SHOOT DATES:
March 21 & 22 – Live Event Video Basics Workshop TIME TBD
March 25 – Live Event Practice, ZMFF Preview Party, 5:30 – 8:00 pm
April 22 – 26: On Set Internship at the Zeitgeist Minnesota Film Festival, scheduling varies
ON SET: ZMFF 2026 Event Video Team Internship
Internship Description:
Join us for an immersive workshop on film set fundamentals, hosted by Asher James, an award winning documentary filmmaker and photography, in collaboration with the Minnesota Media Arts School at Zeitgeist Arts in Duluth, MN.
Whether you’re stepping into working a live event for the first time or looking to refine your live event skills, this session will cover essential roles, industry terminology, set etiquette, and the workflow of a professional production. Then get hands-on work experience by working during the Zeitgeist Minnesota Film Festival to practice those skills. Perfect for students, aspiring filmmakers, and creatives eager to gain hands-on knowledge of how a film set operates.
For participants to take part of the ZMFF Video Team, at the Zeitgeist Minnesota Film Festival, they will be required to attend the Live Event Video Basics Workshop proceeding the festival. Schedules will be based on participant availability, but must be available April 22 – 26, 2026.
Hours of the Day: Filming for the Zeitgeist Minnesota Film Festival Event Videography program will be organized based on intern availability between April 22–26. Most filming shifts will likely take place between 10:00 AM and 10:00 PM, typically in 3–4 hour blocks. Specific call times and assignments will be finalized closer to the festival as the event schedule is confirmed.
Because live event coverage requires flexibility, interns should be prepared to adapt to changing schedules and needs alongside the rest of the crew. If you anticipate significant availability conflicts during this window, this opportunity may not be the best fit.
Location: The Live Event Video Basics Workshop will be held at the Zeitgeist Media Arts Lab. The Zeitgeist Minnesota Film Festival will be held mainly at Zeitgeist, but also The Depot and surrounding venues in Duluth, MN. Intern applicants must have their own reliable transportation to/from set.
MEET THE INSTRUCTOR
Hey! I’m Asher! I’m a husband to my wife, Kaylee, dog/cat dad to Daisy, Shrek, Potato, and Bug, and I live and dream in Duluth, MN!
I’m a creator and creative business coach, and host the Living Your Daydream Podcast! I run a production company/co-work/studio rental called Duluth Creative Co. that produces commercial and documentary films, elevated branding photography, and most recently: podcasting!
You’ll most likely find me out in Duluth playing trivia, visiting a local restaurant, and of course strapped with my most recent 35mm film camera find.
If you wanna get in touch to see how I can help you elevate your voice through content producing or creative biz coaching you can find me at my website asherjames.co and on social media at asherjames.co and duluthcreative.co Chat soon!
UPCOMING WORKSHOPS & CLASSES
Thursday & Friday, February 26 & 27
Storytelling and Worldbuilding: Creating Lessons and Benchmarks in Visual and Media Arts
This workshop is for Teachers K-12 who work with the arts in their classes who are interested in a deeper dive of how to combine the media arts into their lesson planning. Participants will utilize critique and feedback in ideation and design, through an exploration of storytelling and worldbuilding in Visual and Media Arts. Create and share with visual and media artists and educators, focusing on personal voice, expression, and cultural responsiveness in this two-session course!
Dates: February 26 & 27
Location: Zeitgeist Media Arts Lab
Costs:
- Visual Arts- Licensed Educators – FREE
- All others – $50
About the Instructors:
Vera Bianchini
Vera Bianchini (she/her), a queer, first generation immigrant from Brazil, is the Film Program Director at Zeitgeist, where she leads initiatives that build a thriving film ecosystem in the region, connects audiences with bold storytelling and fosters arts-based community building. With over a decade of experience in the film industry, she has worked with regional organizations such as MSP Film as the Development and Membership Manager, Flip The Script Queer Film Festival, and the Upper Midwest Film Office, as well as internationally recognized, Oscar-qualifying festivals including Sundance, Chicago International Film Festival, Cleveland International Film Festival, and Palm Springs International Film Festival.
Her expertise in programming and education in both the non-profit sector and film production has led to invitations to serve on festival juries and panels nationwide. A graduate of Full Sail University Film School, Vera began her career at an animation studio in Miami before working in post-production in Minneapolis and later producing a wide range of independent projects. Recent producing credits include A Kidnapping (2024, dir. Karl Gadjusek), I & Me (2024, dir. Elizabeth Chatelain), and Ish Meets a Mermaid (2025, dir. Jonathan Thunder). Currently Vera serves on the board for Flip the Script Queer Film Festival and Future Film & Sound: EDU Film Fest.
Debra Hannu
Debra Hannu (BA Studio Art/Art history, MA Art Therapy) tailors visual and media arts creative experiences to individuals of all ages. She is a retired arts educator with a range of expertise, from working on national and state arts standards to curriculum and instruction. Living creatively and sustainably, and sharing that with others, has been a focus of Deb’s life work. Deb’s eclectic interests include making jewelry, and paper mache’ sculpture, as well as farming and raising honeybees. She empowers others with overcoming obstacles for observing and drawing; factors which can suppress creativity. She is passionate about helping others access their own wonder and practices.
Betsy Hunt
UMD Assistant Professor, Digital Arts
Betsy Hunt is a video and installation artist. She received her BFA from the University of Northern Iowa in 2005 and her MFA from the California Institute of the Arts in 2008. Betsy has exhibited video installations throughout the United States. She currently lives and teaches Digital Art in Duluth, MN.
Raven Johnson
U of M Assistant Professor in the area of Photography & Moving Images and Filmmaker.
Raven Johnson is a Liberian-American filmmaker from Minnesota. Her work explores the realities of Black experiences in predominantly White spaces around the midwest. Raven received her MFA from NYU Tisch and was the 2021-2024 filmmaker-in-residence at Augsburg University in Minneapolis. Raven is a 2023-2025 Jerome Hill Artist Fellow, a 2023 McKnight Artist Fellow, a 2022 Locarno Film resident in Switzerland, a 2021 Jerome Foundation Artist Development Grant recipient, a 2021 Jerome Emerging Artist-in-Residence at the Anderson Center at Tower View, and a 2019-2020 Cannes Cinéfondation resident in Paris. In 2017, Raven was also named one of AT&T’s Emerging Filmmakers. Her short films The Trucker and Tween have played in dozens of film festivals including Palm Springs Shortfest, Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival, BFI, Denver Film Festival, and Cleveland International Film Festival. Raven is in development on her debut feature which has already received support from SFFILM and the Kenneth Rainin Foundation.
The Zeitgeist Minnesota Media Arts School, in partnership with the Minnesota Discovery Center, is an affordable option for the Northland’s diverse creative community ranging from filmmakers, graphic designers, multimedia artists, and theatrical artists to learn, work, create, and connect. With teaching hubs in Chisholm and Duluth, we will add important contributions to the regional film ecosystem.
Our goal is to empower, support, and educate Northland community members ages 16+ as active participants in shaping our culture, and engage diverse communities to rethink the way we view film, art, and local storytelling. We provide access and a platform to work, learn, create, and experience filmmaking and media production in our community.
Benefits include access to iMac computers loaded with creative design and editing software, meeting rooms, multi-media studios, film/video equipment for on-site photo/video shoots & projects, digital tools, and more.
Zeitgeist is made possible with your help
MN MEDIA ARTS SCHOOL SUPPORTED BY
