This past summer MPI provided 18 young filmmakers the chance to intern on the set of five MPI Original Films. One of these filmmakers was Monica Lucas, who calls her time on set of the MPI Original comedy series We’re Doing Good and MPI’s upcoming feature film Pinball an “incredibly transformative experience.”

Monica began her career in Washington, DC hoping to make lasting positive change as a policy analyst. However, she soon came to believe the best way to change hearts and minds was not through policy papers but rather through masterful storytelling. So she packed her bags and moved to Los Angeles to attend the University of Southern California’s film school obtaining an MFA in Writing for Screen and Television.

Monica first came to MPI through our 2021 Short Film Lab, where she developed and workshopped a script with the guidance of MPI filmmaker Toby Fell-Holden and MPI senior vice president Lana Link. She then progressed to MPI’s Directing Workshop, receiving vital tips for pre-production, production, and post. Before the Lab, she says she never considered directing her own scripts, working on set, or being involved in production. But after the Lab, she saw how indispensable these skills and experiences are in writing and envisioning a film. 

Because Monica showed such potential in the Lab, MPI invited Monica to work on the sets of We’re Doing Good and Pinball to further her immersive training in filmmaking. 

“This was my first ever on-set experience, and it opened my eyes to the exciting world of film production,” says Monica. “I learned that working on a set is exhilarating, collaborative, and requires problem solving skills. What’s more, seeing a story go from page to screen has made me a more careful scriptwriter because I better understand the work it will take to make every part of what is written come to life….It was such an immersive experience that I am still gleaning knowledge from it as I continue to process all I had the chance to see and do.”

MPI is now working with Monica to take her career to the next level by guiding her through developing and writing her next short film. 

Are you a young filmmaker looking to get your foot in the door in the entertainment industry? Applications for MPI’s Hollywood Career Launch Program are accepted on a rolling basis. Learn more and apply today here.