On the heels of yesterday’s inspirational article about SHOFCO comes another bit of Wesleyan publicity in the Gray Lady. This one’s got a bit of a darker tinge though, telling of an internship that culminated far short of perfection.
Alex Footman ’09, a film studies major, landed a coveted position as a production intern for the widely-acclaimed hit Black Swan. Yet it seems Footman’s role was a bit more minor than someone aspiring to break into the film industry might hope for: apparently, it consisted largely of “preparing coffee for the production office, ensuring that the coffee pot was full, taking and distributing lunch orders for the production staff, taking out the trash and cleaning the office.”
Alleging a violation of the “federal labor department’s criteria for unpaid internships,” Footman and another disgruntled former intern have filed suit against Fox Searchlight, “seeking back pay under federal and state wage laws [and] an injunction barring Fox Searchlight from improperly using unpaid interns” in the future.
Click here for the rest of the article. And maybe consider a double major.
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For more info: Go to Espwesso, pick up a copy of Hermes, read Zak Kirwood’s piece on the intern-industrial complex.
A.V. Club’s coverage was featured on the front page of BuzzFeed as well:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/avclub/unpaid-interns-suing-makers-of-black-swan-over-the-oi7
a bit more minor?