Mad Men, Chewbacca & Interns

Yesterday, the NYC summer interns braved the torrential rain for a special field trip to the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria. #Squad. Admittedly, we weren’t exactly sure what we would be walking into but we jumped at the chance to get an afternoon, though a rainy one, out of the office. Our fearless leader, HR Intern Amanda, made sure none of us were swept away by the flash flood and we all made it to the museum soaking but safe and sound.

Located next to the renowned Kaufman Astoria Studios, the Museum of the Moving Image is rich in history and full of cinematic entrancements. We flitted from one oscillating display to the next. The exhibits also brought out the actors in the group: Jared, Olli and Ilana tried their luck at dubbing a scene from “School of Rock” and everyone danced in front of the camera to make their own video flipbook.

You’re probably wondering, why the “moving image”? Since it’s creation in 1981, the Museum of the Moving Image has collected a quirky assortment of over 130,000 items that visually convey the history and science of film, TV and digital images. The secret to cracking the ad industry is being able to understand how different media forms work separately and together to create a connected and moving experience.

Before TV there was stop-motion animation and before that there was the thaumatrope. Our tour guides gave us a crash course on every step of digital production and watched as we drooled over Matthew Weiner’s Mad Men exhibit, which gives a behind the scenes glimpse into the creative process behind the TV series with everything from original mood boards to large-scale sets.

“Mad Men was an inspiration for me to learn about the advertising industry, and I’m happy to have the chance to do so as a Creative Intern. I loved being able to observe the inspiration and thought process behind the costumes, sets, props, you name it. My work this summer has made me realize just how much work goes into crafting something digital, especially for television, which this exhibit is a further testament to,” said José Rosa.

It’s not every day that you get to stand in Don Draper’s office or see the original Chewbacca mask. “It’s something I like to call brain fuel. Part of learning is about getting out there and being inspired by the world,” said Audrey Larner, HR Associate, who helped organize the trip.

As we walked out of the museum and back to 237 Park, we felt dizzy and energized, ready to mastermind our own hit commercial or TV show. First step Intern, next step digital genius.

— Emily Welch is a Global Communications & Community on the Corporate Communications team stationed at J. Walter Thompson New York.