Pixar Undergraduate Program (PUP) - Summer 2025

Job ID R-03835 Location Emeryville, California, United States Business Pixar Animation Studios Date posted Dec. 04, 2024

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Job Summary:

The Pixar Undergraduate Program (PUP) is an education packed, 12-week classroom-based course, taught by our Technical Directors (TDs).* At the beginning of the program, you will learn and complete individual projects focused on various technical aspects of our animation pipeline including modeling, set dressing, shading, characters, layout (camera & staging), lighting, and effects. This all culminates in the final month where you’ll implement your learnings in a group project and have a chance for elective individual exploration projects. You’ll have training and access to Pixar’s software and assets! The goal of the PUP Program is to reach those who are passionate about the intersection of art and technology and expose them to the technical animation pipeline at Pixar. We are looking for potential PUPs who have a hunger for knowledge and initiative to push technical and artistic boundaries! Are you eager to learn (and try!) how artists at Pixar create and collaborate across the technical pipeline?

Qualifications:

Your demo reel/portfolio demonstrates some combination of:
- Visual excellence. This may be through 3D digital art (Maya, Blender etc.), game design, live-action filmmaking, illustration, etc.
- Technical excellence. This may be through coding projects (Python, C++ etc.), game development, computer graphics, writing plugins, etc.
- Projects which show visual or technical innovation or experimentation are a plus
You are an excellent communicator and collaborator. This may be demonstrated by clear presentation of your work, breakdowns and tutorials, teamwork and/or teaching experiences, etc.
You are interested in exploring different career options as a Technical Director at an animation studio
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 6.2.25 - Fri 8.22.25
You already possess the legal right to work in the United States

* What is a Technical Director (TD)? TDs, also known as technical artists, are filmmakers who use and customize 3D animation software to tackle the visual and technical challenges faced in producing the imagery of Pixar's films. TDs can be anything from highly technical software tool developers to digital sculptors, to anywhere in between.

Eligibility:

Traditional Academic Paths:

You are a sophomore or junior pursuing a bachelor’s degree in computer science, computer graphics, digital art, art or a related field and will be returning to school after the internship

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 cannot sponsor student/intern visas at this time.

Submission Process and Application Materials (Please Read Carefully):

Attach a single PDF file containing your resume and a cover letter
Provide a link to your online demo reel or portfolio 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 or portfolio. On group projects, please specify your contribution (i.e. “responsible for shading of teapot”). We will disregard group projects where your responsibilities are unclear.
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 2, 2025

The pay rate for this internship in Emeryville is $22.00 per hour.

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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 we call Pixar Animation Studios.

Pixar Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, military or veteran status, medical condition, genetic information or disability, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state or local law. Disney champions a business environment where ideas and decisions from all people help us grow, innovate, create the best stories and be relevant in a constantly evolving world.

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