Arlene Garcia

This summer I had the pleasure of being a TV production intern at Lionsgate Studios. The internship was from June to August and in this short span I was able to find a voice and a new passion that has directed me onto a new career path. Before arriving at Lionsgate I had no idea what to expect as I was under the impression that working under an executive would be scary. Therefore I was very anxious coming in, however this anxiety quickly melted the first day as I got to meet my summer cohort and began meeting others like me.

Over the course of the internship I had the privilege of soaking up every opportunity I could. This internship allowed me to meet college filmmakers from all over, network across various production studios and attend the production set for the show The Rookie. From day 1, our internship mentor set up a speaker series and workshop events for the interns to gain a well-rounded understanding of the company and to be able to grow new skills. Outside of the internship, I was able to use my UCSB skills and help a fellow intern produce a short and was able to attend the Las Culturistas Culture awards as a seat filler.

My favorite part about this internship was the connections I made not only with my fellow interns but with the executives as well. I had the pleasure of working closely with the assistants and coordinators for the TV production department and learned so much from individuals who were not much older than me. Numerous one-on-one meetings with executives allowed me to create a personal relationship with each one of them that I still continue to have. This internship left me feeling like I have a place in the TV side of the entertainment industry, and will continue to build my way up to creating my own shows one day.