Minimum Wage is a digital series created by entertainment studio American High. The show dives into the world of overworked teens navigating the challenges of the job industry while trying to grab on to the first glimpses of adulthood. The goal of the project was to capture the reality of this often overlooked workforce, with relatable stories that blend humor and apt social observations. By focusing on heartfelt short-from videos, the work highlights both the struggles and small victories of teen employees, engaging audiences with content that is both entertaining and meaningful.
Modeled after SNL, American High Digital has emerged as a cultural hub for Gen Z creators, curating a rotating roster of talent and producing sketches and series that resonate deeply with younger audiences. The goal was to reimagine traditional production in an ever-evolving media landscape, focusing on developing consistent, high quality, digestible and sharable content, while building a dedicated creative team and profitable business model. Inking major deals with global brands such as the NFL, Southwest Airlines, Madison Square Garden, Kinder, KAYAK, American Eagle, John Deere, and more, allowed the digital arm to expand into a 20+ person team and commercially viable business. Minimum Wage demonstrates how innovative production and stories grounded in real experiences can inspire new generations of audiences.
Minimum Wage was brought to life through a deliberate strategy to tell authentic, character driven stories that reflect an often overlooked segment of the workforce: working teens navigating their first jobs and first steps into adulthood. Created by American High, the project set out to capture the emotional realities of minimum wage work while remaining highly entertaining and accessible to a younger audience.
The plan of action centered on short-form, scripted storytelling designed for social media. From the outset, the team prioritized real experiences (e.g. overworked shifts, awkward managers, financial stress, and fleeting victories) to ground the comedy in truth. This approach allowed the series to resonate deeply with Gen Z audiences who see their own lives reflected onscreen.
Execution relied on American High Digital’s incubator model, which functions similarly to SNL, by curating a rotating roster of emerging talent and fostering creative collaboration. Minimum Wage starred comedian Grace Reiter, whose voice and comedic timing anchored the series. By pairing rising performers with a consistent creative team, high production quality was maintained while still moving quickly, which is essential to capture an audience's short attention span on social media.
Challenges included standing out in an oversaturated digital market and proving that short-form content could sustain meaningful storytelling and commercial viability. This was overcome by focusing on consistency, quality, and authenticity, building trust with audiences over time rather than chasing trends.
American High Digital has become an incubator program for rising comedic actors often catapulting them to the next level of their careers. Comedian Grace Reiter, an American High Shorts graduate and star of Minimum Wage, has gone from the digital screen to the TV screen and garnered millions of followers along the way. Minimum Wage, the hit scripted digital series, debuted in November 2024 amassing nearly 2 million views. The series is now currently in development and slated to be released later this year, showcasing American High's ability to bridge the worlds of traditional and modern storytelling.
