American High

Creative Intern

September - December 2023 • Syracuse, NY

What I liked

This company and internship was incredible. I loved the weekly meetings and how I got to speak on the scripts I read, providing a platform for me to share insights on the scripts I read with my entire team. It was equally enriching to engage with fellow interns, discussing our likes and dislikes of various scripts. I was able to personally resonate with scripts and it made me learn more about storytelling and how to properly read and write. This experience was rewarding and also a great experience. Matt Sacca, the Head of Development, played a pivotal role in ensuring that I was learning, and always encouraged to share my thoughts and opinions.

What I wish was different

Advice

Learn from others and don't be afraid to use your voice.

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Creative Intern

June - August 2023 • Chicago, IL

What I liked

I had such a great experience with American High this summer! The team, including Matt Sacca and Jeremy Garelick, were incredibly welcoming, and it was clear that everyone wanted you to learn as much as possible!

What I wish was different

Advice

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Creative Intern

January - May 2023 • Syracuse, NY

What I liked

Great production company - a team that is very close to one another and that produces high-quality entertaining content. Lots of great script coverage experience as well as other creative projects. Opportunities to get involved in merchandise advertising, pitch decks, AI research and more. The PA workshop was one of my favorite experiences. Matt is the Head of Development and the internship supervisor, so he has a lot of experience and development skills to share with interns. Great manager who is very understanding of interns busy academic schedules.

What I wish was different

Advice

Take advantage of as many assignments/workshops as you can.

1 One person found this helpful

Creative Intern

January - May 2023 • Syracuse, NY

What I liked

This was the best internship ever! Matt was always communicative, willing to hear us out and listen to our concerns. Learned more than I could say about script coverage, pitch decks, and presentations. Couldn't recommend this internship more!!

What I wish was different

Advice

1 One person found this helpful

Creative

January 2023 • Syracuse, NY

What I liked

I absolutely loved how I had the opportunity through AH to get my hands on professional scripts and improve upon my writing. Matt Sacca was a class act and bestowed an immense amount of wisdom on all the interns regarding the film/tv industry. He is so personable and passionate, which is a great combination to have in a supervisor.

What I wish was different

I do wish we had more opportunities to bond as a group, but it is hard to do that remotely. I think the group did a great job of trying to get a "team"-feel despite the interactions being solely online, though!

Advice

Don't be afraid to communicate with your fellow interns and with Matt! Everyone is so considerate, and they want to see you succeed.

1 One person found this helpful

Creative Intern

December 2021 - July 2022 • Liverpool, NY

What I liked

The American High creative internship is a blast! While script coverage makes up the majority of the work, American High differentiates itself from other programs by having weekly discussions about what we'd read. At times, the experience felt more like a book club than an internship. On top of that, seeing the ins-and-outs of the development process was very educational. American High really works to ensure that you're gaining something- and learning- from the internship. That can't be said for a lot of other programs.

What I wish was different

I interned for two terms, back-to-back, because the first one was unusually slow. Anyone interested in the internship should know that sometimes, there just won't be anything to do.

Advice

It's a common piece of advice that budding screenwriters should read just as many bad screenplays as good ones. The fact is, the majority of screenplays are bad, but it's difficult to motivate oneself to read them without an incentive. It may sound backwards, but it's a huge asset that script coverage exposes an intern to so many bad screenplays. My advice is to pay close attention to why some screenplays suck. Reading great screenplays won't teach you to write a great one, but reading awful screenplays will teach you how not to write one.

1 One person found this helpful

Script Reader

September 2021 - August 2022 • Syracuse, NY

What I liked

I loved getting to read scripts and talk about them with fellow interns and the program leader. This was a great way to learn about what makes a great and desirable screenplay. I also received insight into the script production process, from analyzing initial drafts to workshopping a story with the company. As part of the internship, we also got to do special assignments like editing a trailer for one of their upcoming movies and creating a pitch deck for potential projects. Finally, we got to have some really cool and educational zoom Q&As with a cinematographer and trailer editor in the industry. It really was an awesome mix of so many elements of the film industry that you couldn't experience anywhere else.

What I wish was different

I wish we could've had smaller zoom sessions among the interns to really dive into certain scripts and create stronger responses together beyond just our written coverage. Sometimes I felt like there were too many people trying to share their thoughts on our main zooms and maybe this could've given everyone the chance to make their voices heard in a discussion sense.

Advice

This internship is what you make of it. No one is going to force you to read a bunch of scripts or try hard on the special assignments, but if you do, there are so many valuable lessons to learn and it's just super fun. Highly recommend!

1 One person found this helpful

Creative/Film Festival/Set Intern & Script Reader

June 2021 • Liverpool, NY

What I liked

In all my experiences with American High, I have felt welcomed, valued, and challenged. So many exciting opportunities and projects were made available to me. The internships allowed me to greatly expand my film knowledge. Additionally, I left each internship with a new network of connections including both fellow interns and students, as well as a variety of guest speakers. These experiences have helped me to gain invaluable knowledge, make friends within the industry, and kickstart my career in the film industry. :)

What I wish was different

Due to Covid guidelines and regulations, most of my work with the company has been remote. While these circumstances were out of our control, more opportunities to work at the school itself would have been amazing and really enhanced the experience.

Advice

Be open to trying new things! When projects are suggested or help is needed, offer to participate regardless of your knowledge or experiences. Find other interns whose abilities complement your own and work with them to expand your expertise and learn as much about the industry as possible. If you're willing to put yourself out there, you'll find this internship to be extremely rewarding.

1 One person found this helpful

Intern

May - June 2022 • Liverpool, NY

What I liked

It was overall a very welcoming environment. I was given responsibility for various tasks which made me feel like I was doing meaningful work. I was rarely just sitting at my desk.

What I wish was different

I wish I could have gotten some more onset experience.

Advice

Be open to trying out new things and always make yourself available.

1 One person found this helpful

creative development intern

May - August 2019 • Syracuse, NY

What I liked

I liked that the internship was remote and flexible. It allowed me to go home for the summer and still pursue other projects at the same time.

What I wish was different

I wish there could have been more communication from the executives or feedback on the coverage I was doing to let me know if they wanted something different or if what I was doing was good. I also would have liked if we got more chances to connect with the leadership via online Skype sessions or something to at least get to know who I was working with/for.