Name: Cara Schultz
Class Year: 2023
Major: English
Hometown: Bethesda, Md.
Internship Organization: Rough Diamond Productions
Job Title: Intern
Location: Remote (company based in Los Angeles)
Award: Jentes Family Internship Fund
What鈥檚 happening at your internship?
At the moment, my main responsibility is providing script coverage for a variety of potential features and pilots. In addition to putting a pass/consider/recommend suggestion on the script for those in charge of development, I also provide direct feedback for the screenwriter themselves so that they can strengthen the script for future pitches. Because of Rough Diamond鈥檚 open submissions policy (a rarity in the entertainment industry), the scripts are often unexpected and varied in subject matter and tone.
In addition to script coverage, I have also been researching potential cast members for a pilot in development, screening rough cuts of upcoming projects, and helping out as needed on table reads (in which actors read drafts of a script in order to ensure quality).
Why did you apply for this internship?
I hope to be a television writer post-graduation, and gaining valuable industry connections is crucial. I was excited by the prospect of providing script coverage, and my time with Rough Diamond Productions has been very informative.
Was there anything special about how you found this internship?
I found the internship through SoCreate, a website with resources for aspiring screenwriters. They have an internships page listing various production companies in search of interns鈥攕ome of them are smaller independent companies like Rough Diamond, and others are larger ones like Lionsgate. It鈥檚 a great resource; since Rough Diamond is a small company, I hadn鈥檛 known about them or any of their work prior to seeing the posting on SoCreate.
Because of the competitive nature of the entertainment industry, finding alternate avenues to get one鈥檚 foot in the door is crucial; more 鈥渕ainstream鈥 means of applying for internships (i.e., the official websites for larger production companies, LinkedIn, etc.) can sometimes put you in competition with hundreds or even thousands of other applicants. Finding companies you can directly contact is deeply important.
Can you talk about the skills you are learning and why they are important to you?
Directly correlated to the internship, I am learning how to write helpful and thoughtful script coverage. Since script coverage is one of the most common entry-level jobs in the entertainment industry, this is vastly valuable and will help my resume for future applications. I have also improved my proficiency in using programs like IMDB Pro, and my competency at reaching out when I have questions or inquiries.
Visit the Summer Internship Stories page to read more about student internship experiences.