With the help of their designated mentor, the Character Design Apprentice will join the studio in a rotational program having opportunities to hone their craft while working on real feature productions and getting an in-depth look at Skydance Animation's culture, including our filmmaking process and our people....In addition, a learning curriculum will be built around the apprentice to help support future growth as an artist....Candidates must be 18 years or older and have approximately 1 year of experience as a Character Designer and/or visual development artist, background painter, background designer, prop designer, costume designer, etc., but no more than 2 years in feature animation....#Animation
Responsibilities
• Use artistic skills to bring characters to life
• Work alongside mentor and team(s) to visually explore and design different aspects of a character while keeping in mind the story needs and narrative
• Generate work in the form of sketches, rough designs, and final character designs all while featuring a character's personality, movement, and motivations
• Create character turnarounds and character poses in 2D and/or CG vis dev models
• Innovate and elevate ideas, keeping in mind leadership's requests and vision while adding your own creative flair with depth, humor, emotion, and resonance to visual concepts
• Perform research that will inform the design of the work
• Take notes, implement feedback, make any changes or revisions when necessary
• Communicate progress of work to mentor and other appropriate staff
• Ensure quality and style of show is consistently achieved
• Participate in brainstorming session...(this can include previous internships, trainee experiences, etc.) but no more than 2 years in feature animation
• Available full-time (40hrs per week) for 7 months between June 15, 2026-January 22, 2027
• Located in, or willingness to relocate to, the Los Angeles Metropolitan area
• Portfolio that demonstrates character design skillset; exhibit proficiency in drawing, anatomy, design, perspective, composition, painting, and color theory
• Advanced knowledge of Photoshop
• Knowledge of CG tools (Blender, Maya, Zbrush) a plus
• Eagerness to learn and actively participate in studio offerings
The hourly rate for this non-exempt position in Santa Monica, CA is $45.87.