Five Questions With: Kimberly Morles

Aspiring screenwriter, Kimberly Morles, was an intern for the Film Studies Program at FIU this past summer term. With a passion for cinema and writing, she has published various articles and presented valuable input, reflected in her active participation in the Film Studies Program’s biweekly newsletter. Kimberly’s time spent as an intern allowed her to gain invaluable hands-on experience that she would to share with you, our readers and hopeful future interns.

  1. As an intern this past summer, can you tell us what was some of the work you did for the Film Studies Newsletter?

I began my internship for the Film Studies Program in May and continued it until the beginning of August. From the very beginning, I looked forward most to working on the biweekly newsletter. I was able to present my own ideas of what I wanted to write about and they were well received for the most part. We would meet once a week as a group to either discuss our developing articles and projects or to put together the newsletter. During my time as an intern, I got to go to many screenings of films in art house theaters across Miami and I got to interview a couple of people who work in the industry – from professors at our very own school to an associate director at the Coral Gables Art Cinema to a film projectionist – each of which were as fascinating and rewarding in their own way. It’s all about bringing information to the Film Studies students about the film industry in the Miami area, so along with the other interns in the program, we worked together to find events that they would both enjoy and could bring them closer to others in the industry.

2. What skills did you acquire through your involvement in this internship?

Basically, I was given the amazing opportunity to develop my creative skills as far as my writing and my ability to produce ideas for the newsletter. I have always struggled with my confidence in my writing abilities and it terrified me to put my work out there, but all I received in return was positive feedback. Even if there was some critique, they were all constructive and pushed me to better myself. I have a newfound trust in my skills as a writer which I lacked before thanks to my work on the newsletter as well as a slight understanding of what it takes to be able to produce captivating and attention-grabbing content which will get people to read your writing.

3. You are currently a senior at FIU; what are your goals for a future in film and how do you believe partaking in this internship will help you achieve them?

My ultimate goal is to become a screenwriter for television and film. Taking part in the internship for the Film Studies program, in my mind, was my first step in that direction. I know writing about film and film events doesn’t directly correlate with screenwriting, but you’d be surprised at the benefits of having an inside look at the industry from the view of the audience and the critics. To write for film and TV is to write with the purpose of attracting an audience and in order to accomplish that there needs to be an understanding of what the audience wants or needs to see. There is also the potential for connections to be made with industry professionals while working in the internship. Interviewing and pursuing a relationship between FIU’s Film Studies Program and these professionals can help you form your own professional relationships with them, which can lead to job opportunities or simply just invaluable advice from someone more experienced.

4. What did you enjoy most about the Film internship?

You get out of the experience as much as you put into it as far as time and effort goes. It was not only a rewarding learning experience, but it was equally as fun to work on writing articles about films or events that I might not have gone to had I not needed to. It pushed me out of my comfort zone and made me see how diverse and promising the Miami film scene is right now. I used to think that there weren’t enough events around that appealed to me – a girl more prone to staying in and reading as opposed to clubbing on a Saturday night – but I was more than wrong. The events and likeminded individuals are out there and being able to shed light on it all along with my fellow interns and newfound friends was the most worthwhile experience of the Film Studies internship.

5. What advice can you give students interested in taking part in the Film Studies Internship?

If you’re considering the internship, then I would tell you to just do it! There are only a million things to gain from the experience. My advice is don’t be afraid of putting your writing out for the world to see or presenting your ideas to others for fear of criticism. It will only help you to grow as a writer and as a person in general. The internship is all about what you are interested in as a movie-goer or a film fanatic so the content you could potentially work on will only be things of interest to you. If you are passionate about film, then this is the internship for you.