Find out about Isabelle Withers- BA (Hons) Film Production student on placement as Production Management Intern at Walt Disney.
Who do you work for?
The Walt Disney Company is one of the leading entertainment companies in the world and since it launched Disney+ in 2019, it has gained 130 million subscribers worldwide.
What is your role?
In my role as a Live Action Production Management Intern, I am responsible for supporting the Originals Productions team in managing the shows being created for the streaming platform. This has really helped me to develop my understanding of the TV industry and its key processes such as budgeting and scheduling.
Isabelle with other interns
What skills are you developing?
My time management skills have vastly improved and the ample opportunity to network with other people in the company has made me feel much more confident in a professional environment.
What trainings have you had so far?
As part of the Disney Intern Development Program, there are so many training courses on offer to help you work towards you career goals. I have also been lucky to participate in more specialised sessions such as Risk Management and Sustainability on productions.
Highlight so far?
The highlight of my placement so far has been celebrating the launch of the UK’s first original show on Disney+ at a screening event that I organised. Even though I joined too late to actually work on the show, it makes me very excited to see how the projects I have been involved with perform when they are eventually released.
What have you been involved in so far?
Throughout the first half of my placement, I have been working primarily alongside the Director for Local Markets, Pre-Buys & Operations which has been an incredible insight into how a vast company like Disney works. However, I am very excited to start interacting more with production companies closer to home when I begin the latter half working with the VP for UK Scripted Productions.
What advice would you give to students considering a placement?
The advice I would give to any student considering a placement year is to make the most of it! As an intern, you are in a unique position to ask questions and experiment with what kind of work interests you. Ask yourself what you can do outside of your role to learn more about other departments and seek out opportunities that may not be expected of you, but will demonstrate your passion and make you even more attractive to employers in the future.