Where did you go to school and what did you study? “I went to UC San Diego. I majored in theater and I minored in earth science.”
Where does your interest in film come from? “I went through a film production class in high school and I liked writing the scripts for the stories, but I didn’t want to be in charge of every element. As a director, I couldn’t quite make all of the images the way I wanted them in my mind. So I wanted to try something different that would still be connected to writing scripts and maybe production. Then, it was so much fun, and I was so happy with it, that I didn’t want to stop.”
How long have you been volunteering with Filmworks, and how did you get involved? “I started volunteering in February of this year. I started because a family friend, Beatrice Valenzuela, kept trying to get me to volunteer. You know, to meet people, make contacts. She was [involved with] the group early on. Since I’ve been back in town after graduating in June 2013, we’ve been going to Filmworks together.”
When you’re not volunteering with Filmworks, what are some of your hobbies? “I love to read. I read a lot of magazines, like Vanity Fair and Vogue. I also like reading fiction, but I’ve been really behind in reading actual books lately. This summer I’ve had too much going on, like house-sitting and pet-sitting on the side. When I make time for a book, I pour my whole energy into it. So sometimes it’s not always the best thing for me to be doing!”
“I love animals. My very active dog, Charlie, gets to go on a lot of walks. I love to hang out with my family. And I love TV. I’ve been obsessed with Teen Wolf on MTV. It’s based off the movie from the ’80s, except it’s really good.”
What kinds of movies do you like, and why? “I tend to gravitate toward comedies and action films. Some indie films. Even though there can be some tense moments, I generally like to leave happy. I do like films that might count as a drama or romance but with out-of-the-box ideas. One of my favorites is “Elvis and Anabelle.” It’s about this pageant queen who dies of anorexia. Then a guy who’s in charge of embalming her kisses her and she comes back to life. I like really odd concepts that are still fun and original and creative.”
In July for Filmworks, you built a doppelganger-themed photo booth for “The Double.” Where did you get the inspiration for the setup? “Originally the idea came from a brainstorm by our marketing committee. I wasn’t quite sure what to do or how to make it work. I found out it’s complicated to make photos of someone and their reflection. So I did a lot of Internet research. Technical info about mirrors and refraction, that sort of thing. Lots of websites about mirrors. Finally, I thought, this isn’t making sense to me! But in my head, I slowly started imagining the image of a full-length mirror and someone standing next to it at an angle.”
What was your biggest surprise working on the project? “The image of the photo booth in my head wasn’t exactly what I ended up making. After a lot of trips to test it out at the Tower Theatre, it finally starting looking nice. I was really surprised at how well it worked, and I was surprised that people actually enjoyed getting their pictures taken! Having people enjoy it felt great.”
What are you working on now for Filmworks? “I just got done working on an interactive table for “Life Itself” in August. We had a bunch of our past film posters printed out, and we had stickers so people could give the movies a thumbs-up or a thumbs-down in honor of Roger Ebert. Next, I’ll be making some promotional materials for our September film, including a new featured video.”
What have you liked about volunteering with Filmworks so far? “At first, I started taking tickets right away. I was really nervous, but then I had such a great time greeting people coming in the door. I really liked that. Being able to interact with the crowd was cool. I also really liked how the board members and volunteers were dedicated and close. They were friends. It made it welcoming. And I have really loved the internship. I get to write, go to movies, and do creative things.”
Stay tuned to our Film Forum blog for Rebecca’s featured video on “May in the Summer.” Coming soon!