Saint Martin de Porres High School chose our intern Camren Davis for their Martin Moments Spotlight section of their monthly newsletter. Inspired by the Gospel, Saint Martin de Porres High School is a Catholic college-preparatory high school that combines innovative academics with a unique work program preparing students of limited economic means to become men and women of faith, purpose and service. Saint Martin prepares students for post-secondary success in education and work through a mutually transformative learning experience sustained by 21st century skills (communication, collaboration, creativity and critical thinking), good work habits and a commitment to justice and peace.
When you walk inside the Greater Cleveland Film Commission you are struck immediately with the smiling faces and kindness of the staff. Then as you tour the pristine offices, you quickly realize it is a who’s who of Movies; titles like Shawshank Redemption, Antwone Fisher, The Deer Hunter, and regional favorites A Christmas Story, Believeland, and Draft Day adorn the walls. What you may not realize is all of these films, and many more, were shot right here in our home town, and it is due in large part to the efforts of the Greater Cleveland Film Commission.
GCFC’s mission is to promote increased media production in Northeast Ohio, and aggressively pursues media productions and businesses that can positively impact the local economy. Ultimately, this creates more local jobs for our residents and increases economic development in the region. So when you are surprised one day seeing Kevin Costner, Morgan Freeman, or Katherine Heigl walking the streets of our fair city, you’ll know who helped get them here.
Every day is different and exciting, and it is why Camren Davis ‘18 can’t wait to get to work each week! Through Saint Martin’s Corporate Work Study Program, Camren is fully immersed in the entertainment scene of Cleveland, and loves every minute of it. “I love interacting with film companies, and the people in the film industry, said Camren. “Being on set and seeing them set up, angle out the lights, get out the microphones, and seeing them record in multiple sessions was incredibly interesting and a definitely highlight working here.”
Antonio Harper, Assistant Production Coordinator at GCFC, got to know Camren by taking him out on scouting trips for proper film locations, and he quickly became a fan, “Camren is a hard worker, very focused. He does his thing and it always turns out pretty awesome.” Office Manager and supervisor Ashley Alexandersen concurred, “He is constantly a calming presence. I never have to worry about Camren. He’s quiet in a fun way, engaging and a very sweet young man.”
There is never a dull moment for Camren. When he is not our scouting or actually on a set location he does a lot of much needed film data entry, reads scripts, looks at script formatting and suggests how to improve it, and garnering content for GCFC’s social media platforms. The work experience has him thinking about what he wants to study in college. Camren’s plans have always been to be a computer software specialist, but his time at GCFC has him contemplating a career in the film industry. “Being in these Corporate Work environments at our age is fun,” he said. “It is a glimpse into our future and we get an early taste of it. It’s great and I feel blessed to get that experience.”
We are very proud to call the Greater Cleveland Film Commission one of our over 130 Corporate Work Study Partners. “The Saint Martin students have been great. Each intern we have had is different, they are a breath of fresh air and we enjoy having them here,” said Alexandersen. You can learn more about how to get engaged with our unique CWSP here.