Meeting Spielberg

That time I went to Los Angeles to intern… without an internship.

When I was studying media production, we had to find an internship. Most of my classmates chose something safe and local. I did the opposite. I went to the other side of the world, without an internship.

I had borrowed money for the trip, had one phone number for a Swedish contact, and absolutely no idea how any of it was going to work out. My time in LA was far from glamorous. I was staying in a completely empty apartment with an inflatable mattress. That was it. The apartment didn’t even come with a fridge. I was running out of money and couldn’t even afford to visit Universal Studios. A month later, I was walking behind the scenes at Universal Studios with a production pass.

After assisting on some minor shoots and even filming a bar mitzvah, I got a call one day:

“Do you wanna tag along on a photoshoot for Empire Magazine?” And suddenly I was standing next to Steven Spielberg and shaking hands with Harrison Ford. I got to see Spielberg’s office, his Oscars and his private screening room. And when we took a group photo, Spielberg looked at me and asked: “So, what’s your name?” I almost had to look over my shoulder to see if he was actually talking to me.

It was such a small gesture, but to me, it meant a lot. He noticed me. And maybe that’s why I still remember that trip so clearly. I had no plan. No internship. Barely any money. I just went.

Sometimes you don’t need to know exactly how everything is going to work out. You just have to be brave enough to take the first step

Forever grateful to the amazing Robert Gallagher for taking me along for the ride back in... I think it was 2008. What a time that was.

//Jana