Amazing ‘Virtual’ opportunity for film student

Student secures prestigious internship backed by Hollywood stars

A media student from Romford has completed a “dream come true” internship, working in a virtual production studio.

The prestigious paid internship was arranged by Group Effort Initiative (GEI), a project launched in August 2020 by Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively and Dimension, London-based creative partner for end-to-end virtual productions and advanced virtual humans.

GEI exists to create a pipeline for members of underrepresented communities to get real experience towards a lasting career within the entertainment industry; they achieve their mission through education and professional development, job placement, and mentorship and currently operates in 15 cities around the world.

Kevin Aquino did a BTEC in media at Barking & Dagenham College, securing top grades this summer; his college tutors encouraged him to apply for the internship and supported him with his application, whilst studying there.

The 9-week, full-time internship started in July and included food, free transport to the virtual production studio and board. Kevin and other participants will get a certificate after completion, which will be helpful when applying for jobs, which is what Kevin is planning to do, rather than go to university.

It took place at Dimension Studios West London, a multipurpose virtual production studio featuring 4 stages that include one of the world’s largest LED walls, a pioneering volumetric stage and performance capture stage.

With the guidance of a company “buddy”, Kevin got to experience various onsite service departments supporting, shadowing, and learning the workflows of the Supervision, Operations and Technology teams.

Kevin says: “When I found out about the Rise Up Initiative that is being offered by Group Effort Initiative partnering with Dimension Studios, I was really excited and grateful to Film Barking and Dagenham for sharing the opportunity.

“The application process was tough and very competitive, so I was thrilled to be offered one of the extremely sought after places. I was given the opportunity to learn the best virtual production techniques, meet amazing people from the industry and work alongside and learn from them – this was a dream come true.

“Being part of GEI is an extraordinary opportunity, and I couldn’t ask for a better internship. This is a game-changer for my filmmaking career, opening massive doors for me in the industry. I’m honoured and grateful to be part of this and made the most of every moment to learn and gain skills to kickstart my career.”