The animation industry is hard to get into in general, but when you have your sights set on the best of the best, it can feel impossible. That’s why events like LightBox Expo are so crucial for industry hopefuls. They allow students to meet established talent in the industry and hear from them about their experience. So, if you were an animation student dreaming about a career at Disney, “Internships at Walt Disney Animation Studios” was a must-see panel. Moderated by Tyler McKim, Associate Manager of the Talent Development Team, the panel also included a frequent mentor, Katie Fico, plus two former interns who went on to be hired at Disney Animation, Mason Khoo and Emily Xu.
The Walt Disney Animation Studios Internship is for animation students who have at least one semester left before graduation. It’s a 12-week summer program that pairs students with mentors who help guide them through projects and provide feedback. Separate from the internship program is the Talent Development Training Program, which is for fresh talent in the industry who have already graduated. This program is longer, but still comes with the value of having a mentor while contributing to a feature film. After successful completion of the Talent Development program, participants may be invited to become an apprentice, the next step towards becoming a full time artist at Disney Animation.
Mason Khoo did his internship in 2015, working as a layout intern during production on Moana. In addition to the value of the projects he was assigned, Mason loved opportunities to have roundtables with animation legends like Glen Keane, and getting to go on tours of the Animation Research Library with his fellow interns. Each intern also got to produce their own short, with his overseen by a visual effects mentor. After graduation, Mason returned to Disney Animation for the Talent Development program working in lighting on Frozen 2. He’s been there ever since, and is currently working as a lighting artist on the yet-to-be-announced film that will be released after Wish.
Emily Xu’s internship experience was a little different, as the studio was still working remotely in 2021. Her internship was as a story artist, and while she may have lost out on some of the in-person experiences Mason described, one benefit was that she could sit in on Zoom meetings from other departments, which gave her more exposure to the entire Disney Animation pipeline. She would schedule chats with other story artists at the studio to learn more about her dream job. Like Mason, Emily’s internship included working on a short, and she delighted the LightBox Expo crowd by walking us through her storyboards for “First Date.” Now established in her career, Emily recently wrapped production as a story artist on Wish.
Walt Disney Animation Studios 100th Anniversary Swag
Katie Fico was a project supervisor for the 2021 Internship program that Emily participated in. Having worked at Disney Animation since 1996, she shared that it was the most meaningful moment of her time there. And while the role of a mentor is to help guide a student based on their own experience, she found herself learning a lot from Emily and her peers.
Applications for the 2024 Walt Disney Animation Studios Internship Program are open until January 14th, 2024. In addition to the first class industry experience, it’s a great way for students to build a relationship with indistry professionals. Through these friendships, they have someone in their corner ready to vouch for them if they apply to Disney Animation after graduation. Visit disneyanimation.com/interns-apprentices
Click here for more coverage from LightBox Expo.