Netflix Backs The Sarah Jones Opportunity, Internship & Job Training Program Dedicated To Memory Of Late Camera Assistant

EXCLUSIVE: Through its Fund for Creative Equity, Netflix is set to lend its support to The Sarah Jones Opportunity, an annual internship and job training program dedicated to the memory of the late camera assistant Sarah Jones.

The Sarah Jones Opportunity consists of a 12-week paid internship/camera training program at Commander Camera in Atlanta, where participants learn all aspects of digital cinematography. Participants also have the opportunity to visit sets to observe camera crews at work and to begin building their network of industry contacts.

After successfully completing the Commander Camera internship, participants are provided an additional one-week paid internship at Cinelease Lighting & Grip and Cinelease Studios. This year’s participants will subsequently get the opportunity to work for 30 days as an ICG crew member on an Atlanta-based Netflix production, and upon completion of the program, will be offered membership to ICG Local 600, so that they can begin their freelance careers.

A bright young member of the Georgia film community, Jones worked in the camera department on a number of local productions. She tragically lost her life on February 20, 2014, when struck by a train while shooting on railroad tracks for the film Midnight Rider. The incident raised serious concerns about safety standards in the industry, as the production had not secured proper permission to be on the tracks and had failed to implement adequate safety measures for the crew, and in the aftermath of Jones’ death, she’s become a symbol for the need for stronger on-set safety protocols, inspiring change through initiatives like the Safety for Sarah movement.

With the support of the Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Entertainment, The Sarah Jones Opportunity specifically targets aspiring filmmakers like Sarah who have a passion for working in the camera field but may otherwise not have access to the entertainment industry.  Since its inception in 2014, the program has helped kickstart careers for seven individuals who are now members of the International Cinematographers Guild. Warner Bros TV has partnered with the program in the past.

Last year’s participant was Valeriia Luhovska, who was chosen over 270+ other applicants after immigrating to the U.S. from Ukraine. Her experience involved months of training and work with an International Cinematography Guild L600 crew on the set of Netflix’s Stranger Things.