Externship Spotlight - Mitch Goldman, Producer
Class Year: 2010
Hometown: Wayne, NJ
Major: Theater, English & Education
Campus Activities: Adminstrative and Publicity Tech. Asst. for Dept. of Theater and Dance, President of Cap and Dagger student-run theater group, Stage Manager for Dept. of Theater and Dance, Publicity Chair for Calvin and Hobbes, Tour Guide, B-Link Corrdinator for Dept. of Theater and Dance
Goals: To have a career in the technical or production side of theater, film or television.
Hobbies: Singing, acting, watching movies, reading, video games and Taekwondo
Externship: Mitch Goldman – Producer, New York City, NY
My experience
Working with Mitch was amazing! I experienced what it is like to be a producer in New York City. I arrived on location for the shoot and was immediately immersed into an entirely different world. The location was the office of BEA Systems where we would be shooting four web video spots. I saw the cinematographer setting up his equipment and the production designer dressing the set. I even helped her amass a variety of objects to fill an empty cubicle. Mitch was wonderful, telling me exactly what was going on every step of the way so that I got the most possible out of the experience. In talking to him before the externship he asked me if I was also an actress in addition to a stage manager. Of course, my answer was yes. He told me to wear coporate attire because he might need an extra in a few of the shots. Needless to say, this was an exciting prospect. As it happened, I was an extra in two of the four spots. The man actor in the spots was Andrew Garman, a Bucknell Alum, who was friends with Mitch in school and has worked with him throughout the years. The three of us has a blast talking about Bucknell and all the professors in the theater department. It truly made me realize how much the University connects people.
The second day of my externship, I watched Mitch edit what we had filmed, and he explained the process to me. I offered my opinion on some of the editing and he used some of my suggesions. He showed me what types of work a producer does in the office when he’s not on location, and he explained the various steps that a producer has to go through in working with a client. It was wonderful to experience almost the full production of these web spots, and I was incredibly excited when Mitch e-mailed me the link to the Youtube video versions.
The Schedule
The day before the shoot was scheduled, Mitch emailed the entire production team (and me!) a “call sheet/shot list.” Basically, it was a ten minute breakdown of everything that was going to be done on the following day. It was so detailed that it even included when people were arriving, the setup for each shot, adjusting the shot, and filming the shot. As a stage manager who is incredibly organized, this made me decide that I like the production business already!
How did this experience help you make decisions about your future career?
Before going into this experience, I had aspired to be a professional stage manager. Working with Mitch really showed me all the wonderful opportunities that are in the film and televison industry and that there are similar jobs that I would really enjoy having.
What questions should I ask my sponsor?
The most important things to ask are:
– What was the most important thing you learned in college?
– What path did you take to get where you are now?
– What makes your career a good fit for you?
What other comments or opinions would you like to share?
I feel as though externships are a wonderful way for Bucknell students to make connections with alums in a field that they are interested in. Mitch told me that he has an open door policy and to stop by whenever I’m in town. I definitely plan to take him up on that!