Stop motion is a technique that I have always found endearing and is something that I was very keen to learn when I chose to pursue animation. During my first year I worked on developing my skills in stop motion animation and building a portfolio that would be relevant to roles in stop motion. Over the last few months I have been looking into some opportunities for internships or graduate roles as an animator. Even though I wasn’t successful it was useful to go through the application process and have a look into what roles might be available when I graduate.
LAIKA
Applications for LAIKA’s internship programs close at the end of April and run for 12 weeks over summer. The positions they have change every year but they have previously had production-related programs that include costume design and fabrication, model-making and stop motion animation. Applicants can apply for as many positions as they like as long as they have a relevant portfolio to support their application. They are based in Portland, so international applicants must meet the required qualifications for visas – something for me to keep in mind if I consider a job overseas.
Aardman
Aardman offer various roles and traineeships throughout the year, including model-making, rigging and animating. They are based in Bristol and have projects in film, TV, shorts and games. I have applied for a couple of their roles but would love to look into some more opportunities such as volunteering as they are not far from London.