It is Firelight’s mission to mentor our interns and give them the skills and experience to be the next generation of film, media, and arts administration professionals. Our internship program will give dedicated and driven participants the opportunity to assist our Firelight Media and Firelight Films teams with a variety of projects depending on their area of interest. Opportunities include the production and development of documentary film projects; graphic design and social video production; fundraising and arts administration, and more.
Firelight is two separate organizations with one mission: to support communities of color in front of and behind the camera. We seek interns in several departments: Production, Communication, Operations, Development.
Overall Intern Tasks and Activities
- Orientation – All interns will be invited to attend a group orientation session to learn about Firelight’s work and meet staff and fellow interns across all departments.
- Weekly Check-ins – Interns will be supported via weekly check-ins with department staff.
- Evaluations – Interns will be provided with a mid-term evaluation as well as a final evaluation from their direct supervisor(s) upon request.
- Lunch and Learn – Interns will participate in a series of lunches/meetings about different topics related to documentary production and arts administration.
- Masterclasses with Stanley Nelson – Interns will be invited to attend a series of Masterclasses with Stanley Nelson and other leading documentary filmmakers to gain insight into the field of documentary filmmaking and humanities scholarship.
Communications Interns
Firelight Media’s two-person Communications Department is seeking two interns for the Spring 2023 term. Reporting to the Director of Communications and the Communications Manager, Communications Interns will work in close collaboration to support the visibility and sustainability of the organization through both internal- and external-facing projects as detailed below.
Interested candidates should email communications@firelightmedia.org with “Firelight Internship” in the subject line.
Website Development Intern
- Help to maintain Firelight Media’s website, firelightmedia.tv, by adding, reviewing, and editing content.
- Review, update, and transfer website-related data from sources including AirTable, Salesforce, and Google Sheets.
- Experience with CMS platforms such as WordPress is
- Basic-level experience with spreadsheets such as Excel and Google Sheets is required.
Graphic Design & Social Video Intern
- Support the creation of digital media, including social video and graphics, for Firelight Media’s website and social media accounts.
- Assignments will include basic photo and video editing, creating graphics via templates in Canva and Adobe Illustrator, and organizing digital assets.
- With support from the Communications Director and Communications Manager, design visually compelling and on-brand digital graphics.
- Basic video editing skills are
- Familiarity with Canva, Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, and Adobe Premiere Pro are required.
- Copywriting: drafting captions for social media
- Supporting engagement strategies by researching and using
Program Requirements
Interns are given the option to work two or more full days per week (Mon-Fri), or a minimum of 15 hours per week This is currently an unpaid internship but we can provide academic credit or recommendations based on internship performance.
NOTE: Internships will be conducted remotely, as the majority of Firelight staff work remotely from locations across the U.S. Interns who desire to work occasionally on-site at Firelight’s headquarters in Harlem, NYC, or at special film screenings and events should indicate this in their cover letter.
If you’re interested in learning more about documentary filmmaking and arts administration and gaining hands-on experience, Firelight might be the place for you!
Send your cover letter and resume to the contact listed for each department. Please write “Firelight Internship” in the email subject and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. For general inquiries about Firelight’s internship opportunities, please write to info@firelightmedia.org.