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Character Animation Intern - Summer 2026

Apply Now Apply Later Job ID R-04069 Location Emeryville, California, United States Business Pixar Animation Studios Date posted Dec. 05, 2025

Job Summary:

Pixar offers an exciting 12-week, classroom-based animation internship designed to provide students with hands-on experience, mentorship, and exposure to a professional animation production environment. This program is an excellent opportunity to learn directly from working animators and experience what a “day in the life of a Pixar Animator” is truly like. Throughout the 12-week internship, animation interns will collaborate closely with mentors and will: • Use Pixar’s proprietary animation software to complete a series of acting and animation assignments that challenge and develop your skills. • Gain a working understanding of the animation production pipeline. • Participate in animation dailies and receive feedback from professionals.

Qualifications:

  • Strong understanding of traditional animation principles, demonstrated through a demo reel showcasing clear, compelling, and entertaining character acting

  • Educational foundation that demonstrates knowledge of physical motion, weight, balance, texture, and form

  • Aesthetic sensibility demonstrated through an online demo reel or portfolio

  • Storytelling skills preferred

  • Computer animation experience is helpful but not required

  • Organized, detail-oriented, and comfortable working quickly in a collaborative environment

  • Positive attitude, strong work ethic, and team-oriented mindset

  • You already possess the legal right to work in the United States

  • This is a full-time position. You must be available to work on-site Mon 6.1.26 - Fri 8.21.26

Eligibility:

Traditional Academic Paths: 

  • Minimally a junior in college working towards a degree or certificate in animation, illustration, film or a related field

  • Recent graduates who are within the first year after graduation are eligible to apply

Less Traditional Professional Paths:

  • Career Transition: Those with a minimum of 5 years post-college graduation and whose professional experiences in a work/academic environment differ vastly from animation, VFX, gaming, and other computer graphics-focused industries

  • Armed Forces: Those who have served in the armed forces and are in a retraining program

  • Home Schooled: Those who are self-taught via an alternative educational path

Visa Sponsorship:

  • Unfortunately, we are not able to sponsor student / intern visas at this time

Submission Process and Application Materials (Please Read Carefully):

  • Attach a single PDF file containing your cover letter and resume.

  • Provide a link to your online demo reel in the "Demo Reel” section of the application; without this, you are not eligible for the internship. If it has a password, please be sure to include an accurate password.

  • Please note: social media pages are not an acceptable format for a demo reel

  • In submitting your application, you are agreeing to the terms of our Submission Release Form. Without this, we are unable to consider your application.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Sunday, February 1, 2026

 

The pay rate for this internship in Emeryville is $22.50 per hour.

About Pixar Animation Studios:

Pixar Animation Studios, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is an Academy Award®-winning film studio with world-renoinswned technical, creative and production capabilities in the art of computer animation. The Northern California studio has created some of the most successful and beloved animated films of all time, including “Toy Story,” “Monsters, Inc.,” “Cars,” “The Incredibles,” “Ratatouille,” “WALL•E,” “Up,” “Toy Story 3,” “Brave,” “Inside Out,” and “Coco.” Its movies have won 35 Academy Awards® and have grossed more than $13 billion at the worldwide box office to date.

About The Walt Disney Company:

The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international family entertainment and media enterprise that includes three core business segments: Disney Entertainment, ESPN, and Disney Experiences. From humble beginnings as a cartoon studio in the 1920s to its preeminent name in the entertainment industry today, Disney proudly continues its legacy of creating world-class stories and experiences for every member of the family. Disney’s stories, characters and experiences reach consumers and guests from every corner of the globe. With operations in more than 40 countries, our employees and cast members work together to create entertainment experiences that are both universally and locally cherished.

This position is with Pixar Inc., which is part of a business segment we call Pixar Animation Studios.

Pixar Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or protected veteran status. Disney fosters a business culture where ideas and decisions from all people help us grow, innovate, create the best stories and be relevant in a rapidly changing world.

Apply Now Apply Later

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