Project Description

Apply to the MPii Intern Training Program

Motion Picture Industry Institute (MPii) has been a leader in the industry for 30 years now, researching and improving best practices among working professionals and creating industry-leading programs to share and support the use of those better industry standards.

Key areas of focus include: Story Development, On-set Protocols and Safety, career-building strategies and industry processes, especially with regard to diversity, inclusion and representation, both on-screen and behind the cameras.

For Fall 2019, Motion Picture Industry Institute is offering a special focus to its intern program for those interested in the story side of the business. This one-of-a-kind internship opportunity in Los Angeles involves conducting research directly with some of the most experienced story development professionals in the industry, including shooting and editing documentary-style interviews of top Hollywood filmmakers and their story development people.

Other intern opportunities at MPii this fall include working with senior staff conducting research as part of a major gender equity initiative in our industry.

This part-time or full-time position is a mix of:

  • On-line and in-person.
  • In office, in studio, and on location.
  • Working individually, working in small teams, and working in larger group activities.

Daytime, evening, and weekend hours available.

Like all the best internships, this is a competitive application process. And as a high-value career-building opportunity, it does not pay a salary, but if you have the right mindset and attitude, you’ll find that the program pays much more in education and network/relationship building.

REQUIREMENTS

Because interns are actively involved in so many aspects of MPii’s work in the industry, MPii needs to preserve its reputation of high-caliber of work product and industry-leading standards of excellence. The following are strict job requirements:

  • Over 18 years old
  • U.S. citizen or has work or student visa
  • In Los Angeles area during the term of your internship. (NOTE: if you cannot meet this requirement, look intoonline opportunities at MPii to improve your career potential from wherever you are.
  • Highly reliable work ethic
  • Self-starter, able to work well individually and in teams
  • Growth mindset, excited to learn and grow
  • Strong attention to detail
  • Capable with GoogleDocs
  • Adept in both written and spoken English language
  • A quiet place to work “at home” (to be able to present professionally on Skype video calls).
  • A reliable high-speed internet connection.
  • A functioning computer.
  • Reliable transportation (aka car or credible Uber/Lyft budget).

(Note: College credit available. But since MPii is a research institute, current college enrollment is not required to qualify for this internship.)

We are looking for reliable candidates who can commit to a minimum of 10 hours per week, for no less than 8 weeks. NOTE: since you get from the program in direct relationship to what you put in, we see most successful interns investing 40+ hours a week to maximize their benefits.

Interns who are exceptionally (1) proactive, (2) self-motivated, and (3) have a genuine enthusiasm to learn and grow will likely have the most successful internship experience. You need to be able to follow a set of guidelines and procedures and execute, without needing to be micromanaged.

A demanding program, it’s an unpaid position best-suited for those serious about fully engaging to earn career-building experience, on-the-job training, and recommendations that are vital to launching your career in the industry.

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If this is exciting to you, and if you meet the requirements, and you want to apply, please fill out this application below:

    * All fields are required

    CONTACT INFO and RESUME:
    Your First and Last Name *
    Email *
    Phone *
    Upload Resume (PDF only) *
    ELIGIBILITY:
    Confirm that you are over the age of 18. *
    I confirm.I am not over 18, and therefore should not apply.
    Confirm that you will be in Los Angeles for the duration of the internship. *
    I confirm.I will not be in Los Angeles for the duration of the internship, and therefore should not apply.
    Confirm that you have proper citizenship or visa to legally participate. *
    I confirm.I do not have proper citizenship or visa, and therefore should not apply.
    AVAILABILITY:
    Earliest Available Start Date? *
    Proposed End Date? *
    Any other notes about your availability / lack of availability (e.g. vacation periods, etc.). If none, specify "n/a". *
    SHORT ESSAY QUESTIONS:

    Write no more than 200 words, no less than 100 words, for each of the following questions:

    1) Why you are interested in a career in this industry? *
    2) What drives you to stay motivated? *
    3) Since filmmaking is a team sport, how do you maintain positivity in your life so you can bring a can-do attitude to the team? *
    SUBMIT PERSONAL VIDEO:

    1) Create a 2 minute video, where you:

    1. Provide a 2-3 sentence general introduction of yourself-- like where you’re from and why you’re interested in the motion picture industry.
    2. Describe a challenging experience that you’ve faced and what you learned from that.

    Technical Requirements:

    • Run time: 2 minutes (2:30 minutes maximum)
    • Must contain 2 edits, with 1 or 2 insert shots
    • Extra points for using a microphone, a tripod setup, and/or additional light source

    NOTE: If you don’t have some filmmaking experience and feel intimidated by this exercise, we recommend you be proactive and Google “How to shoot an interview”. Also, consider working on your networking skills by connecting with a filmmaker friend (or build a new friendship with a filmmaker) who can collaborate with you!

    2) Upload your 2 minute video to YouTube. NOTE: we recommend changing the privacy setting to "unlisted" (here's how).

    3) Copy and Paste the link to your YouTube video below, so we can access it! *
    (be sure to test the link yourself before you submit your application)

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    Frequently Asked Questions:

    It may vary from 8 to 10 to as many as 20 or so, depending on time of year and other factors.

    Typically, our more successful interns get promoted within MPii and then also go on to other internships at major talent agencies, management companies, production companies, studios and networks, where due to the higher-level of training they received at MPii, they stand out from the competition and earn those few coveted entry-level Assistant jobs.

    Reliability. That means demonstrating you are (1) proactive, (2) self-motivated, and (3) have a genuine enthusiasm to learn and grow. You need to be able to follow a set of guidelines and procedures and execute, without needing to be micromanaged.