Meet a VC Intern: Isaac Bolanos

Learn about one of VC’s 2025 Summer Interns, Isaac Bolanos, our Archives Preservation Intern!

How did you hear about Visual Communications and what drew you to apply?

I first became fascinated with preservation while interning at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts
and Sciences; seeing archivists quietly shape film history convinced me this was the work I wanted to do. When the Getty Marrow listings went live, I read every opening, but the Archives Preservation position at Visual Communications stood out to me the most.
Visual Communications' commitment to safeguarding Asian American moving image and ephemera materials, which often receive fewer resources than other collections, felt urgent and personal. The scale may differ from the Academy’s vaults. Yet, the stakes are identical: if we don’t stabilize, describe, and share these assets now, future filmmakers and scholars lose an
irreplaceable part of the record. That sense of responsibility is exactly what drew me to apply.

What do you hope to learn from this internship?

I hope to gain a clearer understanding of how a nonprofit like Visual Communications operates, how it sets priorities, manages resources, and builds community partnerships. I also want to strengthen my preservation skills, handling media, refining metadata, and troubleshooting workflows, while testing what I’ve learned in previous internships.

Artist on Repeat: The Beatles and Soundgarden

3 Favorite Films: The Graduate, Menace II Society, Silence of the Lambs, and The Taking of Pelham One Two Three

Favorite Place in the World: Mexico

What do you like to do in your free time?: In my free time, I like watching films, hanging out with friends, listening to music, and getting outside, hiking, camping, or backpacking whenever I get the chance. CDF!!!

Restaurant Recommendation: Apollonia’s Pizzaeria, Moo’s Craft Barbeque, and Lasita.