Guest Post From The Maxwellton Workshop # 1: Linda Barsi---My LA Family

I interned for Liz last summer and a month after it endedshe hired me as her assistant. I worked on Season 1 of the web series Dating Rules From My Future Self  (Note from Jesse: Click here to watch all of Dating Rules on Hulu!) withher. Both the internship and that first job empowered me with vital workexperience and confidence. Two weeks after DatingRules wrapped, I got a call with a job offer from the entertainmentadvertising company I currently work at.

It’s been just over a year since I graduated from Cornelland it was so refreshing and invigorating to be back in the classroom thissummer with Liz at the Maxwellton Workshop. I consider the time we spent with Liz to be invaluable. It wassuch a gift to have four hours of workshop time every week with someone as experienced and knowledgeable asLiz. Her positivity and “can do” attitude is contagious in the best way.

I was so nervous to film my first short for the class. I was stressingabout everything from the sound to not being able to find turkey wraps for mycast and crew, but it really came together. My DP and my two actresses wereamazing. My actresses even brought their own costume options and extra props.It’s so encouraging having my first two LA film projects completed. And I hadthe opportunity to work with professional crew and actors to boot. .

There were seven of us in the class and we all bonded overgroup projects and helping out on each other’s film shoots. It was like havinga little film family in LA, with half of us graduated and the other half stillin school. This class was just what I needed to gain more confidence and startmaking things again as well as hone and put into practical use the skills that I began to develop at Cornell. It’s exciting to see everyone jazzed to continue writingand directing projects after this summer.

Some of the Maxwellton Workshop 2012 students, from bottom of pile to top: Emma Shalaway, Elizabeth Davis, Linda Barsi, Caitlin Cowie

First shoot for class, a scene from Thelma and Louise

--Linda