Debby Das, Class of 2024: TV Production

In the summer of 2022, I worked as a production intern at the Daily Show with Trevor Noah (in-person in New York City) and as a script coverage intern at Janet Yang Productions (remotely). At the Daily Show, I assisted in all aspects of production behind the scenes – including loading in the live audience, interacting with VIP guests, managing office and reception duties, teleprompting and assisting on live shoots, and going out on prop runs. At JYP, I read and evaluated Asian- and Asian-American-centered film scripts, TV pilots, and pitch decks. I presented my coverage reports directly to a team of other interns and to Janet Yang, an Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning Hollywood producer and the current Academy president. The work I did over the summer opened my eyes to the world of film and TV production and gave me a greater understanding of both the technical and logistical aspects of working in the industry.

As an English concentrator with an interest in film (particularly in writing and directing), I wanted to learn more than the screenwriting and production courses at Harvard could offer me in a classroom setting. The experiences I had over the summer now serve as the foundation of what I know about the film/TV industry. I started formally reading film scripts for the first time at JYP, an experience that’s essential for someone who wants to write her own scripts in the future. I also learned a lot about how to find talent – directors, writers, and cast members – for projects and how to stay on top of industry trends, including when to lean into/oppose them. My work at the Daily Show not only exposed me to what TV production looks like on the day-to-day and what kind of jobs are available in the industry. It also introduced me to the world of late-night comedy, in addition to providing me with the opportunity to meet professionals who’ve had long careers in production work.

Working at the Daily Show didn’t require me to employ any subject-specific writing skills that I have developed in my English classes at Harvard – but it did demand good communication and time management abilities, which I honed during my studies in English. Live TV operates on an extremely tight schedule, and as an intern, I would often have multiple tasks assigned to me at once, with the unspoken rule that the sooner they were done, the better. I might have to travel to Times Square to grab a prop that one of the correspondents or Trevor needed for rehearsal, while also needing to make it on time to a segment shoot right afterwards. Clear communication and the ability not only to ask clarifying questions, but also to be mindful of what/how many questions you’re asking busy people was essential to the job. Since each episode is carefully planned by multiple creative and executive teams, the job requires you to pay attention even to the minutest of details, like the color or size of a prop. One of the most appealing aspects of studying English, to me, is that class is mostly discussion-based. This practice of constantly speaking and listening to my professors and peers—that is, engaging in thoughtful, focused conversations—really helped me to do my job efficiently at the Daily Show.

My second internship at Janet Yang Productions made greater use of the writing and narrative abilities that my English classes taught me. It was extremely helpful to have a background in reading and analyzing a wide variety of literature. My foundation in English gave me a good idea of the types of narrative structures, the variety of writing styles and conventions, and the common themes and tropes that appear in classical literature and contemporary media. This knowledge allowed me to determine if a script was original, well-written, and well-structured. One creative writing class in particular, “Introduction to Playwriting,” which I took in my sophomore spring, taught me a lot about creating character, tension, and dialogue. This course informed my fundamental approach to evaluating the characters and dialogue written in film scripts and TV pilots. Although the genres of my course and internship readings are not the same, the general concepts that I learned in my course – making sure a story had stakes, for instance – were important to my work at JYP.

My experiences over the summer have helped me shift and narrow my professional goals in film, and I’m grateful to the English department’s Literary Careers Program for making these opportunities possible.