Internships with Disney

So You Wanna Be an Animator?

(This information is a reproduction of information I received regarding the WDW Animation Internship program)

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The Walt Disney Animation Florida Internship Program is an in-depth work experience in animation, including instructional activities, tutorials, practical workshops, studio assignments and production experience.

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Tutorial

Within the Animation Studio, located in the Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park, traditional animation techniques and skills will be presented by experienced professionals. This concentrated program is designed to give interns a highly developed, first hand insight into the animation process.

Classes
Interns will attend scheduled discussions on topics pertaining to the basic principles of animation, production techniques and studio processes.
Lectures
Interns will attend scheduled presentations relating to specific animation procedures, history of animation and contemporary motion picture advances.
Screenings
Interns will attend weekly screenings of animation and live action classics, structured to make them aware of the problem solving necessary to achieve successful results in narrative and cinematic style, continuity and performance.
Studio Assignments

In the Animation Studio, the artist's greatest tool is his ability to draw well.

Drawing Skills
Great emphasis will be given to developing the interns' fundamental ability to draw for animated film through observational studies, action analysis, and traditional figure drawing sessions.
Drawing Techniques for Animation Production
Assignments to develop the artist's skills in order to draw characters consistent with model sheets, developing line quality and shape/movement continuity.
Production Inbetween
Assignments in working with a production group on actual animation sequences. The artist will inbetween and clean up drawings based on timing notes and animation keys.
Individual Animation Assignments
Basic principles of animation, using studio facilities, are developed in a project format in order to see how interns can creatively produce their own small piece of animation. Assignments will be based on the following progressive steps, each of which must be approved by supervising production personnel before going onto the next: proposal, thumbnail, storyboard, key pose and rough inbetween, key clean-up. Background/layout assignments will vary but will also develop in similarly progressive phases.

Production Experience in Other Animation Areas:

To understand the overall Animation production process as a blend of talent and teamwork, interns will be exposed to each phase of artistic and technical procedure necessary for animation, under the supervision of production personnel.

Requirements

A resume is absolutely essential. Portfolios will be returned if a resume is not submitted at the same time. A brief letter outlining your area of interest (character animation, background, layout, etc.) is also important.

All work must be submitted in a traditional portfolio of other easily managed case. No rolled samples, please! Portfolios should be no more than 24 X 30 inches.

All work should be mounted on heavy paper or behind plastic on standard portfolio pages. Mounting on illustration board and matting is not necessary or recommended.

If pastel, chalk or charcoal works are presented, they must be fixed and/or mounted behind plastic.

The artist's name or initials must be on each page or sample.

Portfolios should not exceed 25 pages of work. A sketch book, short video tape or portfolio page with several drawings are considered one page.

Please do not send stretched and/or framed work.

Slides and/or photocopies are acceptable, especially for color work. Whenever possible, life drawing should be presented in original medium.

Video tapes should be clear and no longer than four minutes. A table of contents identifying each sequence and the artist's responsibility on that sequence must be included. (NTSC format please. VHS or 3/4 inch tapes are fine.)

Portfolios not meeting these requirements may not be evaluated.

Guidelines Traditional Portfolio
A good selection of carefully rendered figure drawings using line to emphasize volume and structure. Also include sketch books or loose sketches (mounted of animals and humans in motion done in quick gesture style.

Generally, drawings should be from live subjects. Do not copy photographs.

Samples of your cartooning skills and drawings from your imagination are appropriate but should not comprise a major part of your portfolio work.

If interested in story sketch, layout, background or effects, approximately half of the portfolio should reflect appropriate art. (See our "Portfolio Requirements" handout for specific information.)

Animation Services Portfolio
An Animation Services portfolio is much the same as the traditional portfolio except that we would be interested in seeing additional examples of cartooning, and finished illustration, especially involving examples related to video games, CD ROM graphics, etc. In this case, life drawing should only take up about one-half the portfolio with the rest being more specific work. It is important to note on you portfolio that you are applying for Animation Services.

Things We Prefer Not to See
Copies of Disney (or other studio's) characters.

Comic strip or comic book work. (A small sampling can be included if applicant is interested in layout.)

Super hero, and science/fantasy illustrations.

Graphic, poster, industrial and advertising design.

Clay animation models or sculpture.

Textile, jewelry, or three-dimensional design work.

When to Submit

Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida reviews portfolios on a monthly basis, though our main portfolio reviews for the Intern Program is generally scheduled for late March or early April. It is from this evaluation that we choose final candidates for the intern semester. We encourage those interested in the Summer Intern Program to make sure their portfolio is in prior to the April 1st target deadline. Additionally, if you would like to submit during the year, we suggest you do it well in advance of the major review so that you can receive feedback in order to better prepare your portfolio for re-submission.

Miscellaneous

Relocation Assistance:

Walt Disney World Co. will provide a travel allowance check to those students who drive to Orlando for the Internship. This allowance is intended to offset the transportation costs from the city of origin to Walt Disney World. The student will receive this check during his/her first week of work. For those who choose not to drive, a one-way coach flight to Orlando will be arranged by the Walt Disney Travel Company.

Upon successful completion of the program, the Company will, once again, provide those benefits to assist with returning.

Housing:

Vista Way is an apartment complex conveniently located near the WALT DISNEY WORLD Vacation Kingdom. Students share fully furnished, two and three bedroom apartments. These furnished apartments include linens, housewares and telephone service. A mail pick-up center is located at the complex office. Rent payments, which include utilities and transportation to and from work, will be paid in the form of a weekly payroll deduction.

Rent for Vista Way Apartments:

2 bedroom/2 bath - 4 people
$77 per week per person

3 bedroom/2 bath - 6 people
$65 per week per person

Students have the option of arranging other housing on their own. These details must be completed prior to the beginning of the semester. Walt Disney World and Disney Feature Animation cannot make private arrangements on behalf of individuals.

For additional information on the Walt Disney Animation Florida Internship Program, please contact:

Walt Disney World
Professional Staffing
P.O. Box 10,090
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32820
Telephone: (407) 828-3110

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