Ella Satterwhite

This past summer I had the privilege of interning at Ryder Picture Company (RPC) as a Script Coverage Intern. RPC is a production company that was founded in 2021 by Aaron Ryder, a successful producer that has been at the forefront of shaping the landscape of the film industry. As a Script Coverage Intern, I provided feedback on the scripts sent to our production company. After reading the script, I filled out an evaluation that provided the general summary of the script as well as a comments section where I spoke to the marketability of the script, any nuances there were and finally, my overall recommendation on whether or not RPC should consider or pass the script. My confidence in covering scripts grew over the summer as I became more familiar with the format of script coverage. The speed in which I read and covered a script also increased as the summer went on. Additionally, every Wednesday, I would join a Zoom meeting attended by my fellow interns and the intern coordinators. The agenda varied from meeting to meeting. Sometimes we would have a guest producer, or head of company, speak to us and take our questions, and other times, we would have a film pitch that we each created and present it in front of everyone.

While my internship was primarily remote, I had the opportunity to work at the Los Angeles office in person for a few days in August. My role was the same but I worked alongside the other interns and attended the Wednesday meeting in person. Not only was I able to connect with the other interns, but I was also able to meet many of the key players at RPC, including Aaron Ryder. Working in person also gave the opportunity to go on many errands and take part in the dynamic events of the film industry. There was a prop from a film, currently under production, that was left at a hotel that needed to be transferred to the editor for the film. One of my peers and I drove to the hotel, picked up the prop, and proceeded to bring it to the Sony lot where the assistant editor was working. Walking around the lot was incredibly surreal as we got to see the outside of the sound stages that are used for some of the most prominent and current TV Shows and films. I also had the opportunity to check people in at an advanced screening for a film RPC is producing. The screening was at the Directors Guild of America on Sunset Boulevard. After checking people in, I got to attend the screening myself, which was a full circle moment since I had read the script for the film in the beginning of the summer and I could see how the dialogue was brought to life from paper to screen. My experiences working in person during my internship were paramount to building my understanding of the film industry and the day-to-day tasks that always change and make the job ever-evolving.

Overall, my internship at RPC was not only greatly valuable in gaining more technical experience and knowledge of the film industry, but it was also a great joy to intern in the industry I aspire to work in someday. My internship gave me more insight into the role of a producer and all the hats they take on during a production, as well as more discernment around going into a producer role. After asking a plethora of questions throughout the time of my internship to my intern coordinator and other guest speakers, I reaffirmed many pieces of advice I have already been given as well as gained new insights. The main takeaways I received were that the film industry is a people business that is all about connections, and also that the film industry continues to adapt and change with the times. I am very grateful that I was surrounded by a team that encouraged me to be vocal and ask questions, and also made me realize how important it is to do so in this industry. Lastly, the day after I completed my internship in late September, I saw a trailer on TV that seemed very recognizable. The trailer was for a film that I had read the script for in the beginning of the summer – the script was already in post production at the time. As I watched the trailer, I saw the script come to life and tears began welling in my eyes as I realized not only had my internship come full circle, but my dream to work in the film industry was one step closer to coming to fruition. As I go back to school and go on to work at other internships and companies in the future, I will take all that I learned with me as a script coverage intern and use it to build upon my skill sets and passion for filmmaking.