Grady InternViews: Darby Taylor

This is part of a series where we ask Grady College students to describe their summer internship experience.

Darby is participating in the Grady LA field study and internship program. She has two internships, one as a development intern for Temple Hill Entertainment, and another as an intern for the Producer’s Guild of America.

Briefly describe your internships and responsibilities.

At Temple Hill Entertainment, I perform coverage on screenplays, pilots, and book manuscripts to assess whether the material is worth developing into television or film content. I read the material, write up a synopsis, comment on pacing, characterization, tone, and plot, and then recommend a decision for the creative executives. I also sit in on development meetings, which provide me insight and a better understanding of the film and television landscape.

At the Producer’s Guild of America, I create materials to streamline and assist with the Guild’s ‘mark arbitration’ process. I conduct research projects to verify producing credits for Guild membership, update databases, and identify potential films for the awards season.

How has this role helped you discover what you are passionate about?

Both of my internships have confirmed my passion for the entertainment industry and that I want to be involved in the creation of television shows and films. Working at Temple Hill and the Producer’s Guild has given me an insight to two very different sides of the industry, and validated my passion for the industry and desire to work behind-the-scenes to bring certain stories to life.

How will this role guide your future career path?

Ultimately, my dream career is to get into post-production, or editing for film or television. I believe that when working on such a big and collaborative team as film crews, it’s integral to understand all aspects of the industry in order to make the production process smoother. As a future editor, I now know what parts of a script are significant enough to include in the final cut, as well as which team players have the most creative control over a project’s vision.

What advice would you give to students who are looking to pursue similar opportunities?

Networking is the best way to get your foot in the industry. Start reaching out to UGA alumni and other industry professionals as soon as possible, such as through LinkedIn or the UGA Mentor Program. When reaching out, it’s best to be authentic, intentional and respectful. Be honest, do your research beforehand, and thank people for their time. Although it can be scary, people want to help you and give advice based on their own experiences in the industry.

What has been your favorite part about your internship so far?

My favorite part about my Temple Hill internship is getting to provide my own opinion and experiences to the company. My perspective as a young student is welcomed with open arms, as I am encouraged to participate in staff meetings, give honest feedback about potential scripts and books, and discuss my favorite content with other interns and executives.

My favorite part about my internship with the Producer’s Guild is getting an insight to the industry from the unique perspective of a trade association. I have a better understanding to what all goes into film production through the producer’s role and what needs to be kept in mind when applying for the Producer’s Guild of America mark or membership to the Guild.

How have the classes you’ve taken at Grady prepared you for this internship?

The ‘writing for entertainment media’ class I took taught me a lot about what works and what doesn’t work in a script. We read and critiqued many scripts, gaining an understanding to critical story elements such as character development, beats, tone and pacing. This class has made the coverage process a lot smoother, because I can easily differentiate my personal feelings on a piece of material and the actual elements that build a story.

Planning and helping on student short films through the production basics and cinematography classes I’ve taken have given me a brief insight to the effort that goes into feature filmmaking. My internship at the Producer’s Guild has taught me just how massive the crews behind our favorite films are and how much producers have to balance in order to bring certain visions to life.