The DC Intern Survival Guide

This is a story strung together through the blog posts of three women in their 20’s interning at Double R Productions, Washington DC. This is our adventure, and whether we’re ready or not we’re on this crazy roller coaster ride together. Our goal is to document some of our experiences, good and bad, and hopefully they will make you laugh, help you on your own journey and most importantly inspire you to step out of your comfort zone and chase your dreams. We are a very international crowd as we come from New Jersey, Mongolia and Belgium!

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While approaching to the END

3 months ago, I came to US with full of motivation and big dreams, hoping this internship experience in Washington DC will help me to achieve my big goals. Now, we have only 2 weeks to go. So I would say this is the time to conclude what I have done and how I have changed. My personality has changed quite much. I hadn’t realized before that living in Japanese society for almost 5 years made me so Japanese and my way of thinking is so similar with that of Japanese people’s. So my point is, I had lost myself little bit and hadn’t discovered real me before coming to US. Now I have found real me by interacting many people and doing tons of communication with very diverse people. When I interact people, I realized who I am more and more because new people ask new questions, which I hadn’t thought of them before. New people have new ways of thinking that made my world broader. Now I am not a shy girl who I was 3 months ago. Now I am a confident and communicative person. I would say only one piece of advice to young people, JUST DO IT. If you don't an experience or challenge, you will stay at the same place forever. New experiences accompanying with new challenges, are the only way to move forward.

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Getting ready to play in the insert studio with Shari and Miga!

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Baseball season is the best season!

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Interns take on the DC premiere of CinemAbility

Initially, when accepting the offer to intern at Double R Productions, I was not sure what to expect. Rosemary had told me that we would be shooting and editing our own video but I was pleasantly surprised this month when we were presented with the opportunity to host the DC premiere of the documentary CinemAbilty.

In order to prepare for the event, we got down to business right away! We had about a week or so to promote the premiere (which is a blink of an eye in the event planning world). We started out researching different organizations in the D.C. area that we believed would be interested in attending. Once a list was created we reached out to dozens of groups, to formally invite them. First, we sent out an email to each group, then the next day we followed up with phone calls. 

The next step in our event planning led us to creating a press release. Once the release was created, we referred to a media list of all of the newspapers and news channels in the metropolitan area. Similar to our outreach to DC’s organizations, we sent a preliminary email out, which contained a press release that we wrote along with all of the information regarding the premiere and a quick summary of the documentary. The following day consisted of follow up calls.

This was exciting for me. As embarrassing as it is to admit this, I was fangirling a little bit (or a lot a bit but hey! Who's counting..). How often can someone say they were on the phone with someone from Fox’s News Room pitching an event that they helped organize! (well maybe most people here in DC actually, but this was new for me)

The night of the premiere was a success! Despite the rain and short amount of time we had to get things off the ground, we had a great turn out! Director Jenni Gold and comedic actor Danny Woodburn from Seinfeld attended the premiere and stuck around for a Q&A after the film. (I fangirled a bit here too)

The film was amazing, unexpectedly funny and eye opening. I definitely recommend you all to look into it!

Organizing and promoting the DC premiere of CinemAbility was the first time that I had been introduced to this aspect of communications. I find that with my internship with Double R I am learning and growing with every experience. Being able to work in such a hands on atmosphere has not only taught me more than the basics of what it takes to work in such a demanding and versatile business, but it has truly brought me out of my shell and has introduced me to something that I love. 

-Meg

(Paul and Catherine of Double R interviewing Danny Woodburn after the premiere of CinemAbility)

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Rocky Horror Shadow Casting

So.. until a few Saturdays ago I have never seen the movie Rocky Horror Picture Show.. nor have I heard of shadow casting. My roommate Kady stumbled upon the E Street movie theater, which not only sells alcohol (which is weird for me being from jersey where that’s rare to find) but also has a shadow casting of Rocky horror the second weekend of every month. I had no idea what to expect, while Kady filled me in on what I was supposed to do, every shadow casting is slightly different from each other, all I knew before arriving was that I was going to wear a white feather boa and a gold sparkly jacket.. buuut I wasn’t necessarily sure why. When we first arrived, there was a table set up where we could purchase bags filled with props that we were to use and or throw during specific scenes… We bought our bags (for $1 !) and went to scope out where we wanted to sit.

Once we found our seats, along with the rest of the crowd, we looked through our prop bags. They supplied us with items like a glow stick, a party hat, a rubber glove, a news paper, etc. Before we knew it the lights began to dim and the cast gathered at the front of the theater. With a quick introduction of who they are and a little bit about what we should expect we were ready for the movie to start.. but rather, before the movie was to begin..  there was a "sacrifice".

The cast called down everyone who has never been to a shadow casting  to the front of the theater and had us stand in a line. We were then paired up and competed in a series of small contests, and the last man standing was awarded a small part in the shadow cast, and was dressed up as the bride in the beginning of the movie.

Overall, it was a great experience! I don’t want to divulge too many details though, because I don’t want to ruin it for people who haven’t gone yet! But I definitely recommend going! It was a fun activity to take part in apart from the typical site seeing culture that DC offers during the day.

(But if I were you I’d watch the movie first so you know what you're getting yourself into, this type of DC activity is not for the faint of heart :P)

-Meg

(meet some of my friends! Erin, Kady and Joanna)

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Shari and I had a great day shooting a few training sessions with Veterans Moving Forward …got some great video, can’t wait to work with it on Avid!

-Meg

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Spring .. is that you?

Spring is here! At least it's starting to feel like it. The temperatures have slowly been rising, and for this week the highs are allegedly supposed to be in the 70s! So in order to celebrate, my roommates and I, (one of them being Shari) decided that we were going to start a new morning routine. Everyday, starting at 6:30am we force ourselves out of bed and jog from the RAF to the Capitol building. While it's hard to motivate myself to get out of the apartment before the sun is up, once I start running it is the most amazing feeling. The city is already up and buzzing (I'm starting to think DC never sleeps) people are walking to work, secret service and DC police officers are monitoring the streets and government buildings, and the busses and taxis are zooming by.

-Meg

(there is nothing prettier than viewing the Capitol in the wee hours of the morning, without the hustle and bustle of tourists.)

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Just another day in the office!

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A step back in history with the Holocaust Museum

When I first got to DC the first thing I wanted to do, besides learn how to use the metro and figure out my route to Double R Productions, was to visit all of the Smithsonians. The top of my list, however, was the Holocaust museum. Besides my passion for politics and video I've always had an enormous interest in history, especially the world wars. Visiting the Holocaust Museum was an experience that I will never forget. When you walk in, you are directed to a room where you are to pick up a small booklet that contains the story of a Jewish individual that lived during the Holocaust. The booklet that I picked up belonged to a young boy, who happened to share the same birthday as my younger brother, June 7. This created an automatic personal and emotional connection for me. As I continued to walk through the museum the different exhibits were like a step back in time. They slowly led you into the history of Nazi Germany. As you continue through the different exhibits and read the booklet you picked up at the beginning to learn what happened to your person as the Holocaust progressed you become intertwined in the story, and it no longer feels like you are just touring a museum in Washington DC.

I would post pictures with this, however the museum is strict and does not allow photographs during your visit. While it can be an emotionally draining experience for some, it is exceptionally interactive and connects you with human history through a number or dynamic ways. It has been one of my favorite museum experiences yet, and I recommend it for all who visit DC. 

-Meg

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GEORGETOWN

A few Saturdays ago we were spoiled with the most beautiful weather we had seen in ages. After all of the drizzling, cold and snowy days this felt so refreshing! Everyone at the RAF was obviously excited and a lot of the students decided to go to Georgetown. Since then I have been there once more when my parents visited me.

 There’s a bunch of things you can do while in Georgetown.  You can hang out and relax by the waterfront on nice days like these. When the weather isn’t so nice you can shop away or walk around, explore and take in the Californian vibes! Georgetown has a lot of cool shops, some very well known by the broader public such as the Nike store, Aldo and Urban outfitters. Others not so famous such as ‘the second time around’ a small shop that holds second hand designer clothes! A very popular place is Georgetown cupcakes; they even have their own television show! Waiting in line for a cupcake for up to an hour is no exception here. However on weekdays you should be fine. Keep in mind though that there is more than 1 cupcake bakery around here! Baked and Wired is a very worthy competitor! I had the most delicious carrot-vanilla frosting cupcake. And not far from here you can find Sprinkles, considered one of the first cupcake bakeries. I also spotted some pretty nice interior design stores. If your wallet isn’t as big as you wished, I wouldn’t recommend to go to Milano. This restaurant has a very nice terrace but is obviously aimed to the more fortunate people living in Georgetown. My parents and I ended up there by coincidence. Result; a 40 dollar bill for three drinks but hey, I enjoyed my Mojito anyway.

 We decided to walk around for a bit first and visit the Dumbarton Oaks gardens; unfortunately they weren’t open yet because they were still icy, too bad! But not to worry we just walked back down Wisconsin Avenue towards the waterfront.  Quickly visited some of the shops but we all felt that it was a shame to spend time inside when the sun was shining so bright. So we walked all the way down to the waterfront park and sat there for a while before heading back to Union Station by the circular bus. By bus, yes, because there is no metro station near Georgetown. Getting there might be some of a hassle you would think but it’s actually okay. You just take the bus at Union Station and get off somewhere near M street.

-- Shari

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Cheng's Garden

Where else better to go eat Chinese food than in Chinatown? That’s what we were thinking on the day my parents were going to head back home in the evening. A bunch of Chinese/Asian restaurants line up in the streets of Chinatown. Normally we would have the hardest time to decide which one to go to but this time we were so hungry and time was limited so we entered the second one that we saw.

 Cheng’s Garden didn’t disappoint but it didn’t wow us either. Fun gestures were the free tea during the meal that came in a cool silver teapot and was served in cute little mocks. When you’ve finished your meal you also get slices of orange along with fortune cookies for everyone. Fortune cookies are the best and always seem to be conversation starters; we most certainly had a lot of fun with them.

 For starters we had Wonton and Hot and Sour soup which both were satisfying after walking around in the cold. Then I had the sweet and sour chicken, which wasn’t to write home about. The sauce was very sticky and the chicken crust was kind of blend. My mom however had a chicken dish that was very tasty – in fact I’ll probably be eating those leftovers later on tonight. Thank you – come again!

--Shari

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Went for an after work run on the first day of spring. How lovely is this view?!

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Zorba's Cafe

Most of my childhood holidays we spent in Greece. I fell in love with this country and I could go back there forever. When I think of Greece I think of the different islands – Zakynthos, Kreta, Lesbos, Santorini, Samos, Kos – I love every single one of them! I think of the food – Acacia Honey, Tzatziki, Kouloukaria, Moussaka, Souvlaki, Baklava, Feta, Giuvetsi, Pastitsio – YUM! I think of driving around and discovering the cutest, tourist free places. One time we stumbled upon a café that was completely carved out of the mountain. Even the chairs and the tables! We had the most delicious yoghurt there with homemade honey. And the people.

 Anyway I am always curious about how Greek food is made around the world. Right across the office there’s a Greek restaurant. The actually have a very smart way of operating I believe. When you come in you see a sign that says “Please seat yourselves”. So that’s what we did. Then you make sure you find a menu,  once you know what you want, you can go downstairs and order at the desk. They give you a number and they call your number through some kind of intercom system when your food is ready. Then all you have to do is pick it up and enjoy! I had pastitsio and it wasn’t bad at all, it couldn’t compare to the real thing but however it was a sold substitute!

--Shari

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LinkedIn In Class For Career Advancement

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A report says that 46% of students haven’t used LinkedIn, and when searching for employment, only 26% of have been found to use LinkedIn. The stats are on the lower end because students haven’t been thinking about networking before graduation or feel they don’t have many contacts to add to their information as majority are without practical work experience. LinkedIn is home to untapped avenues.Introducing LinkedIn in class can make students more approachable, and cultivate an atmosphere that engages them side by side along with professional development.

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Couldn't agree more!

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The White House

Must see when in DC is of course, The White House. It took us quite some time to get there, shame on us. But the 5th week we were here we decided it really was time to check this notorious presidential mansion out. Even tough it was freezing outside we went on a little fieldtrip after work. It is actually very easy accessible. You take the subway and get off at Farragut North (Red Line) or Farragut West (Blue, Orange and Silver). Then walk South on 17th Street and take a left on Pennsylvania Avenue, you can’t miss this because The Eisenhower Executive Office Building, one of the biggest buildings I have seen here in DC, resides next door to the West Wing.

 When we walked passed this building that houses most of the White House staff, we really were impressed by its grandeur.  When we continued we got a first glance at President Obama’s home. What struck us was the fact that it is so close to everything that surrounds it such as normal office buildings, restaurants and homes. Housing the president of the United States, it seemed so incredibly accessible. That’s probably what I liked most about it. Above that it’s just a really nice image, the building all white against a blue sky and surrounded by virginal white snow.

 Walking further a bit we were asked to stop by one of the security agents, three black SUV’s drove up and were about to enter the gates. This might not seem like it but this was actually kind of exciting! Nothing stood between us and the White House (except for security agents, dogs and snipers), we can’t lie, it was kind of tempting to try to get past the gates but we were able to contain ourselves, let the SUV’s pass and gallantly wait.

-- Shari

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I'm feeeeeling twenty-two!

 Soooo I’m about three weeks late on this, buuuuut March 5th was my 22nd birthday! (Hard to believe right? People still assume I’m 15) I’m usually not one to boast, or talk too much about myself, but I just cant help it cause it was such a good day in the office! My day started off with a surprise delivery to Double R from Georgetown Cupcakes (which I had not gotten around to visiting yet). My mom, dad and brothers had sent me a dozen cupcakes to the office, each one being a different flavor! You can imagine how excited we all were to dive into them! It was a great surprise because even though I talk with them everyday, I was sad that I could not spend my birthday back in Jersey with my family as I have for the past 21 years. (you could even go as far to say that I miss them :P)

But the cupcakes were not the only surprise for me that day. Rosemary, and the rest of the Double R team surprised me with a cake in the conference room at the end of the day! While they sang happy birthday to me, I was made to walk all the way around the table (apparently a mid-western tradition) before I was to blow out the candle and give a piece of wisdom to the staff (perhaps a Double R tradition?). The end of the day was filled with laughter, good vibes, and chatter over the upcoming projects.

I came into the office expecting a normal day of editing, making call sheets, and preparing b-roll and (while we did do that) and unexpectedly received some of the warmest birthday surprises.

Double R has become my family away from home, and I am beyond blessed to have been able to experience DC and spend my last semester of college here with all of them!  

-Meg