Cinema arts alumna gives student first big break Monday, August 3, 2009
Beverly Cole, a 2007 graduate of the cinema arts program, has made it to the big time and is taking Ally Weeks, currently a sophomore in the program, along with her. Cole is the Production Secretary for the feature film Sex and the City 2, starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon. She recently hired Weeks as a production intern for the film.
Cole met Weeks when she returned to Point Park the summer after graduation to assist with Point Park's Camp Hollywood, an intensive two-week program where students in grades 10 - 12 write, direct and edit their own short films. Cole served as a teacher's assistant and resident advisor. Weeks was a participant in the program that summer. Cole remembers her as, "extremely hardworking and very interested in the film industry." The two kept in touch after the program, and Weeks decided to enroll at Point Park as a Cinema and Digital Arts major.
Cole works as the production secretary and intern coordinator for Sex and the City 2. She handles the distribution of materials, crew list, keeping track of production files, ordering supplies, and dealing with vendors. During filming, Cole will distribute the call sheets and ensure sides and other materials are prepared for the next day. Weeks will work in the production office, supporting all efforts as needed. She will be able to observe producers, coordinators, assistants, and work with/observe the costume, art and set decorating departments. She will also have the opportunity to do runs within New York City, which is a great way to get familiar with the city.
When asked about her time at Point Park, Cole looks back on it fondly. She said that she learned a great deal about the film industry. "I was able to allow my creativeness to come out and really focus on what I wanted to do," Cole said. During her time as a student, she interned with Animal, a production/post-house in Pittsburgh, and for Mosaic Media Group in Los Angeles. Cole attributes both internships to leveraging networking opportunities at Point Park.
For those students who are considering making cinema and digital arts a career, Cole says, "Do not give up. If you love it, then you will keep going."
Sex and the City 2 is written and directed by Michael Patrick King and is being produced by Warner Bros. Pictures.