Animation students enjoy magical internships with Walt Disney

Numerous Honours Bachelor of Animation students have completed internships at Walt Disney Animation Studios in the past, but this year's work-integrated learning experiences were especially magical.

Amelia Kim secured a Story Intern position while Ava Ireland and Basil Gordovich worked as 2D Clean Up Animators, marking the first time that three Sheridan animation students interned at the prestigious Burbank, CA studio at the same time.

"Internships with the Walt Disney Company are extremely valuable and highly competitive," says Dr. Theresa Scandiffio, Associate Dean of Animation and Game Design in Sheridan's Faculty of Animation, Arts & Design. "Having three of our students intern at Walt Disney Animation Studios in the same summer is testament to the incredible talent that our program attracts, the expert instruction and guidance that students receive from our incredible faculty here at Sheridan, and the sterling reputation of our animation program."

We recently caught up with Amelia and Ava to learn more about their prestigious internships, how their experiences will benefit them going forward, what they love most about animation, and more.

What did you work on during your internship?

Amelia: I worked on storyboarding assignments that were engineered to develop our skills. Each assignment was a little different, and I was able to receive feedback from my amazing mentors. I was also lucky enough to participate in story department meetings, pitches and outings. Overall, it was a great balance between honing my craft and learning more about what a Disney story artist does.

Ava: I got the opportunity to learn cleanup animation from veteran animators. This involved working on paper to clean up and in between rough animations of classic Disney characters, carefully putting them on model while maintaining the intent of the original sketch. I learned how to animate on paper and drastically improved my skill in maintaining volume, line quality and posing.

What was your biggest or most memorable accomplishment during your internship?

Amelia: Getting to pitch a personal board sequence to the entire department. It was such a gracious and supportive room to pitch to. Although I was nervous, it was so rewarding to hear some laughter!

Ava: How much my skills improved! At the beginning of the work term, I was rushing to finish assignments on time and every new frame felt like a challenge. I still have a lot to learn, but I now am able to finish assignments that have triple the workload — with time to spare and with much greater accuracy!

How did your Sheridan education prepare you for this experience and what learnings were you putting into practice?

Amelia: Three years of life drawing at Sheridan gave me a great foundational understanding of anatomy and gesture. My professors Mark Thurman, Brian Hladin and Geordie Millar, along with the other life drawing educators, have worked together to create a great curriculum. As a whole, my experience in Sheridan's animation program has been made great by brilliant and dedicated educators.

Ava: The fundamental animation techniques I learned at Sheridan, such as timing charts and the 12 principles of animation, are skills I put into practice in every drawing I work on. My figure drawing classes also taught me a lot about volume, silhouette, gesture and anatomy, which were crucial to helping me build the drawing skills necessary for this internship. Overall, my time at Sheridan gave me the knowledge in animation and craftmanship that not only helped me get this experience with Disney but also thrive during it.

How did your internship experience compare to any expectations you had going in, and how do you think it will benefit you going into your final year of studies and then your career?

Amelia: I think the aspect of the internship I anticipated least was just how fun it was getting to know the artists in the story department. I was constantly so impressed by their skills, mindset, generosity and kindness. Every day felt like the most surreal privilege because I never could have imagined 'working' at Disney this early in my career, and I left my internship with a firm belief that story people are the coolest people ever. It made me even more obsessed with story, and I now have a much clearer idea of what skills I need to develop and what my goals for the future are.

Ava: I also couldn't have imagined being at Disney at this point of my learning journey! I'm so grateful to my mentor and the many other animators who took time to sharing their experiences with me and fostering an environment in which I was able to learn so much in a short duration. Being surrounded by so many talented artists was incredibly inspiring and will fuel my passion for learning and improving my craft in my final year at Sheridan.

What attracted you to animation studies and what are you hoping to achieve in your career?

Amelia: I didn't consider an art career until in late high school, but once I discovered how much I enjoyed storytelling and drawing, teachers who really believe in me — and the internet — helped steer me towards the animation field. I wanted to work in a collaborative environment and I was passionate about story, so storyboarding seemed like a perfect fit. I hope to pursue a career in feature storyboarding and one day to publish a graphic novel of my own!

Ava: I have always loved drawing and telling stories, so a career in the animation industry seemed like a great way to fulfill those passions. Coming into Sheridan, I didn't have a lot of experience with animating, but I quickly fell in love with the intersection of technical analysis and creativity. Moving forward in my career, I hope to work on a variety of meaningful projects that spread the love I have for this medium.

What do you love most about animation?

Amelia: I love the challenge and the artistry of animation! It feels like you could learn about each step of the pipeline forever and never run out of new things to master. I also think that animation as a medium has boundless potential. It's so fun to storyboard, knowing that my imagination and skill are the only limits to what I can create.

Ava: I love that anything is possible! Through animation, even the most outlandish ideas are a possibility. Characters and worlds brought to life one frame at a time can even feel more relatable and real than those in live action film.

Pictured in body of story are (top photo) Amelia Kim and (bottom photo) Ava Ireland. Photos courtesy of Walt Disney Animation Studios.

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Each year, 2,500-plus Sheridan students across more than 60 academic programs participate in a co-op or internship work term. To learn more about co-ops and internships, please visit our Cooperative Education webpage.

Visit Sheridan's Honours Bachelor of Animation program page to learn how the degree trains students to work in television and feature animation at major studios throughout North America.