Hi, I'm a high school student and I want to work as an intern at an animation company this summer. However, almost all animation and game making companies I have looked at do not give internship oppurtunities to high school students. Does anyone know of a company that does?
Hey. I'm an animation major in grad school and my fellow classmates are competing for internships. Sorry to say, I don't think you're gonna get one. There was once a time when animators would get jobs at places like Disney right out of high school (Don Bluth, James Baxter...) but I think those days are over.
What you should look into are education possibilities. A lot of places offer camps and workshops that are specially deisgned for high school students to learn animation and other arts. SCAD has one, here, in animation, sequential art, or game design. CalArts offers a summer program. University of the Arts in PA, DigiPen, and others have them, too. They usually run for a few weeks, and sometimes can be worth college credit. Any of those would teach you a lot, be fun, and look good on a college application. Also, consider taking life drawing classes at a community college or local art museum. Colleges are not going to expect that you have taken an internship. Just try to learn all you can, and draw as much as possible. Good luck.
Hello.
If you find an internship - do not be deterred. It is very practice for you to apply - it will help you with the reps you may need to hone your presentation.
Remember, not all schools are the same! Some are better than others...sometimes by miles..
Everytime you apply somewhere see it as an opportunity to upgrade your work and to LEARN more. Do really good research about the company you apply for (their projects, their staff, their production flow, etc.)...that will help you direct your presentation.
Also, try to take the "next step"...look for opportunities to network or discover information that will lead to your next presentation or application.
Pretty soon we'll be launching an online course that includes the information you will need to progress...check back for an announcement.
Larry
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I can assure you man, unless your a prodigy, you're not gonna find any animation company that will give you an internship. Just practice your skills, and start animating now. Work on 2D animation and drawing skills. That's all you can do.
--Z
I don't know what the age requirements are , but the Walt Disney Animation Studios does have an internship program:
http://corporate.disney.go.com/careers/walt_disney_animation_studios_intern_info.html
Check with them to see if they allow highschool students to apply to that program . Unless you're local to the Los Angeles/Burbank area I doubt that they could take you if you're under 18 . They would need you to be responsible for your own housing and transportation , unless of course you lived close by with your parents then they might make an exception (?) I don't really know , but you should be able to get all the information from that link above.
Most of the big studio internships (like for Disney or Pixar) tend to be awarded to college students who are already taking animation at the college level (say from Academy of Art , or CalArts , etc. )
Often it is easier to get a part-time job or internship with a smaller company , particularly with a single owner who can be more flexible in their hiring practices . Depends on where you are located ... if there are animation studios around start calling or writing to them with the proposal that they take you on as an intern . Let them know you are willing to work hard and you are eager to learn .
I can tell you from firsthand knowledge that the Disney internship isn't for high schoolers. Those slots usually go to college students or people with animation experience.
Zachary's advice is good - get some practice under your belt, and work on your drawing skills. Even if you plan on pursuing 3D, having drawing ability is a tool that will serve you well.
Well, I've been doing 3d animation since I was 9...and I consider myself to be quite good (at least for my age) at it. I also have done 2d animation, digital as well as hand-drawn. Right now, I am thinking of pursuing a career in animation, however, I specifically need something I can do over the summer in the area of 3d animation primarily for my college resume.
Well, if you posted stuff, we'd be able to at least tell where you're at...
--Z
I think you're more likely to get an internship once you're in an animation program. You might even earn college credit for it. My school got several requests per semester for interns.
Make sure you have other skills to offer like scanning, photoshop, data entry, attention to detail, and a willingness to do whatever they ask you.
Good luck.
Eh, just do what I did. Go find an art studio in your community and intern for them. I interned at a t-shirt printing company when I was a senior in high school. You'll gain a steady hand, solid drawing skills, you'll probably pick up some Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop experience and you'll get experience drawing on a deadline. All of those can give you a headstart. Every little bit of experience like that will help you get into a school, and from there look to animation internships.
But yes, draw. Draw until it hurts. Then, when you absolutely can't possibly think of drawing any more, draw some more.
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I think it also depends upon where you want to intern. I know Disney is extremely competetive even on the college graduate level, but the small game or advertising studio may be a lot more flexible both in terms of accepting you, and also the projects it has you working on. Plus the experience gained at smaller places like that, while less "prestigious", does give you an edge eventually to get a job at your dream studio.
-moot
I feel your pain. I've done a lot of looking around on the internet and it seems almost impossible to find an animation company willing to take on a high school student for an internship. Then again, if you live in an area with any animation companies around, there might always be new programs coming up, so I'd keep my eyes peeled for any opportunity. Like some other people before me have said, if you can't get an internship, try working at a sign shop or something else that will help you hone in on your artwork. Practice always helps.
I usually stick more to the character design/storyboarding/script writing side of things... so you can imagine I've had a lot of frustration trying to find anything that would be available to a high school student with these interests, especially in a town as small and cut-off as the one I live in. I'd really like to see some of your animations... maybe we could work together on something =)
"It's kind of fun to do the impossible."
-Walt Disney
Thank you for your posts! Very interesting!
192.168.o.1
Hello. I am Natasha from Russia. I am 33.
I am work in animation studio, 3D animator.
I would like to go in summer internship in the best studio like Pixar, Blue Sky, Sony Pictures)) and be the good animator.
I think it it is impossible. I am not student. My English not good
For now, I advise you to read books. I recommend it to everyone.
On the books, I totally agree. The animator should always have books and films close at hand. Recently read https://freebooksummary.com/category/the-sun-also-rises on this service. The fact is that when you read you imagine, you fantasize. And this is just necessary for the animator.