This week on 8111, Endla Burrows. Endla (whose first name is Estonian) was born and grew up in the Bronx. Her mother worked as a nurse and her dad worked in multiple jobs in the city including working as an elevator operator in a high rise. Endla loved watching tv as a kid and would often sit with an encyclopedia by her side so she could look up anything that she saw or heard and didn’t understand.
Endla’s boundless curiosity and thirst for knowledge served her well in school. She was often able to learn subjects quickly in an autodidactic modality. She attended the University of Pennsylvania where she earned an undergraduate degree in English. During her time at U. Penn, Endla also joined crew and became an avid rower. An injury sidelined her rowing activities and she soon discovered what would become a lifelong passion for rugby.
Endla attended film classes at Temple University (while earning an MBA) and loved the process of filmmaking. She made a number of films, including a documentary on women who play rugby. She landed an internship at WHYY and got an opportunity to work on a short film with Director Tamara Jenkins.
Endla moved to California and eventually landed a job working at ILM as an assistant to Charlie Clavadetscher. She absorbed everything and quickly made herself invaluable. She eventually became the head of the training department and changed the way ILM onboarded new employees and helped connect the dots across departments and programs within the facility. After about seven years, she moved on working at Digital Domain, the Jim Henson Company, and as a Producer at Mokko Studio in Montreal. She's currently earning her MFA in film and writing her own stories.
Endla is amazing. Her curiosity, intelligence, sense of humor, and passion have propelled her career forward at every turn. Through listening and observation her unique insights and empathy helped make ILM a success in those early days of massive growth. It was so much fun to catch up with Endla and hear her amazing story.
