:). Definitely not a bad person to impress. Don’t be discouraged by rejection or lack of news. So I mean… Looking back, it was half luck, half hard work. ©2020 Cartoon Brew, LLC. Projects during my internship at Cartoon Network. Apply this to the animation industry. Internship season is around the corner so I thought it might be fun to give the readers of Cartoon Brew a sneak peek at my book, How to Get an Animation Internship, where I share my knowledge and advice to those interested in pursuing an internship in animation. Pursuing a career in animation can be difficult at times, which is why I’m so grateful to have been given this opportunity and I’d like to share my experience and hopefully help those of you who are interested too! Maddie Sharafian Hi!
You never know who’s looking and hopefully, I can help people with my experiences! It was a Skype interview, (a group one at that) and it was my first time ever interviewing for a position online. He remembered my name…. ), TL;DR: This Gif Sums it Up, Freelance Illustrator // Over this past summer, I was given the amazing opportunity to be a Production Intern at Cartoon Network (I worked on Clarence; woo!). Read about a student’s experience interning for The Legend of Korra here. I also had the opportunity to interview with other amazing companies, such as Pixar, Lucasfilm, and Live Nation. (The Turner website isn’t like Nickelodeon, they only post internships when there’s a position to be filled). Ask someone you trust for their advice. But I will say one thing: Free food. Most students apply for internships during the summer, which makes these programs very competitive, especially for the highly sought out studios. The interview to be an intern at CN was both really intimidating, and really comfortable at the same time.
Especially with the amount of amazing art that I see coming from people who go to schools like CalArs, Sheridan and the like. AT ALL TIMES.
If you are hesitant to apply because you believe you don’t have enough or any experience in the animation industry, join a club or organization at your school. Worked independently and collaboratively on many projects to promote Cartoon Network and its programming including three illustrated mist boards for Six Flags, recoloring of character art from CMYK to RGB,…
I love animation pretty much more than anything, so the idea that a single interview could determine whether or not I got a life-changing opportunity was pretty much one of the most daunting things that I could think of. I go to Southern Illinois University, and she pointed me in the direction of the Cartoon Network internship. EVERY DAY.
You might be the lucky one who gets into the summer program. It’s possible. Being an intern at an animation studio is possible. I EVEN GOT TO MEET TOM KENNY. I'm Maddie, a BFA3 Character animator at CalArts! Now here’s where it gets interesting: I didn’t hear back from any of them! If you want to better your chances, apply during the off-seasons (Fall/Spring semester) and take some classes at your college during the summer instead. Start early. Polish your portfolio and resume to the best of your ability and put your best foot forward.
I seized the opportunity at Nickelodeon and went from being an intern to a creator and writer of my very own cartoon short, The Outsiders. Cartoon Network is home to your favorite cartoons, full episodes, video clips and free games. Thanks for reading and stay tooned for more of The Storyboard Room. I got to sit in on voice actors doing their recordings, I got to see storyboard pitches, I got to see animatics and assets for episodes that were unaired, and it was all being created right in front of me by such PASSIONATE people. I really wanted to break into the music industry and had no experience in that field whatsoever, so I volunteered for my college radio and put that on my resume, which showed I was doing something music related. After waiting for the few weeks that I did, and not hearing a peep, I was dejected, frustrated, and I felt like there was no hope for me… Which leads us to….
Every Job. Is a HUUUUUUUUGE factor in the hiring of some people! You’ll get a “behind the scenes” look as I interview industry professionals who interned at major animation studios such as Nickelodeon, Dreamworks, Walt Disney, Cartoon Network, Laika, and Industrial Light & Magic, as they discuss the successes and failures getting their internships.
Take it from the 20 year old black guy who loves anime, video games and cartoons.
NOT ONE. But I had no real experience working in animation, and although my hopes were high, they were also reeeeeeeal low. From applying, interviewing, and participating in these internship programs, I’ve gathered some tips and insight from recruiters and past interns that might prove helpful in bettering your chances when applying to animation internships.
For example, you can find yourself a sublet for your current apartment and use that money to rent a spot in Los Angeles. Find Information of eligibility requirements for internships, when opportunities are open and how to …
I don’t know how many people will see this or how helpful it actually is; but PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE feel free to share this info with your followers, and on top of that if you guys EVER have any questions about my experiences or need me to clarify anything for ANY reason you’re absolutely welcome to contact me! I applied for over 40 internship positions at various studios, (roughly 20 during summer and 20 during fall) before I was able to land a job at Cartoon Network. On top of that, the studio has a very robust internship program and you get to attend useful workshops throughout its duration. If you have been applying to an internship at Pixar or Cartoon Network and have not been accepted, try applying to internships in the music or film industry at Warner Bros. or Lionsgate. The people, the atmosphere… it was all so inspiring.
When it comes to how I actually GOT the job: The answer I want to give you guys is that it was complete luck, and that by a series of random occurrences, somehow I was offered the position…. While I was at CN I was talking to someone (I don’t know if it’s best to call her out by name?..)
Which I learned after a very long, VERY stressful waiting period. My Intern Experience at Cartoon Network and How I Got Here! Our showrunner, Myke, was very welcoming and so was everyone else on the team. Join an animation club, and if there aren’t any, start one! I learned that I had gotten the position the day that I interviewed, and I’m SO GLAD I didn’t have to wait any more days, because at that point I was on fire on the inside. 21 // Once I got past all of the initial fear, the interview was smooth sailing. (But I digress).
Your current skills and experience might be a better fit for another industry. Companies like Cartoon Network, Dreamworks and Nickelodeon offer internship programs all year round, so if you aren’t accepted for summer internships which are usually more competitive due to the larger amount of applicants, try again in spring or fall! Working there is one of the most creatively satisfying things I’ve ever done in my life. (That is, if you don’t land a summer internship). Out of those 40 applications, only three contacted me for further tests or interviews.
All of my internships were either during Fall or Spring semester. I know a lot of people who feel like getting into the animation industry is completely impossible, (I should know, I felt the exact same way not too long ago) and I also know just how LITTLE references there actually are on finding an internship, and beyond that, the type of experiences that people who gotten the chance to intern have had.
After being inundated with questions, I decided to write this book to answer the common questions and give my personal advice on landing an animation internship. In addition, I provide a resume template to inspire the design of your resume to make it look professional and clean. ).
FUN FACT: I’ve read every single Glassdoor review for both Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon. They weren’t robots, they weren’t the ANIMATION GODS like I was imagining in my head – they were actual people, who happen to love animation, and the interview reflected that. I got a Skype interview a couple of weeks later, and I got accepted the day of the interview! Having experienced first-hand the lack of information out there on how to gain an animation internship, I started an animation blog The Storyboard Room, where I provide advice to college students on pursuing the animation internship. If your phone interview goes well and if the recruiter invites you to an on-site interview, expect there to be around two to three rounds of interviewing lasting up to two or more separate days, depending how you do in each round. (There’s a major, but there was a huge lack of enthusiasm and community within the program at SIU so I wanted to help to bring other artists and myself closer, and make great art while we’re at it), On top of that, I wrote (what I think was) a really good cover letter. I know how many people would love to intern, and I know (from experience) how DREADFUL It is to find conducive information about how the process works and how YOU can get an internship. Honestly, I worked really hard on making sure that I had as good a résumé as I possibly could: By that, I mean that I’ve worked really hard in school to get good grades/dean’s list/honors program, etc. If you want to break into the industry and are not fortunate enough to live in the Los Angeles area, you have to be willing to relocate. By Cartoon Brew Connect | 05/21/2018 5:19 pm | Be the First to Comment! And lastly, don’t forget to check out my cartoon short I did with Nickelodeon called The Outsiders.
The fact that I was in southern Illinois RIGHT at the time that I would have had to interview really didn’t help either… It was really scary to me, because it meant that I wasn’t going to be able to interview in person. But anyway she was telling me about how some of the artists are found at CN and she told me that Tumblr, YES TUMBLR. Your time to land an internship is limited to your time as a student, so don’t wait to buy this book! All of them. The book also contains helpful tips and insightful knowledge from recruiters, including what animation studios look for in an intern. Begin your internship application process as soon as possible. If you want something bad enough, you have to be willing to sacrifice some things. But… Even with all three of those things, I don’t know if I would have gotten the position if it wasn’t for the internship coordinator at my school. I then re-applied for the Fall program without changing a thing on my resume, and I received three interviews all in various departments. So, I made a spreadsheet to help keep track of all the jobs I was interested in and it helped me to stay on top of all the deadlines. In your cover letter, you should convey a bit of your personality, but still keep it professional. In my super senior year, I got to intern at Warner Bros. Records in the International Marketing department, Nickelodeon Animation Studios in the Vault department, and Dreamworks Animation Studios on the movie, Penguins of Madagascar. This should start you on the right path to landing an internship at your dream studio. Recently (Over the course of the last week or so) I’ve been asked a bunch, so I decided to create this massive master post in an attempt to get the information out to as many artists (and non-artists) as possible! Pure magic. After my internship at Warner Bros. Records in the music industry, I was able to get interviews at various animation studios just because I had Warner Bros. on my resume. Creator of Artists-Everyday //
and ask me how I got the opportunity, and how they can intern in animation as well.
Over this past summer, I was given the amazing opportunity to be a Production Intern at Cartoon Network (I worked on Clarence; woo!)
Want to get into the animation industry, but have no idea where to start? How to Get an Animation Internship also includes all of my resumes and cover letters that got me each and every one of my internships so you can see first-hand what studios look for.
Getting a job in animation is possible.