From making skateboarding videos with his friends to working on bonafide film sets; Chris Davis, Temple University ’23, has always been a filmmaker. As a Film and Media Arts major, with a concentration in Cinematography, Davis quickly learned the ropes as a camera department intern at Expressway Cinema Rentals. Over the six-month spring internship, Davis assisted in pulling camera gear for orders and returning equipment.
He discovered Expressway when he took a tour his Junior year to check out all the facilities. Since then, he’s rented equipment for his senior thesis film at Temple. In addition to school work, he has rented our gear for video content for the store he works at.
Davis recently completed his senior thesis, a short film, The Styx. Working with their director, he and 3 other Temple students were able to bring their vision to life. Davis’ main job on the film was cinematographer, but pitched in wherever needed in order to create the story more efficiently.
“This also allowed me to be engrossed in the entire filmmaking process,” he said, reflecting about the roles on set. “A DP, AC, or gaffer that can kind of do it all, that’s what I want to do.”
“After graduation, my goal is to work in both photography and videography,” Davis added. “Both are creatively fulfilling.”
When it comes to the Expressway internship, Davis said, “It has been a fun and informative experience and I learned a lot here. I had the opportunity to learn the minutiae of not only how to operate the gear, but how to take care of it and ensure the gear’s longevity.”
“This experience taught me about the rental side of the industry. I can utilize that knowledge to support the needs of any future ACs or DPs I work with. Expressway works with productions of all sizes and it really gave me a good understanding of how both parties can benefit from collaboration.”
For the next student intern, David offers his advice to spend it growing film industry knowledge. “Expressway is a very easy-going place to learn about the filmmaking space,” said Davis.
“Working here gives you a great opportunity to ask questions and learn more about the cinematography world,” he adds.
The Expressway Cinema Rentals Internship
Come work with us! Expressway routinely seeks current students and recent graduates for various positions like internships, part-time work, and co-ops. Check out our Careers/Internships page for more information.
Written By: Evan Guanzon –
When he's not at producing content at Expressway, he will probably be eating lumpia and telling people he's a film photographer.