Amber Lopez's ePortfolio

This Internship experience has helped me with working in a group, learning how a private company works, and giving me the opportunity to work with an employer who cares about her work and those who work for her. During a lunch break, she asked about what work I was interested in, and I said that I like Animation and Illustrating. She offered to introduce me to a place that would need an animator, and others if necessary, as an attempt to help me find a job after my internship is over. My boss didn’t need to offer her help in helping me find a job, but I appreciate it greatly, and I wish to be as kind as she was to me whenever I own a business of my own.

With the progress of the videos and shows that are being completed with the collaborative efforts of the boss, a fellow intern, and myself, I can safely say that my contribution as an intern has been successful. When I was asked if I had the skills to accomplish certain projects at certain times, my response was always the same in saying yes and completing the projects on time. My efficient and effectiveness to create those projects were good, and my boss was indeed content with the work. She thanked me and the other intern for our great work, which was kind of her to do, and I’m glad to have done the work so well. I was able to get to work on time, but I would like to do better because I came late one day due to a confusion with the location of our meeting place.

A collaborative project that I have recently worked on is a Time Machine for the virtual museum. It is supposed to turn on and show a toy from years ago while giving historical information about it. I drew the machine traditionally, and then scanned it into a digital format while adding color and editing it. Then I animated it to be used in the video, and created a background of old pictures of children and their toys in a collage that fades away when the machine opens to reveal the toy inside of it. I worked with another intern who worked on editing the video and audio for the machine. He would see if the machine worked in the video, and I would work on fixing any problems with the Time Machine that he would point out. We communicated directly during our meetings at the library and it was successful because we could show each other our progress, and if something went wrong, we could immediately show each other so that the project could be fixed and rendered easily and efficiently.

All of the work we do is digital, besides when I use traditional means for more unique projects or remakes like the Time Machine and the stanchion. I had to build a Time Machine that could open, close, and whirl to reveal a toy and the history of it. The stanchion was for the virtual museum’s displays when shown on screen, and a sign as a part of it to distinguish what the displays were showing. Each day for the internship, I have time to wake up in the morning and head to our meeting place, present the projects I have to Marlene who gives her critique, and then work on the projects as I occasionally show her my progress to see if she approves. We work and talk about the projects at the same time, and after lunch break, we continue until we have to leave or when the library is going to close.

The attire for my workplace is informal, but still decent considering that we work to create kid-friendly content, and that we usually work in places where kids would go to like the library and the theater. We usually work in the library and reserve a room for when we work, and we sit around a table to do our work and communicate efficiently while working. A typical work day is some time between eleven in the morning to six at night, although it varies on the place where we work. We do have lunch breaks at anytime we want to take them, or Marlene actually buys lunch, which I highly appreciate. She has also given me weekend work since I asked her for it because I needed the hours, and she understood completely.

My role in the Toy Museum is to illustrate new ideas or remake new objects that will be shown in the video presentations for the virtual museum, and to animate a few objects for the videos. The founder of the museum, Marlene Hochman, is also my supervisor and client since I create work to show her and she gives me feedback during our meetings or sometimes through email. I found this internship through Internships.com, and I signed up for it because it was easy to get to, and the work they described was related to my major and the work I already do in my classes. I was contacted by Marlene Hochman to come in for an interview, and she offered me the internship position right after the interview, which I accepted. She asked me questions like: what were my skills, can I animate, can I create posters, what other skills do I have, and if she can see my portfolio, which I was able to provide answers and my portfolio to her with ease.

Amber Lopez: Internship at The Toy Museum of New York, Department of Communication Design, NYCCT/CUNY, Summer semester.

The private, not-for -profit, company that I am currently interning for is called The Toy Museum of New York. It’s located in Brooklyn, although it’s location varies since I am working on the illustration and animations, so we meet in a library, a theater where the shows are hosted, or the BRIC Museum for studio sessions. The museum works to educate children on the history and importance of toys, and their primary customers are teachers and adults with children to watch the shows. It was founded by Marlene Hochman in 1991, and she still owns and runs the business. My contribution to the company is to illustrate, animate, and improve upon projects that will be placed together in video secessions for the theater shows that they host for children. I also work with one other person who is the video and audio editor.

I found two articles about the Toy Museum with one describing it as a “museum-stage set hybrid” that is “suitable for children ages 3 and up.” It also mentions that Marlene Hochman sings, dances, loves toys, and takes on the persona of Queen Marlene, who teaches children about the museum’s toy collection and that they should take care of and share their toys. The other article spoke more about the museum, and that New York City used to be the “center for toy manufacturing,” and that the museum “chronicles societal changes as seen through vintage toy objects.” I can confirm that these news articles are correct in their statements and information about the Toy Museum.