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Internship Details and Advice                                Tips
 

Panelists

Daniel Fleder, Universal Music Group; Intern
Brian Greene, MTV; Assistant to Director, Current Programming
Jaime Herman, HBO; Intern to the Assistant Manager of Film Programming
Brooke Jaffe, Late Night w/Conan O’Brien; General Production Intern
Jonathan London, MTV/Omniquest Entertainment; Assistant to the President

Internship Details and Advice

Daniel Fleder, Universal Music Group; Intern

• Had previous internship in the music industry with an independent music label; reggae and world music.
• Helped in producing music.
• Internship with larger music label (Universal) worked on their response to Napster.
• Know if you want to work with a small label or a more commercial label;  you can call small labels and they may have an internship available, bigger labels may have structured internship program.
• With a smaller label you will be able to get more hands on experience, not so with a commercial label.
• Try to do a variety of work at the label, this will get your name spread around; talk to as many people as you can.

• MTV/Movie producer; watched tapes and read scripts.
• Worked 3 days a week at MTV and 2 days a week for a movie producer.
• Did not gain much experience, sat around and waited for something to do at both internships.
• When looking for an internship, do research and know specifically what you want to do
• If you don’t know, ask lots of questions before you accept; you may get an internship where you have nothing to do.

• HBO; sat in on meetings, the office she worked in helped to finance and buy rights to movies.
• Found her internship through Jobtrak.
• 2 months, paid stipend at the end of the summer ($500).
• Interns have to ask for work and be aggressive about wanting to learn.
• Look to do your internship for free, to gain experience.

• Be aggressive in pursuing the internship, constantly call and ask if someone has seen your resume; know the line between aggression and harassment.
• If you want to work on a television show, make sure you know what the show is about (the style, format, host, etc…).
• There are many other interns beside the production interns (e.g. music and script interns); decide where you would like to work, if not they will put you in with the production interns.
• Make sure you spell check resume and cover letter, speak about the show in the cover letter; talk about why you like it and what parts you like.
• Know what you are willing to put into the internship to make it rewarding; you have to ask for work to do, show that you want to learn.

• Found his MTV internship through “Hollywood Creative Directory”(www.hcdonline; also in book form), a must have if you want to get a job or internship in entertainment.
• Non-paid (MTV); Did not gain much experience.
• The following summer found an internship with a management company, more hands-on, paid; worked with the President of the company.
• Helped manager look for roles for actors, collected audition tapes and information, some audio/visual work, was able to be creative.
• Found this internship through an entertainment temp agency.
• Friedman Agency (Los Angeles).
• Komar Agency (Los Angeles).
• Use these agencies if you are looking for entertainment work that pays—you may do several different things throughout the summer, but you will get great experience and will be paid.
• You have to be aggressive in finding an internship, you have to send out many resumes, and call organizations to make sure they received it—be persistent and proactive.
• Also be aggressive when you get the internship, ask for things to do, be willing to learn as much as possible.

General

• Getting an entertainment internship can be pretty random; seems to be the luck of the draw.
• Start early in applying, about the beginning of February. However, if May comes and you don’t have an internship continue to try, you still will be able to find one.
• Constantly send your resume out, stay active in looking for an internship.
• In your resume and cover letter, point out things that make YOU interesting.
• Don’t be afraid to apply for things you may not be qualified for; be willing to learn.
• Don’t come off as boring or pretentious; know your place, just because you come from Penn does not mean that you are special, you will be just an intern like the rest of the interns.
• Be willing to ask for work and show that you want to experience all that the internship has to offer; show initiative.
• If you know what internship you want, ask specifically for it; if you don’t know what a place offers, ask.
• Contact possible internships by phone, speak to a person, get the name and make them your contact, this way you will have someone specific to send your resume to.

• First call universities/colleges to see if they are renting out rooms for the summer, many have this option, however, you have to apply early (NYU is a good place to look, but it books early).
• Look for people who be subletting their apartment for the summer.
• Check out www.rent.com and www.aprilslist.com (for housing in NYC).

• “Hollywood Creative Directory”(www.hcdonline.com) -- this listing has every aspect of the entertainment business; There are job and internship listings online.
• A book entitled “The Internship Bible” which is located in the Career Services library.
• Entertainment Temporary Work agencies; if you need to make money and do not mind the possibility of working several different places during the summer, call an entertainment temp agency.
• Komar Agency (Los Angeles).
• Friedman Agency (Los Angeles).
• Look on the website of television station, music labels.
• Check out our on-line databases: www.interncenter.com, www.monstertrak.com (accessible through the Career Services website, call 215-898-4827 for password access).
• If you know people who can help get you an internship, ask them.