A highway sign pointing to Santa Monica, California

Duke Diary Dispatch: Heading West to Learn the Movie Business

Brooks Finby arrives in Los Angeles, finds a place to live, and takes the first step towards a career in film

This is the latest in a series of diary entries by Brooks Finby, a Duke undergraduate and film enthusiast interning this summer at A24, an independent film company in southern California. Read more here.

Greetings from overcast, grey Los Angeles,

Although the skies were not the most welcoming, I finally made it to the global capital of entertainment after a 940-mile road trip from Colorado with my father. After a brief one-night stop in Las Vegas to see a stellar Cirque du Soleil show, we arrived in the City of Angels. Through Facebook marketplace, I managed to find a fantastic UCLA sublease deal that’s a close drive to both Venice Beach and the Santa Monica mountains. As an avid hiker, I’m excited to tackle the local terrain. 

I have begun my publicity internship with A24. My close-knit team — made up of me, another intern (a UNC alum), and two publicity coordinators supervisors — is responsible for tracking all press coverage of active A24 titles. A24’s three major summer releases include the breakout Korean-American drama Past Lives that’s being regarded by critics and audiences alike as one of the best films of the year, the Australian indie horror film Talk To Me out of Sundance, and SNL’s Julio Torres’ surrealist comedy centering around art and immigration, Problemista.

After we sweep for coverage on A24’s titles, we format and send out press breaks to the entire company and the talent attached to the corresponding projects. Outside of press breaks, we monitor and update A24’s screening calendars and master grids for advanced press and festival showings. My favorite part of the internship is sitting in on the agency publicity campaign strategy calls for each film. It’s very exciting to be a part of (if only in a small way) films that I truly care about and believe in. You heard it first from me, Past Lives is sure to make a splash at the Oscars this year :) 

Outside of my internship, I have been settling in and exploring the local area. This weekend, I attended a small concert in Boyle Heights. Cybertrash, a young hyperpop artist with about 140,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, is performing with his friends at the intimate venue. I covered the concert for Early Rising, the up-and-coming music blog I write for. My goal is to authentically capture the stories of young, passionate artists and tell them in a way that highlights their creative journey. 

It’s certainly going to be a fun summer for me! Stay tuned as I navigate the worlds of independent film and music.