Creative Development & Production Trainee, Mpg Summer / Fall

This is a Full Time Job

Our Emerging Talent Programs, which includes Interns, Trainees, and Finance Rotational Associates, offer unique opportunities for students, recent graduates, and emerging talent to work alongside the teams that come together to create movies, TV shows, and other great experiences. These seasonal, paid assignments provide meaningful and productive work that builds on your experience and develops your skills further. You will be provided with challenging tasks, real-world experience, and many educational and social networking opportunities.

This Summer/Fall Trainee position is from May/June through December 12th and all candidates must be able to work 40 hours a week, Monday through Friday in person in the specified office location. This position is ideal for entry-level talent or recent graduates interested in jump-starting their career in a particular field.

DEPARTMENT DESCRIPTION:

The Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions department produces original films and acquires films during festivals (Sundance, Cannes, Toronto, Tribeca, SXSW, Berlin, etc.) as well as outside of festivals for distribution under Sony's various platforms. We acquire in various stages (Scripts, finished films, promos, etc.). Our group also does development and oversees projects creatively that we acquire during festivals and between festivals. This requires a combination of analytical analysis of the financial potential of films, marketing, and publicity for the films we acquire, and traditional development, notes, and casting/directing lists for all the films we are in the midst of development on. In addition to this, the trainee will also learn about traditional production practices and what it takes for the executive level to oversee traditional productions on a mid-size budget level being shot both within the US and abroad.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
• Review, assess and create coverage reports on incoming scripts for consideration. Trainee will learn key tenets of story and how to evaluate projects at a studio level.
• Assist with project-by-project analysis of films and promos, as well as analysis of all submissions to major film festivals around the world
• By helping our executives with the organization of various major film festival entries, the trainee will gain a firm understanding of what it takes for an independent film to become successful
• The trainee will also gain an understanding of how our group purchases films for various territories around the globe
• The trainee will be integral in the acquisition preparation following Cannes and leading up to Toronto, AFM, and Sundance. This will allow the intern to not only see how our group prepares to buy dozens of features annually, and also how our group prepares for original productions that we finance under our various banners.
• This trainee is fully macro in its scale, and learns levels of films, all stages of film production, completion, and acquisitions, and also provides as a great launching point for those who have career aspirations within film and acquisition
• Contribute to the development of Stage 6 Films/SPWA project with notes, casting and director ideas
• Help formulate research documents for specific projects.
• Create presentations outlining film, TV and other forms of entertainment that they are currently consuming.

QUALIFICATIONS:
• Relevant experience or education in Film or TV
• Strong work ethic, communication and organizational skills
• Be able to react quickly under pressure and complete assignments in a timely manner
• Have a keen eye for detail while being able to multitask
• A proven understanding of the independent film world
• Well versed with MSOffice & FileMaker

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
• Historical knowledge and love of film is strongly desired
• Understanding current theatrical and streaming film marketplace