Eden Alcufrom

Class of 2024

Currently Studying: MBA in General Business

Current Internship: Developmental and Production Intern for Marisa Vitali, Emergent Pictures

Pronouns: She/Her

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When Eden Alcufrom first stepped into the Lubin School of Business, she brought a unique set of skills from the film industry with her but was ready to master a new industry—business. Upon graduating in 2024, Eden will take on the film world with her passion for producing, a business degree from Lubin, and experience in both industries, all of which will set her apart.

How has the Lubin School of Business helped you prepare for your current internship?

I was able to gain confidence in my work thanks to group projects and encouragement from my professors, which has and will help me be successful in my current and future professional experiences and internships. I would specifically like to thank Professor Chris Ramos for proactively helping me in my internship search. He went through my resume and contacted people in his network who he thought would be a match with my skills and knowledge.

What attracted you to this internship?

After completing my undergraduate degree in film studies with a minor in entrepreneurship at The New School, I became even more passionate about film and the many different steps it takes to develop and produce a film. Additionally, upon graduating from the Lubin School of Business with my MBA, I will pursue a career in film production. The knowledge that I am accumulating during this internship will enable me to understand the business aspect of film production and how it can affect or benefit the creative aspect of a project. Becoming a film producer is my ultimate career goal, so having direct contact and access to someone currently in that role allows me to obtain real knowledge on this position.

Describe what a typical day looks like as an intern with Marisa Vitali at Emergent Pictures.

A typical day with producer Marisa Vitali and Emergent Pictures includes going through a collaborative board and completing the tasks that are required of me for that week. Every Monday, Marisa and I meet to go over the status of my tasks, any questions about what we have worked on together, and the different strategies that are required for specific aspects of the projects that we are working on together.

What has been the highlight or most enjoyable aspect of your internship so far?

While there have been many highlights during this experience so far, I am most enjoying having an ongoing dialogue with Marisa about my career goals and how she can best cater this internship to me to help me gain as much knowledge about this field and position as possible.

How has this experience shaped or impacted your career goals?

This experience has made me even more interested in this field. I cannot wait to start working on my own projects where I will be able to handle production.

How will this experience impact your next semester at Lubin?

This experience allows me to fully grasp the area of film I would like to work in after graduating in May 2024. Next semester, I will be taking an arts and entertainment management course that will reinforce the knowledge that I have gained during this internship and will prepare me for my job search.

Regardless of the industry you are looking to pursue an internship in, make sure to take advantage of every opportunity that arises... Having experience across many industries will help you better understand what interests you and what doesn't.

Do you have any advice for other Lubin students who would like to pursue an internship in the future?

Regardless of the industry you are looking to pursue an internship in, make sure to take advantage of every opportunity that arises. This will help you form personal communication skills while also allowing you to develop an understanding of how to navigate your upcoming professional life. Having experience across many industries will help you better understand what interests you and what doesn't.

Connect with Eden:

• Connect with Eden Alcufrom on LinkedIn
• Follow Eden Alcufrom on Instagram

Pace | Haub Environmental Law Professor Camila Bustos co-authored an article titled “A Human Rights Approach to Climate-Induced Displacement: A Case Study in Central America and Colombia” which was published in the Michigan State International Law Review.

The article highlights the human rights obligations of government and international communities for individuals facing climate-induced displacement across and within borders.

For 15 years, April Bartlett was the art director overseeing the production design team that made sure The Today Show went on air, and looked good, every single day.

“It was a lot,” she explains with a laugh. “The Art Department was responsible for all of the visual aspects of the show. It could be as simple as dressing the set for an interview, to planning a live on-air wedding in four weeks. I’ve done everything from snowscapes on the Plaza with live skiing, to swimming pools, to obstacle courses, fashion shows, and six-foot-tall cakes. That’s live television in a nutshell; you have to be ready for anything and everything. You go back because of the energy and because you want to give the stories a visual voice.”

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Her work on The Today Show supported her passion for developing and designing for new works through her work off-Broadway to her years as an adjunct professor with the Sands College of Performing Arts. “My work spanned high-budget NBCUniversal gigs with VIPs in attendance, to smaller off-Broadway blackbox productions that we needed to make happen,” Bartlett says.

In fact, Bartlett was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award in 2011 for Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction and won for Best Morning Show in 2019–2020 for her collaborative design work on The Today Show.

When the pandemic shut down production of The Today Show, Bartlett wanted to find a new way to continue to tell stories. She’d always known that teaching would be part of her life someday—she had pursued a graduate degree and an adjunct role at Pace because of her desire to return to the classroom—but the pandemic solidified her decision to pivot to education full-time. “The pandemic was a turning point for everyone. I feel as though students during that time especially needed a listening ear and heartfelt guidance,” she explains. “I felt that this was a pivot needed not just for my soul, but also for the students who needed this new kind of understanding. I wanted to be that supportive educator for them. Someone that would lift them up, challenge them to take risks for their art and be their advocate.”

I personally love this role. I’m hands on in the shop and in the theaters. This is where the magic happens. Building sets and props that create the world of the play.

Bartlett isn’t one to do things halfway. “Now that I’m here, all the time, this is basically where I live,” she admits. Not only is she now teaching in the BFA in Production and Design for Stage and Screen program full-time, but she’s also the Production Coordinator for all performances at Pace. “I’m responsible for the coordination of everything that happens on the scenery end of our productions,” Bartlett says. She consistently juggles the roles of designer, technical director, producer, and more, while also still keeping up with her classes—which is just how she likes it. “I personally love this role. I’m hands on in the studios, the shops, and in the theaters. This is where the magic happens. Creating sets and props that create the world of the play.”

Audiences likely don’t realize how much of the magic of the stage comes from the visual elements Bartlett and her students’ craft. “The moment of artistic collision in theatrical storytelling is when the actors and the design elements come together to create a magical yet fleeting emotional moment for the audience to experience, everything unified together to tell the story,” Bartlett says. “Learning how to bring all of our elements together to create one breathtaking moment after another is what we’re teaching here at Pace.”

In a more tangible aspect, without lighting, you can’t see the actors. Without sets and props, there’s no setting. “We’re creating the world that allows the actor to be present in the story. We hope to give them enough, so the actor has things to interact with but not be taken out of the moment, rather be lifted up into the moment,” Bartlett explains.

We’re creating the world that allows the actor to be present in the story.

Bartlett and her colleagues aren’t just teaching industry skills, but empowering students to be creative collaborators. “As a designer, learning how to respect your fellow teammates for what they do is half the battle,” she says. “Here at Pace, we are creating a community of respect. Whether you’re a designer, a crew head, a carpenter, you’re taught to understand and respect everyone’s different roles and value what they bring to the table.”

Bartlett has a compelling reason to take pride in what she does at Pace. “Our students are hungry. They bring an energy to the classroom that’s exciting and invigorating.” she says. “The magic of the classroom comes from all of us together creating and collaborating in the same space at the same time, especially when it comes to that magical storytelling moment.”