Amber Lesko ~ Cucalorus Pt. 2!!
First two weeks at Cucalorus done!!! I’ve learned quite a lot in these two weeks, especially the minute things that go into running and managing events. In fact, the first two weeks have been so event-heavy that most of my hours are used out of the office! In the past two weeks alone, we had the Do The Right Thing screening, a private event for a birthday party, a volunteer orientation, and now we’re in the midst of the Silver Pride Cinema Festival (the first film of the event is wrapping up as I write this!).
I’ve primarily been in front of house during these events (3/4), so I’ve done my fair share of making popcorn and selling tickets. Alex, the programming manager, says you aren’t making popcorn unless you burn yourself while doing so, but I have yet to burn myself, so I must be far from an expert. Along with making popcorn, I’ve been learning how to use Eventive, the platform Jengo’s uses to sell tickets and concessions. I found it beneficial to learn some of the basics, then be promptly shoved into a pit full of tigers (for a touch of exaggeration). It forced me to adapt quickly to the scenario, which was possible with the support of the staff and others in front of house. It’s also a position that lets me be face-to-face with some interesting folk! For example, during the private party event, I met an older gentleman who was an actor, and we had a quick conversation about his experience in the industry and how he became an actor. All very interesting!!
The other role I’ve been during events is the projectionist’s assistant. I have less to say about it, since I’ve only done it once, but I do find parts of it more intriguing than front of house! There’s a lot of very technical aspects that go into being the projectionist, but as the assistant, the primary jobs are to control the lighting of the space, as well as… well… assist the projectionist with whatever they need. It can be testing the projector, sound, etc., but most of the time, it’s learning through osmosis as you watch what the projectionist is doing. If anything goes wrong, I assume the role can get hectic and stressful, but that’s a rare occurrence that I have yet to experience. Let’s hope nothing goes wrong tomorrow, since it’s a role I’ll be taking back on for the latter half of the day.
I suppose that’s all for now, though!
P.S. I apologize for the… mediocre… photos, but I’ll try to get better photos next time <3
