Walt Disney Animation Studios General TD Intern, Summer 2026

This internship program at Walt Disney Animation Studios offers a deep dive into the craft, technology, and operations behind animated films. Interns will develop skills, connect with industry mentors, and learn within a collaborative team. The role of a Technical Director Intern involves supporting artist teams, writing tools, acting as a liaison, and providing front-line artist support. Interns will be immersed in hands-on projects, guided by artists, technologists, and production leaders, contributing to the studio's innovative filmmaking process.

Must Have

• Must be 18 years or older
• Must be enrolled in a post-secondary educational program or have graduated within six months of internship program start date
• Must be fully available for the duration of an 11-week assignment (May-August 2026)
• Must be based in Burbank, California studios
• Understanding of CG Animation, VFX or Video Game production processes and pipelines
• Understanding of element production and shot production phases including modeling, rigging, animation, layout, look development and lighting/rendering
• Strong problem solving skills
• Ability to work in a collaborative environment and provide support to members of various departments
• Experience with scripting including Python, C++ and MEL
• Exposure to commercial graphics packages including Maya, Houdini and Global Illumination Lighting packages
• Exposure to the Linux or Unix operating system

Good to Have

• Understanding of stereoscopic concepts and production processes
• A website with the breakdown of your code / projects

Perks & Benefits

• Paid internship
• Select benefits (medical, financial, and/or other benefits)

Job Summary:

General TD Intern, Disney Animation - Summer 2026

The Internship Program

Have you wondered how your skills and talents could translate into the world of animation? Our Internship Program dives into the craft, technology, and operations behind our animated films while developing your skills and connecting you to industry mentors. You'll learn what it means to be a part of a collaborative team and how your unique talents can grow within our studio. Find yourself immersed in hands-on projects and learning guided by our artists, technologists, and production leaders. Learn more about our filmmaking process here

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Am I Eligible?

• 18 years or older
• Must be enrolled in a post-secondary educational program (such as a community college, college, university, graduate school, trade school, or accredited online program), or have graduated within six months of our internship program start date
• Program Length: The approximate dates of this internship are May-August 2026. Interns must be fully available for the duration of a 11-week assignment.
• The Intern Program is based in our Burbank, California studios and will start in May 2026.

At Walt Disney Animation Studios we have a deep commitment to the philosophy that creativity inspires technology, and technology inspires creativity. Our Technical Directors (Pipeline TDs) are responsible for providing support to our artist teams in a variety of areas including writing tools to facilitate the CG animation process, acting as a liaison to software and system engineers, and providing front-line artist support.

Technical Directors function as an integral part of the artist departments they’re associated with, designing or optimizing processes and tools to best fit production needs. They should look at production systems holistically and have an ability to visualize the larger pipeline, understand the impact of their actions, and how to optimize processes and tools. Technical Directors also have an important role in our ongoing efforts to push the boundaries of what we're capable of producing in our various toolsets.

Examples of Projects Include:

• Novel interaction interfaces and models for artists
• Tools for procedurally generating worlds
• Creative workflows built on existing platforms to solve production-specific problems
• Evolutions and revolutions of our production data pipeline

As a Technical Director Intern, you will be paired with a mentor(s) who has identified a problem in need of a solution. Under the guidance of your mentor you will meet with end-users to identify requirements, propose a path to solving this problem, research necessary components of that solution, implement the solution by writing code that integrates into our studio pipelines and takes advantage of proprietary libraries where necessary, iterate with end-users to get and respond to feedback, and finally present the results of the project. Along the way you will get to interact with other interns and learn about life at Walt Disney Animation Studios.

Key Qualifications

• An understanding of the production processes and pipelines of CG Animation, VFX or Video Game productions
• An understanding of element production and shot production phases including modeling, rigging, animation, layout, look development and lighting/rendering
• Strong problem solving skills required
• Ability to work in a collaborative environment and provide support to members of various departments.
• Experience with scripting including Python, C++ and MEL
• Exposure to commercial graphics packages including Maya, Houdini and Global Illumination Lighting packages
• Exposure to the Linux or Unix operating system
• Understanding of stereoscopic concepts and production processes a plus

How to Apply:

To apply, you must upload a resume including your school and expected graduation date. A website with the breakdown of your code / projects is a plus.

Deadline for applications is on December 10, 2025 at 11:59 PM PST.

The Walt Disney Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

The pay rate for this role in Burbank, California is $22.00 per hour. Select benefits may be provided as part of the compensation package, such as medical, financial, and/or other benefits. To learn more about our benefits visit: https://jobs.disneycareers.com/benefits

About Walt Disney Animation Studios:

Combining masterful artistry and storytelling with groundbreaking technology, Walt Disney Animation Studios is a filmmaker-driven animation studio responsible for creating some of the most beloved films ever made. Disney Animation continues to build on its rich legacy of innovation and creativity, from the first fully-animated feature film, 1937's “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” to the upcoming fall 2024 feature, “Moana 2.” Among the studio's timeless creations are “Pinocchio,” “Sleeping Beauty,” “The Jungle Book,” “The Little Mermaid,” “The Lion King,” “Frozen,” “Zootopia,” and “Encanto.”

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 Walt Disney Pictures, which is part of a business we call Walt Disney Animation Studios.

Walt Disney Pictures 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.