Good for getting into the film industry with little to no experience, however there is a very hostile work environment
Positive aspects:
- Working with ÉCU I was able to observe the organization of a small film festival and worked in an environment that pushed me to further develop my autonomy and work efficiency, where the various departments collaborate to ensure the festival's success follwoing the boss's instructions. It was a good opportunity to be able to use my video production and editing skills, and to watch independent filmmakers's work.
- The festival is located in Paris, which is a very open and artistic city with loads of opportunities to volunteer on film sets outside of working hours and on weekends.
- The relationship with my colleagues during working hours has always been respectful and polite. The environment was very young and multicultural, given that the office was composed of almost all interns from different educational backgrounds and origins. Although there were moments of tension caused by disagreements and competitiveness among colleagues, overall the collaboration was adequate and effective in achieving the festival's objectives.
- The festival manager, Rodrigo Bedwell Estrada, has been understanding and open to discussion and to questions. I was able to hear about his experience working in the film industry matured as a producer and cameraman, providing me with some technical tips and advice on a career in the field.
Negative aspects:
- The environment does not really promote developing your own ideas and improving your skills with tips, all interns are left on their own.
- In the working relationship with the festival managers, and in particular with the festival's head and founder, Scott Hillier, several critical issues emerged. The internship period was characterized by a significant lack of organization and by unclear and discontinuous communication regarding the tasks assigned to my (and all) department(s). Frequent programme changes communicated at the last moment have often forced me and other interns to make hasty decisions and work under pressure, with possible repercussions on the public image of the festival.
Additionally, Scott Hillier has significantly contributed to creating a hostile, tense and uncomfortable environment in the office on several occasions through behaviors and comments perceived as negative, judgmental and sometimes inappropriate. These comments were mostly directed at the women in the office, concerning our appearance, hobbies, personalities, and relationships, with implied sexual comments. I can confidently say that most of the interns felt uncomfortable with the sexist comments and jokes he made during office hours.
The use of disrespectful language and the manifestation of evident preferences towards some interns (he made lunch for two interns because they were his ‘favourites’) to the detriment of others, have influenced negatively on the working environment, making the company very unprofessional.
In addition, unlike the company tutor, the boss has shown no interest in providing concrete support or clarification regarding tasks, operational deadlines, and artistic choices, often responding evasively or superficially.
- Furthermore, after an analysis of the French law by some interns of the company, it was found out that internships must be paid if they are longer than 2 consecutive months, or starting from the 309th hour or 44th day of the internship if it’s not full-time. Our working hours were Monday to Friday from 10 am to 5 pm, and most interns, including me, worked at the festival for over 2 months without ever being paid. This not only makes the company illegal, but also proves their lack of transparency and shows the little value given to the hard work of the interns.
- Finally, the office itself is very small, frequently dirty and gave the impression of a poorly maintained place.