The Studio Life

The Carnival Wins Best Feature Doc at PRISMA Film Awards

Our latest feature length documentary, The Carnival: 125 Years of the Penn Relays took home the laurel for the Best Feature Doc at the PRISMA Rome Independent Film Awards in Rome, Italy.

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The Carnival Wins Big at Kenya International Sports Film Festival

Our latest feature length documentary, The Carnival: 125 Years of the Penn Relays took home the laurel for the prestigious Safinaz Foundation Award at the Kenya International Sports Film Festival in Nairobi, Kenya.

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JTWO Welcomes Intern Jenna Walker

JENNA WALKER

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The Jenna Show

By Jenna Walker

Growing up, I was always making videos. I used to force my younger brother to record me on our family video camera and called it “The Jenna Show.” I would make up segments to entertain my imaginary audience. That little girl had no idea that those silly videos would spark the passion she would soon have for production. When I got older, I made music videos to my favorite songs. I taught myself how to edit on iMovie by mimicking videos that I watched on YouTube. All of this was purely just for fun and was never taken seriously. I remember feeling a rush of excitement when watching my own videos back but never knowing what to do with this newfound love for creating videos.

That feeling of excitement only grew as I got older. The behind the scenes of movies and television became something I was extremely inspired by. I was obsessed with how ideas come to life on a screen. When starting to think about school, my mindset was always to pick a major and career where I will always love what I’m doing. The passion can never stop. I took a leap and ended up as a Media Studies and Production major at Temple University. Currently in my third year, I have learned so much about different aspects of production and gotten amazing hands-on experience through organizations on my campus.

My goal has always been to work on movies. I want to be able to commit myself to a story and work hard to make it come to life on the screen. I want to make people feel as inspired as I do about production. In the meantime, I plan to take advantage of any opportunity that comes my way. Interning at JTWO will challenge me in ways I have never been and I am excited for the ride. The little girl who once hosted “The Jenna Show” would be so proud. This will be the best season yet.

Jenna Walker is a production student studying at Temple University. She has been involved with several shows within Temple’s very own television station, TUTV. She is currently the director of the late night comedy show, “Temple Tonight.” Jenna has a passion for taking ideas and making them come to life on the screen. She hopes to expand her skills to tell stories that inspire others.

This project was created as part of the JTWO [INC]ubator Project. A semester long internship program built from the ground up to give young filmmakers, content creators, and all around hungry for a challenge individuals a place to stretch their creative minds while preparing them for the road ahead.

JTWO Welcomes Intern Oliver Hough

OLIVER HOUGH

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HyperFocus

By Oliver Hough

Teachers, Doctors, and Parents all have ADHD wrong. I should know, being diagnosed at 6 years old, they have all told me what I need to fix, solve, and figure out to function in society. The main argument against those with ADHD is that we cannot focus, which is not true.

Okay, it is sort of true but let me paint the whole picture before you jump to any conclusions. At least in my experience, I cannot actively focus if I am not interested in the topic. Some examples of topics I could not focus on would be math, geography, golf and plenty of other ideas and hobbies that do not tickle my brain. While this may be true for ADHD, the hyper focus that comes along with interest and genuine passion for a subject becomes a super power. 800 page novel about space politics? Give me three hours and a cozy blanket and consider it done. 4,000 piece lego Death Star set? I may forget to eat but I will have the Death Star by sunset.

When someone with my diagnosis loves something, they truly, passionately immerse themselves into it. This is the same with Film and Editing for myself. Staring at raw footage and imagining what I can do with it, brainstorming a million ideas for the sound design, and just letting my passion enthrall me into my craft. The raw motivation that comes with such intense interest and creativity is truly life changing for people with my diagnosis. I belive ADHD is a major catalyst to realizing how much I wanted to create stories. I quickly could guage how much interest I had in something based on how well I could focus. When it comes to film, and storytelling, my attention was never broken. My passion has never dwindled.

When I got to college and began studying media production, I felt that same feeling I felt reading Dune for the first time, that feeling that you just don’t want to put the book down. You just want to keep going. That was my feeling throughout the entire process creating the series ‘The Cherry On Top’. When I was writing the script and fleshing out ideas, I never wanted to stop. When it was time to film I just kept wanting to try different takes. Then when it came time for post-production, I tried every idea. Film making makes me feel like a kid again: it inspires people, and it tells important stories that deserve a voice. Even the kids who can’t focus.

Oliver Hough is a visual and audio post production specialist. Working in graphic design, web development, video editing, and audio engineering. He has studied media production at Temple University, which has instilled him with the vocabulary and skills to fulfill his and other’s creative visions.

JTWO Welcomes Intern Sienna Bigelow

SIENNA BIGELOW

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Sound Waves

By Sienna Bigelow

Growing up in Hawaii was a pretty unique experience. While monotonous activities like going to school, grocery shopping, and getting gas are the same as everywhere else, other aspects of my childhood, like the stunning sunsets after winter storms, are the parts of home I’ve missed the most since starting college (well, aside from my dogs).

Throughout my life, my dad has loved to go surfing with friends ( AKA “board meetings”) so we’ve had surfboards around ever since I can remember. I’ve always liked the boards and how each one can be used for different swells, moods, and experiences. I also love that each board has battle scars and lore behind it, like the one with the plum-sized dent in its side from an unfortunate altercation with my dad’s chin. I wish I could say I’m an amazing surfer, but in all honesty, I’m mediocre at best due to some intense wipeouts as a kid that made surfing a little intimidating. I can stand up and do basic turns in small swells and white water, buuuuuut that’s about it. I’ve noticed though, without any waves the surfboards just sit there. They still look cool and carry their stories, but until they’re paired with a winter swell on the north shore or a summer swell on the south shore, they’re incomplete.

I grew up loving media, but it wasn’t until I started creating content of my own that I understood how much time and energy goes into even the shortest videos. I would film adventures with my friends on a GoPro then go home and string the clips together, but somehow… The videos always felt incomplete. I added music to the videos by middle school and that helped significantly, but something was still missing. It wasn’t until I started studying music production in college that I realized the importance of sound in media. It’s everywhere! From the audio and sound effects in movies, to the satisfying sound when your card goes through at the store, sound serves as a vital cue in all aspects of life and the stories unfolding around us.

Needless to say, I’ve fallen in love with storytelling through sound. Bringing something that looks cool to life through waves has become a source of satisfaction and joy for me, and I can’t imagine doing anything else. I love having the power to create sound waves that carry and shape stories, because to me videos without audio just sit around and look cool like surfboards. I’m ecstatic about the opportunity to refine my skills and learn more about the film production process at JTWO. I have a feeling the next twelve weeks are going to challenge me, but I’m excited that I’ll have a chance to become more well-rounded as a professional by learning about producing films from start to finish.

Sienna Bigelow is a sound designer and audio post production assistant dedicated to bringing media to life through sound. Alongside studying recording arts and music production at Drexel University, she has worked on a number of films including Sparkle: A Unicorn Tale, Rittenhouse Square, and others. She is passionate about connecting with viewers through audio and media, and strives to perform at the highest level on all of her projects.

"WHERE GINGERS HAVE SOULS" BY KERRI SAGE

"WHERE GINGERS HAVE SOULS"

Director: Keri Sage

Twisted Gingers is the success story of a Brewing Company opened in December 2019 in Northwest Philadelphia by Mark Mayer.

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Twisted Gingers Brewing Company opened in December 2019 in Northwest Philadelphia. Mark Mayer opened a place to share his love of beer, unknowingly right before a global pandemic shut things down- and for many small businesses, for good. But it launched this brewery into a whirlwind of success, thanks to the community surrounding it and the dedication of the owner. Mark’s spirit and success inspired me to create “Where Gingers Have Souls”.

I think the biggest challenge while creating this film has been in the planning stages. Through the process, there were multiple communication issues with clients for previous [INC]ubator project ideas. Additionally, I encountered some technical difficulties as well as a learning curve with new programs such as Davinci.

MEET THE DIRECTOR

Kerri Sage is based in Philadelphia, PA. She is a film major at Temple University with a focus on Cinematography. With a background in photography, she decided to shift her focus to film. JTWO has encouraged and inspired her to learn more about coloring.

"BLACK BOOK TO BURNER" BY EVA CHEESEMAN

"BLACK BOOK TO BURNER"

Director: Eva Cheeseman

Exploring the world of street art in Philadelphia and why murals aren’t just a way to make walls look more exciting.

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Street artists face stigma in society, sometimes making it hard to make a living in an urban setting. This documentary is meant to shed light on the culture behind street art in Philadelphia and why murals aren’t just a way to make walls look more exciting. In Black Book to Burner, we will get to know some local artists and learn their experiences in this industry.

MEET THE DIRECTOR

Eva is a rising senior at Temple University studying Film and Media Production. She had the opportunity to intern with JTWO Films this summer and learn more about all things production as well as create her own documentary start to finish. Moving forward, she wants to pursue professional edition and post production in digital media.

"THE FLOCKS THE DAY YOU WERE BORN" BY SIENA TWISS

"THE FLOCKS THE DAY YOU WERE BORN"

Director: Siena Twiss

The voice of Johnny’s dead mother reads a letter to her son; guiding him through his entire life. As she reveals herself as a soaring bird, we understand the everlasting love she has for her son.

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I chose to make this film because these types of projects are where I can get the most creative and have the most fun. This story came to me after writing a short monologue that eventually turned into the monologue read by the narrator. I think experimenting with film and different forms of storytelling is where you learn what is t you love about your craft. It is important to challenge yourself and I think this film challenged me in a number of ways that have helped me become a better filmmaker. In the end, I chose to make this film because it made me excited and felt like something I could do well while learning.

I think the biggest challenge while creating this film has been trying to put all these pieces together to create a flow and order that tells the story the way I want. There are so many moving parts within this project with the narration, shifts in time and experimental visuals, that the story itself was feeling confusing at points.

My other large challenge was casting and finding someone that matched who I had in my head. However, I think in the end, Ethan Binder was perfect for this character.

MEET THE DIRECTOR

Sienna Twiss is a third year at Drexel University studying Film & Television. She is an aspiring cinematographer and has worked on a handful of successful short films including a project featured in the Annapolis Film Festival. She has worked for several film production companies on the East and West Coasts including JTWO Films, Native Content, Wild Gift Productions, and Filmsters Productions. She will continue her filmmaking journey after graduating in spring of 2024 with a BS in film.

"ALEX BLOM CREATES" BY JASE GIBBONS

"ALEX BLOM CREATES"

Director: Jase Gibbons

Alex Blomstrom owns and operates Alex Blom Creates, a clothing brand that aims to spread kindness and positivity. However, this isn’t always what Alex had in mind for her future.

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Alex Blom Creates has been steadily growing purely through social media and the videos that Alex creates to post on her social media accounts. My goal was to give her brand videos that could both elevate the visual style of Alex’s brand and also serve as hero videos for Alex Blom Creates. Each video highlights a different aspect of Alex Blom Creates: Alex herself, Alex Blom Creates’ brand principles, and the products that Alex creates. This gave me the challenge not only to create three videos that were similar yet unique enough to be watched back-to-back, but also that would fit in with Alex Blom Creates’ current visual style. This challenge is what drew me towards this project, as it caused me to think deeply about every creative decision.

The largest challenge faced was working as a one-man band for majority of the shoots. All b-roll was captures as a one-man crew in small areas. All footage was shot on a 50mm film lens at f1.4 so focus had to be pulled manually, while also directing Alex whenever she was included in the shoot.

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Jase Gibbons is a DP and Editor dedicated to telling the stories of others. While studying film production at Penn State University, he creates films that showcase those who work to better the lives of others. Using an adjacent interest in digital analytics to promote different videos on social media platforms, Jase mixes the creative with the analytical to reach a broader audience.