In the summer of 2018, Sydney Gonzalez interned at Big Stuff Studios/Ancient Order of the Wooden Skull in Los Angeles, CA! She did not have to go through an interview for the internship since her uncle lives in California and had put her in touch with the company. Although, the senior did have to submit a resume. A typical day at her internship would start early in the morning where she attended a meeting with all of the departments before they began filming stop motion animation on the big board. The big board was a bulletin board with shot cards (drawing of the animation that needed to be filmed) that showcased different stages for filming. After the meeting, Sydney helped prep for the set by making Hot Wheels play sets with a 3D printer! The senior had to organize and filter through every character along with their poses. She organized 3,600 cars! Some other tasks included painting puppets, voicing characters, and doing short YouTube series. Sydney’s favorite aspect of the experience was the people because everyone had a close relationship with one another. The senior’s most challenging part was getting to work in the morning because of traffic.

Making a website, organization, time management, professionalism, communication, and forming relationships were the skills Sydney utilized at Big Stuff Studios/Ancient Order of the Wooden Skull. She feels this opportunity helped her learn a new skill on how to use a 3D printer! Overall, the senior also learned how to interact in a professional setting, communicate with people, get her point across, express concerns, and come up with new ideas. Sydney believes she improved her people and problem solving skills as well. These skills will help her in the classroom or in her future career since they are general ones that you need in everyday life.

“Kirk, who ran the big board, made a difference in my experience. He was helpful, funny, and an interesting person. He had a lot of stories to tell. He was a veteran of the company. He had a positive attitude that was contagious. Lastly, he had a lot to offer in his job.”

According to Sydney, she definitely feels more prepared for being in a work setting. “I know how to look for answers before asking for help and not being afraid to ask for help. It gave me opportunities to problem solve and figure stuff out on my own” adds the senior. The internship have her a better perspective on what is out in the real world by opening her up to new experiences and skills. Sydney had known about stop motion animation, but she did not realize how much work went into making one video and how much time it takes for the whole process. The TV industry is very competitive and it takes a long time to get to higher positions. After she graduates from Ursinus, the senior plans on travelling for a little bit and teaching English language abroad. She also plans on trying to get into the TV industry.

The coolest part of the experience was just being out in California since the culture is very different. Sydney even talked to people who did voiceovers such as the person who did the voiceover for Jimmy Neutron!

The senior advises to start early and apply everywhere and anywhere that interests you. Sydney suggests to make connections since they are important in benefiting you for the future. “You cannot have any recommendations for the future if you do not make connections or relationships” explains the senior. Finally, she would absolutely recommend this internship!

Clubs and Activities on Campus

• Volleyball, Tour Guide, Student Athletic Advisor Committee (SAAC), Phi Alpha Psi Sorority

Written by Faraha Rathad ’19