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. 

My FableVision Story

As my internship at FableVision draws to a close, I write this blog post with a tinge of sadness to be leaving such an incredible studio. I am grateful for the opportunity this internship has provided me – working here has truly been a blast!

It feels like only yesterday that I was braving the snowy Boston weather and dealing with troubled T service to get to my first day as a marketing intern at FableVision Studios.

Since that wintry day, I’ve juggled a variety of projects – but the biggest one I have worked on is an independent project that I pitched a few weeks into my internship. I wanted to create a video that showed what brought me to FableVision, and how the internship here has affected me.

My FableVision Story is aimed at students like me who are seeking a valuable internship that they can connect with. If you’re thinking of interning at FableVision Studios, check out our internship page and apply today! I am very happy that FableVision has become a part of my story – will it be a part of yours?

Anime, and Cosplay, and Panels, Oh My!

The first Anime Boston I attended was back in 2012. Since I was going to school in the city, I finally had the perfect opportunity to go without worrying about transportation or getting a hotel. I was excited to dress up as two of my favorite characters – Super Danny from Danny Phantom and Yukio Okumura from Blue Exorcist – but I in no way knew how amazing the con experience would turn out to be.

So what exactly is Anime Boston? It’s a three-day convention held annually at the Hynes Convention Center that celebrates Japanese animation, manga, pop-culture, and various other Japanese media. Con-goers typically cosplay (dress up) as their favorite anime or non-anime characters (cartoons, comics, video games, and live-action shows and movies are not excluded). People of all ages are welcomed at the convention – it’s especially adorable to see kids there admiring the cosplayers that bring their favorite characters to life!

The best part about Anime Boston is the atmosphere it creates for people of all fandoms. Whether you are there for the information panels, anime premiere showings, or simply to make a purchase in the Artist’s Alley (my favorite!), you are sure to find others with similar interests. At an anime convention, no one questions you for wearing a suit of armor or magical girl uniform – instead, you can expect fans to take your picture and compliment on how amazing your cosplay looks!

Cosplaying is one of the funnest parts of the Anime Boston experience. Cosplayers prepare their outfits and props months in advance for the three day convention. Our first year my friend and I learned first hand how much time and effort is put into the creation of these cosplays.

One of many prop-painting sessions!

My mémère used her amazing sewing skills to help create my character's bullet belt (as shown on the manga below it).

At my first convention, the months of cosplay preparation my friend and I had spent were put to great use when we joined a photoshoot for Blue Exorcist. Having a photoshoot with people cosplaying characters from the same show, each in their own way, was a blast!  I had never attended anything where people from various fandoms were allowed to get together to enjoy and celebrate their mutual interests in such an awesome way. It’s not everyday that a group of strangers are able to immediately connect and bond over their love of one show – no conversation starters needed! 

The praise we received from the other members at the photoshoot, and the many photos other people took of us throughout the con, rewarded my friend and I for our hard work in putting our outfits together. We also learned that the heart and soul cosplayers infuse into their crafted costumes and props brings joy not only to themselves, but the people who recognize and compliment them on effectively portraying their favorite characters.

This year, I had a new cosplaying partner in crime. However, since we’re both seniors overwhelmed with work while finishing up our college career, we didn't have much time in advance to put everything together. The day before the convention, we spent hours putting the finishing touches on our latest cosplays – I went as Yuno Gasai (Future Diary), while my friend went as Vanellope von Schweetz (Wreck-It Ralph). Our excitement for the upcoming day wasn’t the only sugar rush we experienced – that Friday night was spent sticking (and super-gluing) peppermints, Sweet Tarts, and Twizzlers onto my friend’s wig!

I can now add "candy hairdressing" to my resume!

My friend cosplaying as Vanellope Von Schweetz

Myself cosplaying as Yuno Gasai

Each year Anime Boston has a theme. This year’s was Kaiju vs. Mecha; “Kaiju” are monsters like Godzilla, while “Mecha” stands for people controlling robots or machines. My favorite theme was back in 2013: “Tales of Yōkai,” or stories about supernatural beings. Panels and events are typically scheduled around the theme of the year; prominent members of Japanese media, performers, and voice actors often attend as special guests for fans to meet or get autographs from. This year, for the Kaiju part of the theme, Akira Takarada (the director of the original Godzilla films) and Haruo Nakajima (the monster suit actor) were guests of honor – pretty awesome, huh?

Overall, my friend and I ended up having a great time. We took plenty of pictures, wandered around the Artist's Alley (buying lots of cool art and merchandise in the process!), and loved getting to wear our latest cosplays (which still turned out amazing, even if we we short on time!)

While the convention can be exhausting, the people I have met and the memories I have gained there always make a slight lack of sleep totally worth it.