Lauren Fan, a junior at Northwestern, shared with us a little bit about her journey with film and her upcoming 12-week internship at DreamWorks Animation in Glendale, California!
Name: Lauren Fan
Age: 20
Major: RTVF, Segal Design
Hometown: Pleasanton, California
Her Campus: What are some of your earliest memories of becoming interested in filmmaking?
Lauren Fan: In elementary school, I would run around with my laptop using the built-in camera to make little one-take videos with my friends. In sixth grade, I got my first MacBook and opened iMovie for the first time, which is when I first really started taking an interest in film because I could edit the videos now. It was all just ad-libbed stuff and quick videos like “My Friend Kelly Opens the Window.” Then, in high school, I started taking more classes related to video production, and in college, I decided to try and turn my hobby into a major.
HC: How does your family feel about your interest in filmmaking?
LF: They’re like a cast of characters that I get to work with. In 2011, we did a spoof of 007 with my grandpa where he played James Bond and it was really funny. My grandparents even ended up showing it at their 50th anniversary.
HC: How were you able to get your summer internship at DreamWorks Animation?
LH: Every year at Northwestern, I’ve tried to apply for video production jobs. I kind of like doing a little bit of everything, so it was tough for me to specialize, but—being from the Silicon Valley—videography really stood out because it’s the perfect mix of tech and creativity. I had always grown up with animated films as a kid, especially Toy Story. I would always run around saying, “to infinity, and beyond!”
Over the summer, I saw the director of photography for Inside Out speak and I realized there were a lot of other roles in animated films I could try to work with. The actual process of applying was pretty quick. I applied for a lot of positions at DreamWorks and in my second round of applications, I found out I was accepted. I was so excited I sprained my ankle!
HC: What are you most looking forward to doing at your internship?
LF: As the feature production ODW (Oriental DreamWorks) intern, I’ll probably have more of an assistant role but I definitely look forward to gaining any experience I can. I look forward to working on an ODW feature project, but it really doesn’t matter what I do. For me, it’s all about the community I’m in and being able to tell stories and connect people, while having fun at the same time. I’m just really excited and lucky to have this opportunity.
HC: Are you involved in any other organizations on campus?
LF: I’ve worked on student films with EPIC in the past and I’m a photographer for a lot of CSA (Chinese Students Association) events.
HC: What are some of your favorite films?
LF: I find it harder to connect with live action films, so a lot of my favorite films are animated. Toy Story 3 has a special place in my heart, as well as How to Train Your Dragon, Inside Out, Wall-E and The Lego Movie. I like them because whether you’re young or old, everyone can enjoy them.
HC: If you could be a character in a DreamWorks movie, who would you be and why?
LF: I really like Master Oogway the turtle from Kung Fu Panda because he’s just really chill and so cool!
HC: What advice do you think Master Oogway would give you for your internship?
LF: I feel like he is really the best guy to have in the room for an internship. I think he’d say something like, “today is called ‘the present,’ because it is a gift,” and then just disappear into the wind!
Thanks for sharing with us, Lauren!