Next summer I am interested in applying for the Disney Animation Student Program, probably for the position of visual development. (That said, I’ll be applying for other internships as well, so if you have any to suggest feel free to do so!) I was wondering if anyone out there has participated in this internship or knows anything about it? I’ve also looked into the Disney College Program for networking purposes, plus I adore the parks and would love to work for Disney! However, my passions lie in animation and art. I love character design/development and story boarding. In a nutshell, I am wanting to figure out what exactly they are looking for in a portfolio. What pushes it above and beyond?
Anything I can find out about the internship (housing arrangements, transportation etc) I would love to hear about. But most importantly I would love portfolio advice! I have so many questions so hopefully this is a good place to start. I am interested in anything anyone has to say, even if it is just a hello from others out there interested in the same things I am! (:
welcome to Pixar Planet Kauri! I too would like to one day apply for an internship with Pixar or Disney, so I guess we have one thing in common. I can’t really help you with any of your questions though…sorry
Thanks for the welcome! That’s okay, it is good to talk to others that have the same sort of goals that I do. I wish you the best! Do you have a website or deviantart? I’d love to check out some of your stuff. (:
Hey, I’d like some info for this kinda stuff as well. I’m wanting to do digital animation and art for Pixar. I’m actually just starting out with photoshop, and I have cinema 4d, but i have no idea how to use it yet. I’m taking a college class for PS next semester (2nd year in college). I really love visual design, but I have practically no experience with it. Luckily I have a few friends with a lot of PS experience, and one has done some rendering, so I’ll have some help. I’d love to do some fan art for the site once I get rolling. Maybe I could do like a progressive thingy, posting artwork as I get better (could be good for a portfolio!).
I also regret that I cant really help you. It’s pretty awesome that I found a community that digs this stuff though, I hope I can get some great help from here, and help out my fellow Pixar fans. Hope you get some help, good luck!
I’ve only looked into internships at Pixar as that is where I am interested in getting an animation internship, but I did find this small bit of info about what to include in a portfolio for Disney:
If you are submitting a portfolio, please send copies of your work (DO NOT send originals.) We recommend that you present your best work and limit your items accordingly.
Organize your portfolio by highlighting your main passion first. Make sure to include your best work throughout. Include paintings, life drawing, animal sketches, and samples of your sketchbook. Include the right number to showcase your skills – no more than 25 samples.
If you are going for an animation internship, I’d suggest showcasing your knowledge of anatomy and examples of strong, expressive poses. And maybe some sequential drawing, so they can see you can tell a story.
And I found this about housing. It’s not a lot of info though. Our office is located in Los Angeles County in the city of Burbank about ten miles north of downtown. A basic relocation package is available for those who qualify and varies depending on the location of your legal residence. Some relocation benefits are considered imputed income and have a tax impact. If accepted into any of our programs, this information will be explained in more detail.
That’s a nice chunk of info, very appreciated! Any idea what the partnership with Pixar would entail regarding job opportunities? Seems like getting into Disney would be a bit easier, and you could use it as a reference or a springboard for a job at Pixar. My brother tried to get into Disney World a while back, but it didn’t work out (he had some financial issues). Not really the same deal, but eh.
I’m not a very good drawer, but I have tons of years to practice. Although my real hope is to write the stories, you can check out one of my Pixar fanfics, just click the link in my signature.
Are you talking about interning with Disney to help get a job at Pixar? It definitely couldn’t hurt to have that on a resume! If your portfolio/demo reel impress Pixar, it may help give you a leg up on the competition, but it can’t stand alone.
If you’re looking for something at Pixar, this link has some good info on Pixar internships. The links of the left hand side of the page are helpful too. pixar.com/companyinfo/jobs/u … rnfaq.html
Woody: If your dream is to write, then write as much as you can! If you want to write for Pixar, have you looked into screenwriting at all? As far as drawing goes, just keep practicing and you’ll see an improvement.
Yeah, that’s more or less what I was getting at. Its a bit difficult that a previous job in animation is practically REQUIRED to work at Pixar, but you cat really blame them based on their caliber. It’d just be a but upsetting knowing that I’d have to work for their competition first when I’d much rather be working for them. So shameful,…
Working a previous animation job isn’t required. You need (taken from their site)
-a demo reel that demonstrates application of the principles of animation to tell a story with meaning through movement
Ability to work collaboratively
Must be open to direction and able to embrace change
Proven storytelling skills
Ability to use acting skills, which bring characters to life, as well as clearly communicate simple ideas with which an audience can empathize
Strong understanding of traditional animation principles
An art background, which shows a thorough, understanding of physical motion, weight, balance, texture, and form
You just need to be really good at what you do. I’ve heard of people who got a job at Pixar right after college… granted they interned there first.
Wow, well I figured working a job somewhere else would make the odds a bit better. Getting an internship there would be KILLER. I’m gonna need to work my butt off, (as if I didn’t already know) but the end result would be so worth it. What are you planning on doing school-wise (directed at anyone)? I’m not sure what I’m gonna do after my basics, anything worth going to is gonna cost an arm and a leg, and is probably gonna be really hard to get into. I really need a plan,…
btw, i may be stupid+idiot asking this question but: at all Pixar movie credits, there was a part they called ‘Pixar Babies’, it means ‘interns’…right?
Production babies? I’m not sure, it only shows first names in Up, I thought it was for general baby sounds the first time, but there really aren’t any, so I don’t know. I guess it makes sense, but it’d be a bit weird to call them babies! O.o
ffdude1906: Having a job somewhere would probably help your odds, but it isn’t required. I’ll be starting my third year of college in the fall. I’m an animation major working to hopefully one day get a job at Pixar. The plan right now it is to work really hard to land an internship at Pixar either next summer or the one after that.
No, they are actually babies who were born to employees during the production of the film.
wannabechef91: I get what you are saying, but I am not sure if they are scouting students from other countries as interns. It’s certainly worth a shot to apply though! If you don’t try, you’ll never know!
Hannah wow, how’s the curriculum? I have absolutely no experience with photoshop or rendering, I’ve taken some basic java classes so far, and some basics. I just got out of my first year of college, and i’ve been doing game design so far. I’m taking digital foundations next semester, and some more programming classes. A good friend of mine is gonna help me with PS, and he’s like really good with it, as well as some basic rendering, so i’ll have that, and I’m planning on making Digital Animation my minor.
How much experience with that stuff do you have? And how hard is it to learn? If I’m really interested in a subject, I tend to learn it extremely fast, so hopefully my interest will be enough to help me catch up. Sorry to ask for so much, but I’ve decided about this turn pretty recently, so I wanna make up for what I’ve missed so far.
Also, good luck netting that internship! That would be phenomenal!
Kauri and to anyone else interested: I know what I am going to tell you now is not much information, but I know someone who was accepted either to go last year, or this year, I can’t remember which, and I will be seeing them within the next few months and I can get information about it then. I have questions that I also want to ask as I am also interested.
Hope you get some help, good luck!
