I just completed 2 months at The Walt Disney Company in a creative production role.
But what EXACTLY does that mean? what do I actually do? (insert existential questions)
Disclaimer: This post is not a BRAG but just a YAY!
Now that I have built up excitement, let me explain what I am doing at Disney, how I came about this and how much of a thrilling experience it has been! Get insider info about the work itself, the team drinks, the away day, the other interns in different dept and all the extracurricular events.
Smiling through the fact that I forgot to get my coffee that morning and had to rush to an important meeting. HAHA no, I was too happy to complain!
What's a placement year?
My undergrad degree at #universityofessex is for 4 years - a year longer than other usual degrees in the UK but SO worth it. It had the option of including a #placementyear or a year abroad in my degree. So what this means is, after my 2nd year of uni, I am taking a break from stressful essay writing and wonderful intellectual (pretentious) film discussions to look for a full-time job for a year in my relevant industry which is ... drum rolls, FILM and TV. And after this year, I go back to uni for my 3rd year (technically, 4th year) to complete my dissertation and cry about the pressure of adult life again. The little-me who was in year 12, was super ambitious about 100% getting a placement job (unaware of the condition in the media industry). #Disney was one of the first places I applied to and let me tell you, it was DREAM. The placement management team at my uni were incredibly supportive and guided me throughout the process.
What's my role at Disney?
My official job title is Live-Action Originals Production Intern for #Disneyplus streaming service. My work is a blend of creative and administrative work to support the creative development team looking after the UK and the whole of #DisneyEMEA. Now, EMEA is a term I learned on the job - it means Europe, Middle East and Africa. So, basically, my team in the UK #Hammersmith office not only looks after UK original productions for Disney+ content but also for the whole EMEA region.
We are a team of #TVcommissioners and #developmentproducers who get pitched ideas from other production companies, writers, publishers, freelancers, etc and decide if this is something that will sit the broader Disney and #STAR network. Another intern and I are in the same role but have our individual shares of the day-to-day and bigger tasks. On one hand, I create agendas for meetings, sit in them and take minutes, help in diary management and other ad-hoc tasks and on the other hand, I read scripts - new pitches, and development material, watch cuts of episodes, make notes and have meetings discussing our thoughts. Finally, the script reports go to my execs and help them in making decisions on particular projects.
Work (mainly, fun) team activities
Now, let's come to the fun bit of it. In the past two months, three big events happened that I got a chance to be a part of:
Team Drinks at the #LyricCafe in Hammersmith
On the fourth week of my internship, we went to a nearby rooftop bar/cafe after work and got a chance to network and get to know the people beyond their work lives. It was wonderful to chat with higher-up execs and fellow interns and really feel like a part of the whole magic! I mean, of course, the location was beautiful and the drinks were on the Disney tab hahaha.
Away Day in #SohoHouse, White City, in the former #BBCTelevisionStudios
This was one of the most incredible experiences so far - #WhiteCity is the hub of television and film in West London and is the home to some of the poshest restaurants and a member-only club called Soho House, where I generally book tables for my execs to have meetings with production companies and writers, etc. and now, WE are there for our away day celebration. Away Day is basically a day where the team leave the office and goes away to discuss wider and broader questions which get lost in the day-to-day work.
Soho House is based in the same building which was the #BBC studios early in the day and is just beside Westfield, London so, you can imagine the artsy look of the whole place and of course, I got lost and couldn't find the entrance. But yeah I did and we had a wonderful day in one of their chief executive meeting rooms. I was so grateful to get the opportunity to go there and be part of a team and actually live the moment I have dreamt of.
The day was followed by closing drinks at the rooftop bar again and this time too - it was on Disney's tab. in the morning I learned so much about strategy, market research, audience and media trends and in the evening, I got to have personal conversations with my team execs and got to know them. I know that that day I loosened up as an intern and got rid of my imposter syndrome and felt that, yes, I belong here.
Exclusive screening of #WeddingSeason, the first UK Original on Disney+
I can't believe I wouldn't have been able to write about this just a few weeks ago because it was all CONFIDENTIAL. Just a few days ago, Disney+ UK officially announced its first ever UK original production and realised its trailer which I have seen 100 times by now. This is the birthchild of one of the execs in my team and she arranged an internal screening on the second week of my placement (way before the trailer release) and we got to see the first 2 episodes of the series. Ahem ahem ahem, I have watched all of course, for my research purposes. After the screening in our own #DisneyCinema at our Hammersmith office, there was a chance to network and talk more about it! Now that I think about it, again, what made it so special is - it made me feel part of something greater, something good and something for the world. And thus, I have absolutely no pictures from that event, because you know, data protection!
But if you wanna know what this project this and are interested to know more:
Or from #Variety: https://variety.com/2022/tv/global/wedding-season-disney-first-look-images-premiere-date-1235324475/
Out-of-Work events
Enough with networking already!! Some purely fun things I took part in are:
Meet and Greet with Chip & Dale
Yes, #ChipandDale - the actual people, the things, the characters - they came to visit us at our office and we took pictures with them HAHAHA
Karaoke with Girls
It was #KaraokeNightOut where parent-interns and child interns went out to have fun and honestly it was one of the best nights ever. So, basically interns from last year who are being replaced by the current interns - all went out to have dinner at #StonemasonsArm , drinks and Karaoke at #Belushis. I got to know them and made such amazing relationships with them - I will miss them so much.
Volunteering at South-Asian Heritage Month celebration
July was #SouthAsianHeritageMonth and the #DiversityBerg at Disney curated a month full of events and volunteering events. I participated in one of the days to help them out and had a fun time watching Bollywood and South-Asian content and clothes and games and decorations and food!
So, yeah, here I am writing about all these and feeling so grateful for everything I got to know, all the people I met, all the new things I learned and all the 'new' that is waiting for me for the next 10 months! Of course, I have skipped over so many details and things which I will hide from the world - according to my NDA. HAHAHA
Hope you have a fun time reading - it means everything to me. Till next time ~ thank you!
Love,
K.
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