Behind the Screens: Insights from a Netflix Internship

Zayna Amanat, a recent graduate with a bachelor's in English and minors in business law and studies in cinema & media culture, shares about her summer ‘24 internship with Netflix in Los Angeles, California. She used skills honed in her literature and media culture classrooms to identify and pitch stories that could be adapted into movies and TV shows.

What were your top three job responsibilities? Describe the project or projects you worked on.

[My main responsibility was to] scout and evaluate intellectual property (IP) that was selling its derivative rights for potential adaptations. [I also] read multiple novels, short stories, graphic novels, and so on, and wrote coverage on requested materials. [Additionally, I] assisted in database administration and updating, as well as taking notes during in-team and inter-team meetings. 

A lot of what I did was shadowing the people involved with making the specific deals of obtaining the rights to adapt certain pieces of IP and organizing all the logistics involved. I read a lot and wrote pitches about the things I read to be given to my team lead. This helped me evolve my reading skills beyond just reading for entertainment, but also evaluating how we could turn a piece of IP into something else or why we'd pass on something. I also got to learn about all aspects of entertainment production outside my department (VFX, post production, sound and dubbing, and more).

How did you find your internship? What tips do you have for others seeking similar opportunities?

I searched for "Netflix internships," found a posting on their website, and applied. I found it at the right time, though, since the posting was only up for a couple of weeks. Always keep searching for opportunities because you don't know how fast places will hire. Even if you don’t think you’ll get it, just apply; you never know how far you might get. Be excited and genuine and they will pick up on that.

What are your top takeaways from your internship experience?

There are more ways to get into entertainment and use my editorial skills that I didn't know about. I didn't know that IP scouting was a thing until I found this position. But being there helped me realize that there are so many opportunities out there if you search and apply yourself to them. I built a strong network there, which helps in so many ways beyond just career-wise.

What CLA core career competencies did the internship help you develop?

Digital literacy. A lot of the internship revolved around learning certain databases and technologies that are used in the entertainment industry. Getting experience with that is going to help me hit the ground running when I have to use that technology when I start working full-time.

Also, [I developed my] innovation and creativity skills. I had to learn how to think creatively in different ways when analyzing and pitching new acquisitions, and saw how different creatives work on their own operations and projects. It was amazing to see how the creative process of development, pre-production, production, and post-production all come together.

Career Ready

As a liberal arts student, you will develop ten core competencies to prepare you for your future career, including: