Group to work from Burbank’s Nickelodeon Animation Studio; writers’ curriculum includes networking, executive mentorship, and tailored workshops, while artists will work closely with senior artist and peer mentors.
Nickelodeon has selected seven emerging creatives to join its studio’s annual Writing and Artist Programs. Designed to cultivate and foster the development of emerging talent, both programs offer opportunities to voices with unique perspectives. The 2025 participants will work from the Nickelodeon Animation Studio in Burbank.
“Nickelodeon is thrilled to welcome this year’s talented artists and storytellers to the Writing and Artist Programs, which continue to cultivate incredible voices,” said Jean Margaret Smith, Senior Vice President, Public Affairs, Nickelodeon. “Celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Writing Program and the 14th year of the Artist Program, both further develop a pipeline of unique perspectives and content in the entertainment industry, a true must.”
Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the Writing Program has enlisted a cohort of aspiring writers to spend the year working on a curriculum that includes networking, executive mentorship, and tailored workshops hosted by program alumni. The group will also shadow Nickelodeon’s working writers’ rooms and gain hands-on experience while strengthening their improv and sketch comedy skills.
The Writing Program participants are:
- Disha Manocha - a comedy writer from Mumbai, India. Manocha has written and produced a comedy short film and has written for the Disney Television Talent Showcase.
- Marcus Perkins Bejarano - a Bolivian American storyteller named a “Rising Star” attorney at the largest law firm in Dallas, TX, before quitting his job to pursue a career in comedy writing. Since obtaining an M.F.A. in Musical Theater Writing from NYU, he has co-written comedy songs featuring characters from the video game Genshin Impact.
- Teddy Sevilla - a writer and comedian from suburban Massachusetts. Sevilla performs stand-up and works as a contributor at Clickhole and The Onion. During the pandemic, he joined TikTok, where his sketches have accumulated over 11 million likes.
Founded in 2011, the Artist Program creates opportunities for rising artists to cultivate an understanding of the production process and serve as a launchpad into the entertainment industry. Focused on mentorship, each artist is placed on a host production team where, over the next six months, they will work closely with a Senior Artist Mentor in addition to a Peer Mentor who has completed the same program.
The Artist Program participants are:
- Wes Smith (Storyboard Path) - a recent grad of the School of Visual Arts, Smith aims to create animated works that are both entertaining and inspiring for audiences of all ages.
- Lisa Bird (CG Generalist Path) - a CG artist and grad of Brigham Young University. Bird loves to see various fields of animation come together to tell a story and believes that putting things in the right light can make the mundane magical.
- Lauren Bird (Visual Development Path) - a designer and illustrator from who studied Illustration at the College for Creative Studies. Her favorite artistic moments involve crayons, zaniness, and sincerity – it’s a good day when she gets to color outside the lines.
- Anthony Hernandez (Storyboard Path) - a story artist whose love for stories began with frequent visits to the public library and expanding into the world of video games.
Source: Nickelodeon
Journalist, antique shop owner, aspiring gemologist—L'Wren brings a diverse perspective to animation, where every frame reflects her varied passions.
