Amanda Oh, COL ‘ 23, Los Angeles, California
This summer, I have been working at Walden Media as a Creative Development intern. Walden Media is a production company based in Los Angeles which has traditionally specialized in producing film and television for children but has recently pivoted to creating content for the entire family. This includes creating content which sparks curiosity and family discussions about modern themes. Some of their biggest films include The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Giver, and Wonder, and recently the company worked on Finch and The Babysitter’s Club.
As a Creative Development intern, I primarily work on script coverage, where I read books and scripts sent to Walden by literary agents and independent authors with the hopes of turning their text into a film or television series. I then write a report for each submission with a summary of the text, and analyze whether it is well-written, has commercial value, and is an appropriate match for Walden’s brand. Based on these factors, I then designate each text with a pass, consider, or recommend status. Recommended texts are passed along to senior members of the Development team, where they are considered for eventual production.
In addition, I have created reports about current industry trends, including movies and talent that have been praised in 2022’s film festivals, and reports about anticipated upcoming releases. However, my favorite project at Walden was creating a ten-minute pitch to creative executives where I outlined a creative vision and business strategy for a film, filled with budget details and marketing campaigns, as well as potential cast and directors.
This experience has been very positive for me. I’ve loved getting to know my fellow interns and the executives at Walden, and it has been so much fun to show up on the FOX studio lot every day for work. I will leave my summer internship with a better understanding of what it is like to work in the entertainment industry, and I am grateful to Career Services for the summer funding!
This is part of a series of posts by recipients of the 2022 Career Services Summer Funding Grant. We’ve asked funding recipients to reflect on their summer experiences and talk about the industries in which they spent their summer. You can read the entire series here.
