At the midpoint of my Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs exchange in Palma de Mallorca, I can already see how transformative this experience has been. I joined Mosaic Producciones, a production company dedicated to feature-length creative documentaries, with the goal of transitioning from film school into a sustainable professional editing career.
I arrived during an exciting moment for the company: the team was organizing MajorDocs, their annual festival devoted to auteur documentary cinema. My first assignment was editing promotional videos for the festival, which allowed me to contribute immediately while meeting filmmakers from across Europe and understanding how a production company also functions as a cultural platform.
After the festival, I joined the daily rhythm of the studio. I was struck by the volume of projects unfolding simultaneously— films in early development, others deep in post-production, and some navigating festival distribution, alongside commercial and educational work. Observing early development stages has been especially valuable: seeing how financing strategies are designed and how creative vision is sustained within funding structures has been really illuminating.
A defining moment was when my host entrepreneur, Miguel, invited me to collaborate on the editing of a feature-length documentary with a local director, with him producing. It was a truly meaningful milestone for me. Through this collaboration, I am learning not only about editing, but also how to approach the editor–director relationship with care, clarity, and respect. Miguel leads by example, demonstrating thoughtful communication and structure.
I have also collaborated on an archival-focused project, visiting the Archive of Image and Sound of the Illes Balears to view Super 8 and 8mm footage on moviolas. And beyond the studio, I also had the amazing opportunity to attend FIPADOC in Biarritz with my host entrepreneur.
The exchange has been mutually enriching. I contribute creative editing work, English-language support, and input on an emerging global networking initiative for documentary professionals, while gaining first-hand insight into how a documentary production company operates at every level. Working in Spanish has strengthened my industry-specific professional communication skills and increased my confidence in an international environment.
Returning to Spain, this time as a professional rather than a student, has been deeply meaningful. I feel a strong connection to the culture here, and the team has welcomed me warmly. I feel fortunate to collaborate with such generous and talented colleagues.
Looking ahead, this exchange has given me clarity about my own entrepreneurial path. I feel exponentially more confident about launching my freelance practice with this hands-on experience behind me. Most importantly, I see this not as a temporary placement, but as the beginning of long-term professional relationships. As I move into the second half of the exchange, I am excited to deepen these collaborations and continue shaping the professional future that feels more and more real.
