2025 Talent Development Program- Character Technical Director Apprenticeship

2025 Talent Development Program - Character TD Apprenticeship

Join us for an opportunity to experience the art of animation and be a part of Walt Disney Animation Studios. The Talent Development Apprenticeship Program is an immersive experience  available for emerging artists.  Under the guidance of a Disney mentor, the Talent Development Apprenticeship Program offers a unique opportunity to hone and understand skills, refine and strengthen key disciplines, and engage in a real-time production environment with mentorship support.

The Apprenticeship Program is based in our Burbank, California studios and will start in February 2025. The deadline for applications is December 15, 2024, 11:59 PM PST. 

The Character TD Apprenticeship Program

The role of a Character TD at Disney Animation includes Technical Animation (also known as Creature Dev, Character Finaling, or Character Effects), Simulation Setup, and Rigging. Each craft is highly collaborative and viewed as both a technical and an artistic role. 

As a part of the Character TD Apprenticeship program, this program will focus on Technical Animation. The first four months of your program are structured to introduce you to the art of Character TD animation, our studio culture, and our production environment. These initial months will showcase the skills and philosophies of our Character TD department while providing you nurturing mentorship with a Disney artist. A four month review provides you with real-time feedback and determines future assignments and promotional opportunities that would bring your skills into real-time production environments. 

To apply for this position, select “Login” to update your profile and Apply. If you do not have a profile with us, select “Register” to create a new profile and Apply with a resume, reel and shot breakdown (if applicable).

Am I Eligible To Apply? What We’re Looking For:

• 18 years or older

• Emerging artists with less than 5 years experience in Technical Animation/Sim/Rigging

• Recent graduates with a degree or equivalent experience

You must upload a resume and a single reel of no longer than 2 minutes that demonstrates your understanding or passion for Anatomy, Tailoring, Cloth in Motion, Hair in Motion, and / or Simulation with a reel breakdown (if a breakdown is applicable). All examples should be in the context of performance and demonstrate your sense of appeal. 

Examples of Character Simulation May Include:

• An understanding of the principles of animation and how they apply to character simulation

• An understanding of creating appeal in cloth and hair motion performance

• Creative problem solving ability with cloth and hair in shotwork

• Cloth simulation rigs that demonstrate an understanding of tailoring and fabric quality under a broad range of motion

• Hair simulation rigs that demonstrate an understanding of groom structure and hair texture quality under a broad range of motion

• An intuitive interface for working with character simulation rigs

• Examples of art-directed simulations

• Demonstration of real world tailoring and/or hair styling knowledge

Examples of Shot Work May Include: 

• An understanding of anatomy, kinematics, and physical behaviors

• An understanding of crafting appealing performances through simulation

• Experience in hair and/or cloth simulation

• Character effects for shot production, including cloth and hair simulation, and final character polishing

Other skills may include:

• Ability to work in a collaborative environment and take direction well

• Working knowledge of CG software such as Maya

• Interest in fashion design software such as Marvelous Designer is a plus

• Scripting in MEL, Python, or C++ is a plus

• Tool development examples

• Knowledge of Linux

• Supplemental fine art portfolio of drawing or sculpture that demonstrates understanding of anatomy, design, cloth in motion and/or hair in motion

The Walt Disney Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer.