Daniel Foster
Daniel Foster
It's Like Tinder, but Without the Sex
Hey everyone, my name is Daniel Foster.You can call me Dan for short, but then again you can’t call me, because this is a written document and you don’t have my number. Logistics aside, welcome to JTWO Films!
Although I am not Patrick Stewart, I know what you are thinking. “Please for the love of god, don’t let me mess this up!”. Relax, take a deep breath, and pet one of these amazingly friendly puppies. Now, I have only been here for a few days, but can already tell this is the kind of environment that you learn the most in. JTWO was a glistening light in the smog that is post college. Application after application with little to no response, best describes the months of disappointment following graduation. I was starting to lose hope and felt like Tom Hanks on his stranded island, where the only thing I had was my film degree.
Luckily, JTWO took a chance and gave me an internship I couldn’t be more happy about.
You have a relaxed, but professional group of leaders, kind and helpful interns, and amazing gear that industry professionals use. Those three things will make this not only insightful, but a lot of fun! Some tips I can give in your first few days are memorize the boot camp. This tool is insanely well put together and very helpful moving forward. I was constantly looking back to ensure that i was following the proper protocol with footage and will surely reference long after my time here.
When in doubt, ask questions! You don’t have to be Sherlock Holmes to figure out everything, sometimes the simplest solution is simply asking someone.Of course, you should do some research on your own. A Lot of the things you work with have answers to questions via the internet. That cool thing that is useful for more things than your “ME” time.
With that said, this is an internship built to give you knowledge to succeed. So don’t pull a Sherlock Holmes and over analyze something for four seasons, just ask questions! I promise they won’t think any less of you……..well maybe Jelani.
I am very eager to get rolling on some projects. The fact that you’re going to spend most your day doing something you went to school for should excite you. This is the time to make yourself stand out, so be sure to come here with your game face on.
Now let’s come full circle with the answer to your question, how is this anything like Tinder? Well……Lemme actually think and make up something. Ok, got it! You built your profile, you put yourself out there, and now you have matched with something really special. You’re going to have those few awkward first exchanges, but eventually things could turn out really sexy (As in the projects that you’re going to be working on). See, told you I could do it.
Now enough motivation, go kick some ass.
JTWO Welcomes Intern Maria Vattimo
Maria Vattimo
Become the Sponge
As a newly found graduate of JTwo-U bootcamp, the excitement of week two at JTwo begins with my first intern project. The first few days of interning consisted of being a mere sponge, soaking in pages and pages of information, inspirational storytelling tips, and videos of monotoned middle-aged men explaining how to properly hold a boom pole. Don’t get me wrong, it has been more than helpful as most things we were taught our freshman year of college have been long forgotten.
Remember that horrible camcorder movie you made with your middle school friends? Remember showing your parents and unnervingly staring at their faces, with the anticipation of the big punch line, wanting nothing more but for them to crack a smile? That was our first taste of what we’ll be doing for the rest of our lives. The drive to create meaning and inspire a feeling can’t be formulated, only developed through practice and determination, and that’s why I’m here; to become better at what I do and learn from those that are doing what they love.
Now, why am I doing this? Why wasn’t I a business major? Well….
My dad is a professional jazz pianist and my mom is a photographer so it’s no wonder I’ve been sucked into the arts my whole life. I’ve bounced around from one art form to the next from painting, dancing, acting, and even trumpet-playing but nothing captured me quite like photography and film. I started taking photos and dabbling in film when I was about 12 and from then on I felt at home behind the camera. Whether it be still or moving, capturing an image that explores something beyond the frame is where my heart is. In the past few years I’ve been working as a photographer and cinematographer for short films, an AC/Cam Op on feature films, along with working as a freelancer for advertisements, music videos, and events. I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve done so far but I want to expand my reach and grow as a DP and I have no doubt that JTwo is the perfect place for me to improve my craft. Wish me luck over the next twelve weeks, I’m sure I’ll need it.
Team Travels to San Diego
Team Travels to San Diego
Our team recently travelled to San Diego, CA to continue the Janssen Immunology Storyteller Series.
With the help of Janssen Immunology + Tonic Life Communications we have been documenting the stories of some of their employees in an ongoing series on the Janssen Global channel.
A Day with Simone Biles in DC
With Alcohol Awareness Month coming to a close, our team made one last trip to Washington, D.C. to tag along with Olympic Gold Medalist, Simone Biles and Responsibility.org as well as special guest, ABC’s Dancing with the Stars as they visited students at Arlington Science Focus School and Capitol Hill to help raise awareness about the dangers of underage drinking.
This is the second project to this month that we had the opportunity to produce with Simone and Responsibility.org as part of our Projects That Matter Initiative.
Stay tuned for the video projects!
JTWO Welcomes DP Aly Spengler
Introducing Aly Spengler
We are proud to announce the newest addition to our squad, award-winning Director of Photography / Visual Badass, Aly Spengler. We have been working with Aly for a few years now and we absolutely love her work. We couldn’t be more thrilled to add her in a permanent capacity as JTWO’s in-house head of Visual Storytelling.
She began her career producing behind the scenes fashion editorial videos and small-scale documentaries in the winter of 2008. While pursuing her bachelors degree, she worked with local Philadelphia organizations like FringeArts, Govberg Jewelers, iW Magazine, and the Philly iconic, MadDecent. She went on to produce videos for high-end luxury watch brands like Rolex, Breitling, Omega, and Bulova. After graduating with outstanding achievements and winning Best Portfolio in her graduating class, she quickly landed numerous high-profile opportunities working for Comcast, and some of the most elite names within the pharmaceutical industry.
While her core passion lies in documentary and features, she holds a unique admiration for motorcycles and 2-wheeled adventures. She has worked closely with some of the most famous female icons within the motorcycle subculture, as well as being invited to capture and produce work for both The Dream Roll and Babes Ride Out, two of the most prestigious all-female motorcycle events in the United States. These opportunities went on to land her collaboration works with Triumph, and Harley-Davidson.
Projects with Purpose
Because a large part of what we do here at JTWO is create projects through our Projects That Matter Initiative, we knew Aly was the perfect fit while we were looking to expand our team. She has been working on personal social change projects as a documentary filmmaker covering the recent Presidential Election and the Women’s March here in Philadelphia that has caught the eye of media outlets such as the Huffington Post.
In Aly's Words
“Teamwork is the most essential part of this industry. What we see in movies and on television wouldn’t be possible without a carefully curated group of individuals coming together to help execute a common vision. There is no “I” in team. This is not the industry to float on ones ego, but rather, help boost each other up and forward. I love this industry because it has given me the opportunity to meet and work with people from a wide variety of backgrounds. Writers, composers, directors, visual effects artists – those who grew up with riches, and those who grew up poor. We all have our own backstory and what lead us to this field and what keeps us driven and motivated. The thing we have in common is our passion for storytelling, whether it be in pre-production or the fine tuning in post. For some, finding a solid team can be hard to come by, but with JTwo, I have found a home.”
Chris Coughlan - "Originality in the Physical Form"
Chris Coughlan
Getting Started
Hello, my name is Chris Coughlan. I’m a recent graduate of Temple University with a Media Studies and Production degree.
When applying for the internship, I felt like this was my last resort. Nonprofessional sets weren’t giving me the experience I desperately needed. I’d been out of school almost a year. Not having a job right out of the gate pushed at my buttons.
Here at JTwo, my experience is like I’m at work. That has helped me feel more settled. I’ve been thrown right into working and creating. I’ve been one of the first to play around with the new A7S II. The FS7 looks quite appealing (Guys, this is my official request to try it. I’ve spent the past couple of days reading up on it). My goal is to work in the camera or lighting department. I want to help make the images that you see on a big screen.
At first, it was pretty daunting to be in the office. My bootcamp consisted of me in a room all by myself. That’s the very last place I’d hope to be. The inspirational videos are actually something I come back to when I feel in a rut. Especially when Jelani reminds me, or tells other people, that I look like Kenneth from 30 Rock. Thanks man, now I lack originality in the physical form as well.
I came to JTwo with the intention to hone my skills and work with higher grade cinema equipment. On top of that, I was looking for a team. Week 3 is coming to a close, and I’m happy to say I’ve been enjoying my stay. Opportunities to work on actual client projects are abundant. Your greatest learning experiences will come from these. Say yes to any of these opportunities. Volunteer as a tribute/slave to the Film Gods. I mean…be a PA.
You should absolutely read the blogs, they’ll do you justice. They may scare you, they’ll worry you, but they will HELP you. What’s most important is that you pay attention, they’re speaking from experience. Get through the bootcamp and reap the rewards of working on REAL things. I’m happy to say I’ve started shooting, and I will be going on my first set with the gang tomorrow. (UPDATE: I went, I shot, and had a blast with people of Bringing Hope Home.)
If I could give you the biggest tip of them all, research it before you ask a question. Half of my internship has been research and studying that research. Be prepared for whatever it is you are about to do. Learn more about what you currently do, you do not know as much as you think you do. I haven’t been yelled at or scolded just yet, but I’ve been avoiding it by staying on my toes and trying to get ahead of the game. It’s mostly because I worry myself. It’s probably a matter of time before my feelings get bruised.
Here’s to good luck and preparation. I look forward to the next blog, as I’ll likely have much more to say. You’re reading this because you proved yourself. Now, you have to keep that up.
Jake Price - "Don't Get Too Comfortable"
Jake Price
Rowan University
It’s been a while since I wrote one of these. I’ve been interning at JTwo for about six months now and I’m loving every bit of it! A lot has happened since my last post, so I’ll run you through some quick updates:
- I DJed the JTwo New Years Eve party (lit)
- I wrote a more unified script for the interns video (now titled “The Studio Life” by Justin)
- I started shooting scenes for said video
- Oh, there’s a new intern this semester, Scott. He’s a cool guy!
- I got to star in a video for Comcast. I felt like a big star, having a makeup and wardrobe department at my disposal. But don’t worry, I’m still humble about being an amazing actor.
- I went to the Addy Awards with Scott and Travis and we took home 3 awards for JTwo!
- I started working on another video series to help with revamping the JTwo U program.
- I did some client work for Century 21 and a lot more client work for FAAR.
- Also, another intern, Chris, started a couple weeks ago.
So that’s a rushed overview of where things have been going, but I think what’s most important isn’t what I’ve done, but what I’ve learned. Sure, I learned skills here and there with editing or when using a camera or light, but I think some of the bigger things I learned had to do with my own work ethic. When I first started at JTwo, I was eager to show my bosses what I could do — this hasn’t changed — and I think I really kicked ass my first semester. I’m not saying I stopped trying, but I noticed that I definitely didn’t feel the same need to try as hard when I came back from my winter break. I felt more comfortable in the office (for the most part, a good thing!), but I got a bit too lax about it all. I came in late a few times and sometimes forgot to say when I was going to be in or not (my schedule this semester is confusing and changes week-to-week). For the most part, things have been great, but I learned that I need to always stay hungry for more work, always be at 100%, and always communicate with people. These are life skills I learned through trial and error, but hopefully you, future intern reading this, can see where I went wrong and do things right for yourself.
But, like I said, getting comfortable around the office isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Working at JTwo for six months means I’ve had more opportunities to bond with the people around me (the dogs, too). Some of the best parts of being at JTwo are the (unfiltered) conversations that pop up randomly throughout the day. I know that when this internship ends, that will be one of the things I miss most – the people.
I still have a month left, and after coming to terms with some of my flaws in the past, I’m committing to turning myself around and having an amazing last 4 weeks of being a JTwo intern.
Until next time,
Your friendly neighborhood Spiderman
Crista Pillitteri - Rowan University
Crista Pillitteri
Rowan University
When JTWO Films took me in, I was a college senior. Yet, I still had a ton to learn. As an intern, I could have never expected the amount of experience they would give me.
…Or that I wouldn’t leave.
In my previous internships, I watched my supervisors during the shoots. I shadowed as they setup the wires, and they held the camera. I listened as they ran the show. But at JTWO, I was part of the crew. I had responsibilities, and as an intern so will you. I ran a camera. I setup the audio. I edited videos. And I had an opinion. Because I knew that the work I was doing was serious, for real clients, and because JTWO treated me as part of their crew, I worked harder. And it made me better.
JTWO gave me opportunities to both perfect a craft I was interested in, and to figure out new ones. I came in wanting to be a cinematographer and left dabbling in After Effects.
With JTWO, you can go in any direction, once you (and they) realize what your passions are. As an intern I did work with editing, camera, interviewing, graphics, and social media. You’ll quickly realize that there are so many areas for you to fit your interests into.
I think what is most important though, what really made JTWO different from any other internships I could have done, is that the JTWO guys genuinely wanted me to grow as a filmmaker. They took time to keep pushing me. And having people behind you like that is something that is a really big deal when you’re still trying to figure out where you’re going.
Field Journal: For Aaron The Documentary
For Aaron: The Documentary
Notes From The Road
For Aaron: the Documentary is the award winning film that launched our Projects That Matter Initiative. In 2009 we followed a group of friends on the adventure of a lifetime as they traveled across 17 states, 6000 miles, and two support vehicles over the course of 65 days as they honored their fallen brother.
One of those cyclists was Kylar Krebs. This is his journal from the road.
Growing Up
The Family You Choose
When I was 4 years old, I met my very first of the two best friends I would ever have. His name was Aaron, and he lived right across the street from me. Shortly after we would meet Justin. For 18 years, we grew up together, shared our lives together, and became as close as any three people could in this world. We were brothers in all but blood.
On January 18th, 2009, Aaron lost his life in an early morning car crash. When it was finally confirmed, I felt a hurt that I didn’t think was possible to feel. Every memory, from the laughs we shared to the joys we experienced, brought a flood of tears to my eyes. Knowing that I would never look across the street and see him getting out of his car, and never being able to shout his name to him and hear him respond with mine. How could I ever come to grips with losing the person who helped mold a third of the person I had become?
Justin would give me the answer to that question.
I'm In
My Call to Action
The previous summer, Justin and Aaron came up with the idea that the three of us should take a cross-country bicycle trip after we all had graduated college. Unfortunately, Aaron didn’t survive to see the idea to fruition. About a month after we laid Aaron to rest, Justin called me and told me that we should still go on the bike trip, as a way to honor Aaron’s memory.
However, Justin had more ideas than just the two of us riding bicycles across the country. He had decided that we should make a documentary out of the trip, chronicling not only our journey, but also the entire scope Aaron’s and our lives.
I was out in our family garage shortly after Justin had dropped the documentary idea on me, when I unearth my old bicycle. It was the same bicycle that I had rode the night Justin and I ended up being brought home in a cop car. I thought back to that night, and what I had told Justin. I told him sneaking out that late and riding that far just to meet up with a couple of girls was a really bad idea, but he was hell bent on going. When I realized how determined he was, the only thing that I could say to him was “Well, I can’t let you go alone…”
I called Justin, and simply told him “I’m in.”
The Team
August 20th, 2009
We found our crew in a couple of Justin’s friends and classmates from college: Geoff, Justin’s former roommate and friends would be our driver/navigator, and Jon, one of Justin’s film-study classmates, would be our cinematographer. Another one of Justin’s film-study friends, Travis, couldn’t come along on the trip, but offered to be our principle editor for the film. With that, we had our principal crew in place.
On August 20th, 2009, I left my home in rural Central Pennsylvania and drove across the country to Los Angeles. A week after arriving in L.A., I embarked on the return trip home. I experienced nature at its most fierce and witnessed it at its most awe-inspiring moments. I faced the most intense adversities I had ever experienced. Two months after leaving the west coast, I myself back in my hometown in Pennsylvania, and I had completed the entire journey…from the seat of a bicycle.
The day of our departure rolled around quicker than I ever thought it would. We said a tearful goodbye to our families, and on a cloudy morning on August 20th, our journey began.
The Mojave Desert
I'll Never Let You Down
Over the next few days we made our way out of the Los Angeles area and into the remote areas of the Mojave Desert. I had thought the hot asphalt and metal buildings of the city would be as tough as it got, and I was so dead wrong it wasn’t funny. Riding around the humid country roads of Central Pennsylvania is one matter; braving the mean city streets of LA in 100-degree dry heat was another. It seemed like the heat was sapping my strength quicker than I had ever anticipated. I was going through water quicker than I should have, and with the temperatures super-heating our drinks in astonishing time, it was almost impossible to get refreshed. I had finally decided to give up, and admit I couldn’t get up this hill, out of this desert, across the country, and finally home. My mind and body had totally failed me, and I needed to flat out quit.
I was going to call Geoff to come pick me up and help me throw in the towel. As I opened the bag, my wallet fell to the ground. As I bent over to pick it up, I saw it had fallen open to a picture of Aaron I had stashed in it on the day we left for the trip. My mind turned to a thought that pained me almost as bad as when I first realized Aaron was gone. The thought that I was letting him down.
Goodbye Gary
Gallup, New Mexico
The trip went on without incident for a while until we reached a small town called Gallup. It was here that our RV, the Gary, decided that it could go no further, and completely broke down.
We informed our parents of what was going on, and they pooled their resources together to come up with a solution.
Justin and my parent’s came up with the idea that we could use Justin’s family’s pop-up camper, and use Justin’s father’s truck to tow it.
We were back on track.
That is, until I crashed my bike. After some half-assed triage on my bloody appendages, we were back on the road. Over the next few days we covered some good distance. We rode across the Oklahoma panhandle into Kansas.
1 Day, 100 Miles
Kansas
About halfway through the state Justin suggested we challenge ourselves to ride 100 miles in one day. At his point my body was starting get into cycling-shape. I told Justin lets try it, and the following day we went for it. Just as the sun was starting to set, Justin took us into a stone pull off. As I pulled off, he unclipped his pedometer from his bike and tossed it to me. I looked at it, and saw the big 1 followed by two zero’s, and couldn’t believe it.
“YOU CAN'T UNDERSTAND BEAUTIFUL UNTIL YOU KNOW WHAT I HAVE SEEN.”
For Aaron
Endless Rain
St. Louis
We reached St. Louis a couple days later, and camped out in an RV park. That night it began to rain. And it rained. And it kept raining.
While we sat there idle for those rainy days, I had a lot of time to contemplate. I realized how grateful I was that I didn’t have the same worries as other people normally do at this stage in their lives. For me there was only the road, the crew, and our destination.
After three days we decided that we couldn’t waste any more time regardless of the rain. We packed up, bundled up, and hit the road through some of the coldest slop I’ve ever endured. The rain seriously slowed our progress, and we could only put in about half as many miles as before. We traversed across Illinois easily enough, and made our way into Indiana.
People Along The Way
Ithaca, Ohio
We left Indy behind and started putting fewer and fewer miles between our destination and us. The rain was becoming a big downer, however and our moods were turning sour. We were starting to run low on money, and to say that cabin fever was getting to us was an understatement. We had arranged to meet with a newspaper reporter in the small town of Ithaca, Ohio. After talking to the reporter, we decided to chill out there for the night, and started looking for a place to stay. We made our way to a local bed and breakfast, and we told our story to the woman who answered the door. She sympathized with our cause, and took us in for the night, on the house.
Road Sign Salvation
60 Miles To Go
We had gotten the idea that we would like to share the experience of riding for the documentary with our friends and family, and came up with the concept of inviting everybody who was able to join us on the final 60 miles of the trip. In the pouring rain, we met the first group of our friends in the parking lot of a local restaurant. Our friends celebrated around us, and after a moving prayer from Aaron’s father, we set out for our hometown. For me, this final ride was some of the most fun that I had on the trip. Sharing with our friends and family the experience of riding for all those miles brought me an amazing sense of joy.
We picked up a second group of our friends at the halfway point, continued on. We eventually rode into the parking lot of our high school, where the ending of our trip and documentary was to culminate. We rode in to a huge surprise, as a huge crowd of family, friends, and supporters were gathered to welcome us and celebrate our arrival. The high school marching band was even there to play us in as we rode to the celebration.
For Aaron
3000 Miles
As I rode for those last few moments before the crowd swarmed me, my thoughts turned to Aaron. Silently, I thanked him for helping me to get over those hills, and watching over me and keeping me safe as I journeyed over this amazing country. I hugged The Klingers’, who had gave to the world one of the most amazing friends you could ever find, and for everything they had done for us. I went and hugged Geoff and Jon, and thanked them for sacrificing their time and giving of themselves to help make the journey possible. Lastly, with tears starting to well in my eyes, I went up to Justin, and gave him the strongest hug of the day.
We had fulfilled our promise to the friend we had lost, and together we had completed the greatest adventure of our lives. There was and is no one else who could have ever pushed me to help me undertake and complete the journey. There is no one out there who I could ever have seen myself doing the trip with. We are and always will be brothers.
And so, our amazing journey had ended. We had traveled over 3000 miles by bicycle, and over 6000 miles overall. We conquered the heat of the Mojave Desert, defeated the winds of the Great Plains, and faced down the cold autumn rains of the East. We discovered the depths of our resolve, and surpassed them. We sweat, bled, ached, shivered, raged and cried. And we did it all…For Aaron.
The Premiere
One year after the day we left to bike across America, we premiered the film in front of our hometown, Milton, Pennsylvania. We knew we were going on a film festival run and in the world of festivals the premiere is coveted. However, we didn’t care – we knew there was only one place, in one town, amongst our friends that helped to make all of this possible that truly deserved that premiere.
On August 21 – For Aaron: The Documentary officially debuted for the world to see.
The Result
Around The Country & Back Again
One year after the day we left to bike across America, we premiered the film in front of our hometown, Milton, Pennsylvania. We knew we were going on a film festival run and in the world of festivals the premiere is coveted. However, we didn’t care – we knew there was only one place, in one town, amongst our friends that helped to make all of this possible that truly deserved that premiere.
On August 21 – For Aaron: The Documentary officially debuted for the world to see.
This project was made possible through our Projects That Matter Initiative. The Projects That Matter Initiative is a Philadelphia based video production program with the mission of providing professional digital media services to Non-Profits at a discounted rate. To learn more about how your organization can join the initiative and qualify for creative content production discounts click below.
Shaq + Responsibility.org March Madness
Our team travelled to the NBA’s Turner Studios to capture former NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal as he once again teamed up with the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility to promote responsible drinking to those planning to drink while their favorite teams are shooting hoops during March Madness.
Responsibility.org created the Virtual Bar to educate of-age adults about responsible drinking whether hosting or attending parties where alcohol is served. It’s all about understanding what it actually means to drink responsibly and, if you choose to drink, how to know your limits.
The Virtual Bar can help explain how different factors affect your blood-alcohol concentration or BAC on an individual level and can also can help you see how your night could go depending on the food you eat, the water you drink throughout the night, and other important variables. The tool is available on line and can also be downloaded as a free app.
The Virtual Bar is available for free from the iTunes App and Google Play stores and is also available online at Responsibility.org/VirtualBar