contrast is important and extremely useful because both skill sets are necessary in order to produce a fantastic project.
What is the most valuable skill you are striving to gain/improve throughout your internship experience?
My goal is to communicate effectively in a collaborative, intimate setting and then speak on behalf of the FableVision team to a wider audience describing the work we've done. By the end of my internship, I want to know how to effectively use an active, assertive voice without sounding aggressive. This is a critical tool in marketing and is also a critical asset across many contexts—professionally, academically, and personally.
I am confident that the collaborative work experience at FableVision will definitely foster this development. The structure of this environment will allow me to listen and speak to all team members consisting of artists, developers, animators, designers, creative strategists, and project managers. I am super excited to learn about the production of children’s media beyond my specific focus!
If you had free choice to do any project that you want, what would you chose to do?
This a tough question for me to answer, because I perceive life in general as one huge project. Every project involves a mission, and my mission is to make a positive impact on the world in the grandest way I possibly can. While this dream may seem generic, I wholeheartedly believe in its importance. I want to change children's lives and give them a better future by inspiring them and moving them to action. It really is true: children are our future; it is our job to empower them in order to make a lasting impact on this world for generations to come. There is always room for growth and I know this project will never be complete, but I want to be a part of the solution. I am discerning what role I can play in this movement, but I am confident and hopeful that I will discover what my greatest purpose is in that process.
What is your Harry Potter house?
Hufflepuff
Favorite kids show growing up?
All That
Would you rather listen to music for the rest of your life and not watch TV OR watch TV for the rest of your life but not have music? Why?
I would rather listen to music and not have TV because music is therapeutic and uplifting. Plus, I have a pretty vivid imagination, so I could create stories and narratives through music instead of watching someone else's vision on screen :)
Why are you weird?
I bring my New Orleans Creole food seasoning with me wherever I go (well, at least while I’m living in the North East.)
Mimi Chiu
Art Intern
- Hometown: Twinsburg, OH
- Education: Boston University, '17
- Major: Graphic Design
- Portfolio: Chiudesigns.com
What drew you to FableVision? Why did you want to intern here?
I actually met a few FableVision artists at a Drink and Draw in Boston a few months ago and not only did they tell me about their company, but also were extremely friendly and warm. They made FableVision sound like a great place to work because of its sincere goals and attitude. Since I wanted to improve my animation and art skills in a welcoming environment, I applied immediately!
How does your major apply to the work you will do here?
Graphic Design encompasses such a wide range of areas from poster design to motion graphics. All of the skills from my major such as color theory, composition, and motion has really helped me create art here.
"Lost Dog" by Mimi Chiu
What is the most valuable skill you are striving to gain/improve throughout your internship experience?
I'm hoping to gain a stronger ground in animation and illustration while getting studio experience to learn how people, such as artists and project managers, communicate and work together to complete projects.
If you had free choice to do any project that you want, what would you chose to do?
I would love to create an interactive comic! I love comics, but I also love video games, so I think it'd be an interesting experiment to combine the two!
What is your Harry Potter house?
Hufflepuff
Favorite kids show growing up?
The Powerpuff Girls
Would you rather listen to music for the rest of your life and not watch TV OR watch TV for the rest of your life but not have music? Why?
I would rather watch TV for the rest of my life! I love music, but I am more visually inclined and I get more joy out of seeing beautiful animation, stories, and characters.
Why are you weird?
Basically everything I own is pink. I really really really love pink, so everything from my laptop to my stuffed animals to nearly my entire wardrobe is pink. I think it's the cutest color and it makes choices really easy for me! Plus everything matches now.
Yury Guzman
Art Intern
- Hometown: Stamford, CT
- Education: Lesley University, '17
- Major: Animation major, Illustration minor
- Portfolio: Yuryguzman.com
What drew you to FableVision? Why did you want to intern here?
I really enjoyed the style of their work and feel their child friendly approach and educational productions would be fun to see up close and learn from.
"Ghost Walker" by Yury Guzman
How does your major apply to the work you will do here?
I am currently studying animation and plan to learn a lot more about the process and software used during my time at FableVision.
What is the most valuable skill you are striving to gain/improve throughout your internship experience?
I want to be able to properly animate characters in a professional amount of time as well as have a better understanding for the process and environment. I like a challenge and I feel that the work at FableVision would be a good match.
If you had free choice to do any project that you want, what would you chose to do?
I like to do comics in my free time so it would be pretty cool to make an interactive comic or a short of a comic's characters coming to life through the panels.
What is your Harry Potter house?
Gryffindor
Favorite kids show growing up?
It's a tie between Teen Titans and Franklin.
Would you rather listen to music for the rest of your life and not watch TV OR watch TV for the rest of your life but not have music? Why?
I'd rather listen to music over watching TV. I can listen to music while doing just about anything. I also use music to help me figure out stories or characters for my projects.
Why are you weird?
My eyebrows have a mind of their own.
Ethan Thibault
Marketing Intern
- Hometown: Sharon, MA
- Education: Fitchburg State University, '18
- Major: Game Design
- Portfolio: ethanthibault.xyz
What drew you to FableVision? Why did you want to intern here?
I'm really interested in how and why art gets made, as well as how art can be informative and socially responsible as well as beautiful--which is exactly the kind of content FableVision makes! There's so much room in our lives for art and entertainment that teaches, inspires, and makes our daily lives better. When I found out through my girlfriend that there were internship possibilities here, I leaped at the chance!
How does your major apply to the work you will do here?
Majoring in game design, with a focus on the business side of things, gives me insight on both sides of the development-marketing equation; I know (to a limited degree!) how the games, websites, animations, etc. get made, so now I get to work on the other half. I want to do the back-end work like marketing, research, and operations so that the artists can focus on doing what they do best!
What is the most valuable skill you are striving to gain/improve throughout your internship experience?
I've never worked in an office! So this is a crash course in that sort of working environment, as well as the operations and organization side of that. If I had to pick one skill, it'd be communication between me, my team members, and other team members! So many humans to talk to, so many checklists.
If you had free choice to do any project that you want, what would you chose to do?
Well, outside of my internship on FableVision I'm working on making a small game every month, as well as writing a larger interactive-fiction piece over the summer! It's going well so far, but we'll see how I feel in August.
What is your Harry Potter house?
RAVENCLAW
Favorite kids show growing up?
Looney Tunes!
Would you rather listen to music for the rest of your life and not watch TV OR watch TV for the rest of your life but not have music? Why?
THIS IS SO DIFFICULT. I love listening to music while I work, but I could replace that with white noise; I can't live without TV because stories are my source of life-energy and inspiration, so TV it must be!
Why are you weird?
If you'll let me get back to you, I have an itemized list.
Interested in interning at FableVision Studios? Learn more and apply on our website!