Finding internship opportunities

**bodied** · August 22nd, 2012, 12:40 AM

Hey guys (is this is the right folder?), I have a few questions about getting your foot in the industry door.

I start studying animation at SCAD this fall, but I want to educate myself about the best way to find internships and start padding my resume so I can hit the ground running. Where are the best places to look for internship opportunities? Googling gives me big studios like Pixar and Dreamworks, and AWN gives me a few places that advertise open spots, but I was wondering if anyone else had reliable search engines or lists of studios that need interns - not necessarily big ones, just anywhere I can get some experience. I hope to start applying for some after Fall Quarter ends just to see what I can do. Got any ideas for a student like me?

Thanks folks!

**Psychotime** · August 22nd, 2012, 09:39 AM

http://www.disneyanimation.com/caree..._programs.html

**bodied** · August 22nd, 2012, 12:14 PM

Nice! Bookmarked.

**NateShaw** · September 24th, 2012, 11:55 AM

Smaller studios won't necessarily advertise internships. Your best bet is to make a list of all studios whose work you enjoy. Go on vimeo and you tube and watch cool commercials, music videos, short animations that you enjoy and figure out what studio worked on them. Write emails to all the studios you find and introduce yourself and mention how much you enjoy their work (you need to be genuine about this) and ask them if they have any advice for a learner like yourself or even if they offer internships. You will hear back from 1/10. People are busy and publicly listed emails can go unchecked for weeks or longer. But thats why you send emails to LOTS of places.

Also apply to the big places like DW or Disney or whatever but remember that EVERYONE is also applying there.

good luck

**egerie** · September 25th, 2012, 10:34 AM

What industry are you aiming at?

**bodied** · September 29th, 2012, 11:19 AM

NateShaw - sorry for the late response, but thank you so much for your advice! As it turns out, SCAD has an internship search engine, so I can look there too. However I really like your idea of just asking the studios! I have been swamped with homework, so I haven't been able to do much research, but a position at a smaller studio would be ideal at this point in time. Are many internships in animation paid (or at least compensate for living expenses)?

Egerie - I'm looking to intern somewhere for computer animation specifically, but I'd also be interested in animation preproduction as well.

**NateShaw** · October 2nd, 2012, 10:42 AM

Regarding paid and unpaid internships: Only do an unpaid internship where the company loses money on you. They should be losing money you because they take the time to train and develop you not because you are a bad intern. If you are doing an internship that is unpaid and you are doing work that a regular employee does then you are displacing your future self. As in, when the time comes that you want to get paid for your work there is little incentive for the employer to pay you, they never had to before. Basically you are putting a value on your work. You are saying, my work is worth $0. Also most unpaid internships are illegal: page 8 on this doc lays out the legality of unpaid internships: http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/att...GL12-09acc.pdf

You may also want to check out this blog post and its comments: http://vfxsoldier.wordpress.com/2012...ernships-dont/

**bodied** · October 14th, 2012, 10:50 PM

Wow, I have no idea why I thought unpaid internships were the standard! Thank you so much. I agree, as a future artist, my work should be valued enough to a company that I would at least get some assistance, financial or otherwise. I will keep those things in mind when I start my internship search. Again, thank you!!

**Viovista** · October 15th, 2012, 07:23 PM

How much less is paid the internship comparing to regular job? In general?

Thank you!

**Melete** · October 19th, 2012, 08:21 PM

Originally Posted by Viovista

How much less is paid the internship comparing to regular job? In general?

Thank you!

Completely depends on location and industry. I work in feature animation, and intern going rate has been in the $10-$20 per hour range, while full time starting pay is $25-$40.

**Beeboy13** · February 1st, 2013, 05:09 PM

If I may, considering location what would be the best place for a 2d animator and is it worth it becoming a freelance 2d animator.

**Meloncov** · February 17th, 2013, 07:32 AM

Originally Posted by Melete

Completely depends on location and industry. I work in feature animation, and intern going rate has been in the $10-$20 per hour range, while full time starting pay is $25-$40.

Where are you working that starting pay is forty dollars an hour? That's a heck of a lot more than any of the other numbers I've heard for entry-level animators (my impression is that even twenty-five an hour is on the high end of the spectrum, though certainly not uncommon). Or is that for technical positions that require high-level computer science?