Name: Tim Fitzgerald
From: Birmingham, United Kingdom
Intern at: Escape Plan Productions (Austin, TX)
Q: Tell us about one of your favorite projects you are working on in your internship.
I am only a month into this internship, and it has been filled with a number of great projects; anything from basic editing, to really involved work from the start of the project to the finish. My personal favorite project I have worked on in my time so far in Austin has to be a 45 second bumper film that we made for Fantastic Fest 2014. Our film, Clownin’ Around (Warning: Contains scenes of violence, horror, and gore), was pretty highly regarded at the festival and almost won an award presented by Edgar Wright. On this set, I was the boom operator and sound designer, so I really got to experiment with some new and interesting design techniques.
Q: Where is your favorite place to go in Austin?
I’m a big fan of exploring cities, so I just like to hang out downtown. The city centre here in Austin is stunning, the buildings look great, everything is clean, and the people are so very friendly. Not to mention there is always something new to find in town every time you go in, be that a store, a bar or an event of some kind. There is just always something going on.
Q: Tell us about a funny or interesting moment that happened during your program.
There is a famous film production studio not too far from the Escape Plan offices, and I have admired one production company there for some time. Seeing a couple of guys from there hanging out downtown was a very surreal moment for me, as I has been a fan of this company for a number of years.
Q: What has been your favorite cultural activity so far?
Certainly the case with Austin, if you want to engage in cultural activity, just go out and meet people. Everyone here is so unique and comes from such a wide variety of backgrounds that it is seemingly impossible to pin down one culture. This may sound really obvious, everyone comes from different places and everyone has different experiences, but here in Austin, it seems to be so diverse in multiculturalism that you are constantly taking part and learning about cultures.
Q: What does cultural exchange mean to you?
Cultural exchange for me means to really engross yourself in a culture that is not your own, really get invested in something that you may not be used to. I personally think cultural exchange is how we grow as people, because we gain a better understanding of the world.
Q: What are your plans for the future once you finish your program in the United States?
I haven’t got anything set in stone yet, but I’m constantly applying for work in film, TV and video game production across the UK. This is a very short term plan, but I really think it will help me build up on my experience to become a better sound designer. As for a long term goal; I’m not certain as of right now, but I’ve always been the type to live on my wit, in that I go with whatever is going on at the time.
You can view more of Tim’s work here.