Quintos '17 Interns at Nickelodeon
22 July 2016 Quintos 17 Interns at Nickelodeon
Gail Quintos 17 is spending her summer in Los Angeles, Calif., interning with the non-profit sector of The Television Academy, which works with students who aspire to work in the film and television industry. She is assigned to Nickelodeons live-action casting department, which is responsible for hiring main actors, secondary actors and guest stars.
Ive attended auditions, table reads, run-throughs on set, and have been exposed to a lot of development plans for upcoming projects, such as TV movies, says the theatre and media and society double major, who has worked with School of Rock, Ricky, Nicky, Dicky & Dawn and Nick Sketch Live, an improv show that features new Nickelodeon talent.
Ive also had to research and update a list of potential guest stars for our shows and attend VidCon, a huge convention for YouTube creators, to find any potential Nickelodeon personalities, she says.
Her experiences at HWS, both inside and outside of the classroom, have helped to prepare her for a job in casting, she says.
In my media and society classes, whenever I was given an assignment to analyze films or TV shows, I couldnt help but wonder how the productions would be different if they were cast differently, explains Quintos, who also participated in the New York and LA Behind the Scenes experiences offered by the Salisbury Center for Career, Professional and Experiential Education at HWS.
Quintos says she used both events to network with alums and foster her interest in casting.
I remember Wendy Ettinger 78 saying that in order to be a good casting director you have to be a good person and a keen observer, and Ive always made sure to stay true to that, says Quintos, of the award-winning director, producer and casting director.
With her sights on inspiring social change, Quintos notes that many classes Ive taken at HWS have made me more aware and given me the tools to tackle issues in communities, and Im hoping I can tackle the issue of diversity in entertainment through a career in casting.
Quintos is a member of Perfect Third a cappella group, an executive board member and former director of the Phoenix Players, and serves as a student worker for IT Services and a tour guide at the Office of Admissions. She has previously worked for the Office of Communications and Residential Education, and was a member of the Koshare Dance Collective and Hip~NotiQs Step & Dance Team.