Story
Department
Internship
Story Department Internship
The PSP can provide funding toward a writer’s paid story room internship in keeping with our mandate to support the development of professional writers who are committed to careers in writing for television. The PSP highly encourages the hiring of diverse writers for this program.
This program is designed to encourage the hiring of interns in local story rooms. It is the prospective intern’s job to find a production company willing to work with them before applying to access this funding.
Apply
Open until further notice.
Applications will be evaluated on a first come, first served basis until the budget has been fully committed for the fiscal year.
About
Funding
Eligible applicants can apply to the PSP for a payment of $600 per week. The Mentor Production Company must, at a minimum, match this amount. The PSP’s contribution will be capped at $12,000 per internship placement.
For Production Companies
The PSP is always happy to consult with Mentor Production Companies who are looking to fill internship positions. Please email info@pacificscreenwriting.com.
Eligibility
Eligible Applications
The Writer-Intern and the Mentor Production Company applicants must meet the following criteria to be considered, collectively, an “eligible applicant”:
▸ Requirements
- The application must be comprised of a Writer-Intern and Mentor Production Company;
- The Writer-Intern must be a resident of British Columbia, and a Canadian citizen or a Permanent Resident;
- The Writer-Intern needs to show a track record of commitment and interest in enhancing skills within the craft of writing;
- The Mentor Production Company must be a Canadian company as defined by the Investment Canada Act;
- The Mentor Production Company must be a signatory to the WGC Independent Production Agreement;
- The Mentor is an Executive Producer, Showrunner, Senior Writer, or Senior Story Editor at the Mentor Production Company.
- Story Department Interns should have previous writing experience and a commitment to production in British Columbia. Internships may include participation in story meetings and contribution to re-writes. Other tasks include, but are not limited to, proofreading and distributing scripts, and research. A list of tasks, monitored on a monthly basis, will be negotiated between the Intern, Mentor, and the PSP. The Intern-Writer’s minimum role will be an Associate Story Editor, receiving a television Story-Editor contract under the WGC IPA.
Eligible Projects
The Mentor Production Company’s project must meet the following criteria to be considered as an “eligible project”:
▸ Requirements
- The project must be of scripted episodic content;
- The project must be intended for broadcast as a series on network television or VOD platform and
- Story Department Internships take place in the story department of a confirmed production licensed for broadcast, or funded for development, under the guidance of an experienced Story Department Mentor.
Excluded genres include, but are not limited to, pornography, talk shows, news, live sports events, game shows, reality television, and branded content.
Need-to-Knows
Financial Participation
Eligible applicants can apply to the PSP for a non-recoupable cash advance of $600 per week. These funds will be paid directly to the Mentor Production Company and must be used only for the Writer-Intern’s salary. The Mentor Production Company must at a minimum match this amount. The PSP’s contribution will be capped at $12,000 per internship placement.
Application Checklist
The processing time for a complete application is approximately two-four weeks. Applicants should submit the online Story Department Internship Application Form (below) with the following uploaded .pdf documents:
- Internship proposal (job description);
- Current CV of Writer-Intern;
- Cover letter from Writer-Intern;
- Current CV of the Mentor;
- Letter of Intent from Mentor;
- Credits of Mentor Production Company and related production companies.
Apply Here
The Story Department Intership Faq
▸ Can the PSP help me find a story room to intern with?
It is the responsibility of the Writer-Intern to identify and contact potential Mentor Production Companies to arrange their proposed Internships. That said, if we do hear about an opportunity, we will do our best to spread the word. We encourage interested potential Writer-Interns to follow our social media and website news for announcements of any known internship opportunities.
▸ How will my application be evaluated?
The Story Department Internship Program is a competitive program. Applications will be reviewed taking the following criteria into consideration:
- Skill level and experience of the Writer-Intern;
- Skill level and experience of the proposed Showrunner, Senior Writer(s), and/or Senior Story Editor(s) from the Mentor Production Company;
- Proposed professional relationship between Writer-Intern and Showrunner, Senior Writers(s), and/or Senior Story Editors(s) from the Mentor Production Company;
- Proposed responsibilities to be undertaken by the Writer-Intern during the Story Department Internship; and Commitment of Mentor Production Company to independent film and television production in British Columbia.
▸ I found a production mentor who will work with me, but I don’t have previous experience writing for TV. Will you still consider my application?
Yes, if you have everything needed to complete your application, we are interested in receiving it!
▸ I still have questions. Where can I get more information?
Please contact info@pacificscreenwriting.com