Pain Project Inc., Montclair, NJ
In my role as a script assistant, I both contributed research and written material to a script in production for Netflix. Timothy Greenberg is the head writer for Pain Project Incorporated and has worked on the Daily Show and Living with Yourself, a Netflix original. As head writer and creator of a new show, still untitled, he asked me to review drafts and treatments of episodes, and provide my own feedback, including jokes and ideas for scenes and interactions between characters. He wanted ideas that were unexpected, and an additional perspective from someone who could act as both a test audience member, and someone with familiarity with the writing process.
The show is thematically similar to Living with Yourself, which involves cloning and science fiction. This show is a comedy as well, and also focuses on similar sci-fi themes. My primary job was providing insight as a viewer, as well as contributing my own ideas. I also did extensive research into granular aspects of the script, including taxi rates, coronary practices, and medical treatment for patients in comas, many of which were incorporated into dialogue and scene directions. I also reached out to some experts in the field, including coroners, to solicit their opinions and advice when I wasn’t sure about specific details, or had questions about colloquial language they might use. One of my projects included reading the draft of the first episode and adding my own jokes throughout the script. I then got to read the second draft of the script and provide my thoughts on how the two versions compare, and what might play better to an audience.
Another of my projects involved reading three treatments for episodes 103, 104, and 105, which are essentially script outlines. My job was to read them, make sure the material was easy to understand, provide feedback as a viewer, and add my own ideas and jokes. I logged all of my feedback in separate documents for each episode and included page numbers and line references for each part I referred to. I was later asked to research a few more of the logistical details that would be incorporated into a first draft of the scripts for those episodes.
I am so grateful for this position because it gave me key insights into the behind-the-scenes aspects of the entertainment industry. It is not often that a college undergraduate gets to see several drafts of a script, especially one in production for a major company like Netflix, with a huge capacity for advertising and consumer reach. Itis even less likely that said undergraduate gets to contribute their own ideas and sees them on the page. It was really valuable to see my own material incorporated into a real script, both in terms of my own creative writing, and my research.
I often faced a lot of self-doubt in suggesting my own ideas, especially for jokes as I felt I did not have the necessary experience and was worried I would not be considered funny enough. However, since that was the task asked of me, I did my best, and found that my suggestions and ideas ultimately ended up being very useful to the writers. It gave me confidence in my own ability to write and to produce comedic writing. Even if I do not ultimately go into the media or entertainment industry, I have gained increased faith in my own skills and ideas, which I think is essential in any workplace environment, especially for young women.
Further, it has shown me that, professionally, I am interested in media and entertainment, and his choice to incorporate some of my writing really boosted my confidence in my own ability to write comedically for entertainment. I know now that I am interested in pursuing more coursework in creative writing and narrative storytelling, which will provide focus to my English major, I hope. I enjoyed the creative writing course I took last semester in the Introduction to Fiction Workshop, and this only solidified my understanding that I want to continue to hone that skill, especially since this internship allowed me to write creatively in a vastly different format to standard fiction writing. I really enjoyed this look into the production process and would definitely be interested in continuing to explore the production and entertainment industry, both in a background research capacity, such as for documentary research, or in a creative context, such as in this internship. This internship also motivated me to look into the alumni network and read about what other Williams graduates are doing in the industry, which gave me a sense of what my options are in a way that I didn’t have previously.
I am really grateful to have had this opportunity, which would not have been possible without the ‘68 Center for Career Exploration. I feel grateful to be part of an institution like Williams that supports endeavors like this. It’s really rare to receive an opportunity like this in the media industry, a notoriously difficult field to break into. I am very thankful to have been able to explore career options in this field so early in my collegiate career. I am so glad I was able to be a part of this program.