What are the tasks of an intern at a film production company?

I found it to be like interning anywhere else, where basically you did whatever they asked you to do. But there were some general tasks that took up most of your time: 1. Script Coverage- There was a pile of unread scripts sitting on the desk, and new ones came in every day. The interns had to read each script, assign them a score, and write up a recommendation on whether the producer should look at them. I was surprised how little training we got for this. But the system seemed to work because for the most part none of the scripts were any good (I always remember this when people ask why they don’t make more good movies) and also any really important scripts bypassed us and went directly to the producer. 2. Running calls- The movie industry is all about phone calls. The producer gets into the office in the morning and immediately begins taking and making phone calls. The assistant’s role is to “run” the calls- make sure people are queued up on the line so that the producer can move fluidly from one call to the next and also handle inbound calls. The assistant actually stays on the line for most of the calls just to keep the process running more efficiently. When the producers’ assistant was busy or out of the office, this job fell on the interns. It was really exciting and also pretty scary for an intern to handle. But one perk of it was you got to make small talk with famous actors who were waiting on the line. 3. Random stuff- This is the doing whatever they ask part. These tasks ranged from the mundane- picking up a lost cell phone at a restaurant- to the really cool- serving drinks to famous actors at a script reading.  If you can get a job like this at a good company and find some way to pay the rent, DO IT. It’s a great way to get into the industry and make connections. In particular if you want to be a screenwriter you will get an intimate understanding of what the potential buyers of your script are looking for. Bonus Story- One time when the assistant and producer were out of the office, I answered a phone call from a famous actor. He really wanted the lead in one of our upcoming films. I told him I was just an intern and would have to take a message for the producer. But for whatever reason he wanted to make his case directly to me. He gave me a five minute speech on why he deserved the role instead of the other actor we were considering. I tried over and over to tell him that I had absolutely no influence whatsoever but he would have none of it and just kept making me promise to help him get the role. It was simultaneously the most awkward and amazing experience of my internship. Double Bonus Story- One day a REALLY important script came in the mail and we had one copy of it. The other intern in the office was reading the script over his lunch and spilled a giant glass of water all over it. He decided it would be a good idea to dry the script off in the microwave. He yelled to me from the other room, asking me if I thought it would be okay. I wasn’t really paying attention to what he was saying and just said “sure.” A minute later he is running into the office with the script in flames, trying to put it out. The rest of the day was interesting.