Chaplin and Campfires

Today was the first day of my internship. I woke up quite early to get a start on my journey to Tufnell Park, an area in Northern London where my work experience would take place. I headed out the door and went to Southbury station happy to find that a train was arriving just only 5 minutes from when I arrived. Also at the platform was Themos from Cyprus waiting for the train to go to work. We took the train to Seven Sisters, then I rode it to Euston and transferred to Tufnell Park. I made the journey in record time, especially for the rush hour of commuters. I had about 30 minutes so I got off early at Camden Town and had a look around, and then went to Cineflix, the company that I was to start my internship with.

Cineflix is located on the third floor (or 2nd floor here, because they call the first floor the ground floor, and the next one the 1st floor – kind of confusing.) It is a nice a bright office with hardwood floors and natural cealing light – it has a very modern feel to it, there are no cubicles, just large desks joined in groups. All of the employees work on apple laptops or desktops. I was informed that I would be working on a program with the working title “Stupid Science.” The programme, which is being produced for the National Geographic Society will play in the UK and many other countries around the world, minus the US. The show is in its final scripting stages and shooting will begin in a couple of weeks. I was given a desk with the group and a computer to work on. I sit across from Martin one of the producers, and Ed, the director is at another desk with Alex, the researcher. The show will focus on quirky science that is being done around the world, then explain the scientific properties. The key to the show is the classic British humor and wit – a specific reason that it is not being marketed to the US. The US television audience is a very specific audience, and the dry humor does not appeal to them supposedly (even though I love it.) I helped by researching some famous science experiments, getting the details of how to do the experiment and who did it. The National Geographic Society has two branches for their television production, 1. the commissioning editors – the people who make the decisions about the shows 2. the researchers – a giant department that just checks all of the facts. All of the work on “Stupid Science” has to be checked by the researchers before the script is approved.

It was a very fun day, and I really enjoyed the people that I was able to work with. Martin said that I am here at the perfect time because I will be able to help in development and see the shooting – as well as many aspects of the production.






I left their office at around 6:15 pm and began my journey back to central London. I decided to get off at Oxford Street Station because I wanted to walk into the Apple store to see if they had the new ipod’s that play video just to toy around with, but they were not there yet. I had also read in the paper that tonight was the first night of the London film festival. I headed to Trafalgar Square, where I was greeted with a gigantic movie screen as I emerged from the tube station playing Charlie Chaplin films with a piano accompaniment – it was very impressive. The sight was really beautiful because when you were watching the screen you could see Big Ben in the distance.

I stayed and watched the films for a while, then they began showing short films that are in this year’s competition. There was an incredible claymation piece that focused on depression, a hilarious animated short about a badger that lives in a small hill, where one day a missile control centre is placed inside. It was time to head home, and Stephanie and Erigony were waiting in the kitchen. Lidia and Michaele then came over and we roasted Tesco marshmallows over a lighter. It was quite tedious but delicious nonetheless.