Kylene Harrington

Humanities & Cultural Studies Internship Highlights

Email: kyleneh@mail.usf.edu
Website: kylene-harrington-portfolio.weebly.com
The Barbaro-Gould Foundation:
I interned for the Barbaro-Gould Foundation, a not-for-profit organization
focused on the global exchange of art and culture. I worked as a production
assistant on their film, Racing To Rio, a documentary that tells the story of
Paralympic Sailor Brad Kendell and his teams journey to the Sailing Paralympics
in Rio de Janeiro 2016, as well as the community they impact.
My tasks consisted of:
Writing for the films Wordpress blog
Drafting donation requests to potential sponsors
Researching and contacting potential sponsors and caterers
Researching potential crew members and camera houses
Writing press releases
Setting and wrapping up on set
Note-taking for the camera log
Audio transcription
Documenting talent/appearance releases
Post-Production

Social Media
An important part of the
process behind Racing To
Rio was to generate
interest for the project as
time went on. We would
keep the community
interested, while trying to
reach beyond those
already involved, with a
Wordpress blog. I would
consistently write for the
blog before and during

production. My articles
covered topics such as
updates on
filming/production,
pleads to potential
sponsors, cast and crew
biographies, thank-you
notes to caterers, and
historical/contextual
details that relate to our
cause.

Blog link:
racing2rio.com

Me working blogging at the

production site.

Once filming ended, the

editing began. I had the
chance to see how the
individual shots were
categorized and filed
digitally, as well as the
difference between
footage color. My main
task here was
transcribing the audio.
We need more funds to
continue the project next
year, so again, we need to
generate interest. The
transcriptions of every

individual interview with

the films subjects/talent
would help the director
of photography and the
director more easily pick
out what they wanted to
show in the coming
preview. I also helped
digitally document the
information provided by
the talent and
appearance releases from
production, both for
adults and for minors.

Audio hard drive assigned to

me for transcription

Pre-Production
One of the longest, but
most important
processes behind the film
was getting ready for
production. During this
time, I worked closely
with the production
coordinator. We drafted
sponsorship requests to
businesses and constantly
searched for potential
sponsors who could fund
our project. We had to
summarize the goals and
virtues of the BarbaroGould Foundation, while
trying to get others to see

the importance of the

Paralympic documentary.
I also wrote a press
release for the film. I
searched for potential
caterers and made
inquiry calls to food
services and other
businesses about
donation requests. I
looked through the St.
Petersburg/Clearwater
Film Commission to find
potential crew members
as well. We eventually
found our director of
photography through

that search. I also

researched and called
camera houses, looking
for equipment rentals
that we could manage
with our funds.

The interns working on preproduction (myself and Blake)

What I learned
I learned many things
during my internship with
the Barbaro-Gould
Foundation, but the most
valuable is the process
behind a film. Even
though Racing To Rio is a
not-for-profit
documentary, it still goes
through the process an
independent movie
would take to make.
From observation and
participation, I learned
that a director needs to

account for all the needs

of their crew and talent
(from catering to
location). Of course,
money is a key issue in
production and thats
something the producer
has the final say on. Its
also crucial to keep a
detailed list of all the
crews equipment, as well
as the type/number of
shots in the film, and a
schedule of every crew
members availability.

Although the director is

the most important (and
the one who never has a
day off), the director of
photography, the sound
technician, and the
production coordinator
are also key to a
successful project.

Production notes taken on-site

Production

Overall Reflection: BGF and Racing To Rio

The busiest part of

production was the
filming itself. I was able to
come on set and workwe filmed in the
Clearwater Yacht Club,
the Clearwater Sailing
Center, and the St.
Petersburg Sailing Center.
During this time, I
continued to write for the
blog while helping the
crew during production.
This ranged from
manning the equipment

to handling items to
helping set up/wrap up
our site. In addition to
observing interviews and
filming, I also got to know
the crew members better.
(EX. I learned a lot about
lighting just by talking to
the gaff/lighting director)
Again, I worked closely
with the production
coordinator. I took notes
for the camera log while
she dictated. I also kept a
mini-production book,

per the directors

instructions, which held
our call sheets, daily
schedules, and my own
continuity notes.

Crew site at the St.

Petersburg Sailing Center

My overall experience
with Racing To Rio has
been an enriching one.
Ive learned the nuances
that go behind directing
and producing a film,
specifically an
independent one, and
seen firsthand the
successes and setbacks
along the way. I was also
able to put my
organization and writing
skills to use by acting as a
production assistant and

blog writer. My tasks

often required me to
speak to strangers as a
professional and I feel
that Ive improved in that
area as well. I also better
understand the
Paralympics and the
importance of sailing as a
sport. I truly believe
Racing To Rio is an
uplifting documentary
and I am proud to be a
part of it. In conclusion,
this internship has helped

me develop confidence as
a person and allowed me
to further pursue my
dream of a career in
filmmaking.

The BGF camera crew

I am proud to be a part of the dedication and passion that went into Racing To Rio. Being a production assistant has
given me the chance to participate in the world of filmmaking and there is nothing more thrilling than knowing that I
contributed to the creation of a professional film. Kylene Harrington