Working on a live set of a commercial… My second Internship.

What was once just a 1’ X 1’ image of a light fixture in my television production textbook (barely legible photograph, albeit) is now an Arri 300 Watt Tungsten Fresnel hanging from my hand and being prepped for a live set for a company called Applebox Productions. Which is located on Haines St. in Jacksonville, Florida.

Left with the choice of taking another history class or interning, I chose interning. Most people don’t intern until their senior of college when it’s required. And some who don’t have it as a requirement and are stagnate and never intern. Which is a fatal mistake in the land of communications.

When Mitt Romney and the other republicans were fighting for his spot this spring at a convention hosted by the University of North Florida campus. I was giving the opportunity to speak to a correspondent in the CNN van. She said internships are key to getting jobs like this. After this I decided that I wanted to have an internship at least once a semester. I have come close to fulfilling this goal.

This is where Mrs. Robertson falls into place. She helped me get my internship with Osprey TV and Osprey Radio and said I was able to take a final internship with her. Providentially, my mentor told me he was leaving town but knew someone I could intern for. He said a buddy of his, Andrew Howell, went to our church and owned a lighting and grip company called Applebox and that he could get me inI was stoked and surprised.

It’s amazing how I could go to a church for two years and not know that someone in the film production industry went there. I called Andrew the next day, filled out some paperwork from Mrs. Roberson and the Applebox internship was set in stone.

This is an Applebox it is commonly used in filming for wedging, siting equipment on uneven terrain and occasionally used as a chair. Courtesy of Portable Work Bench.

This is Applebox production. Its name actually stems from the name of the physical box. It’s a production company for North Florida film and video production services. Courtesy of Street View by Google Maps. The grass has been mowed since this picture was taken.

Within the first week of interning at Applebox I went to a real film gig. It was a going to be a nationwide released commercial for an E3 spark plug. The commercial's plot was about how one spark plug is better than the leading alternative brands. On set, I got to erect and take down grip equipment as well as set down furniture pads for ground level camera angles. This was one of the best experiences I had at Applebox.

Here is a photo from the set of the commercial and here is a link to the commercial on Vimeo

Throughout the semester I learned how to build up camera cranes and repair lights. Some days it was over 100 degrees in the building and there were no fans… It was actually hotter than my other job at UPS. Somedays at Applebox there was a lot of work but it was well worth it… and I always remember this verse.

And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men. - Colossians 3:23 - King James Version