The Story Initiative Program at DreamWorks Animation is a comprehensive immersion program for recent college graduates who wish to pursue artistic careers as story artists.
The objective of the program is to identify and train entry-level storytellers in the techniques and practices of storyboarding for feature-length animated films. Over the course of an initial three month curriculum, trainees are instructed by a DWA senior story artist in a training environment that replicates the production environment on actual projects. Trainees learn how to: evaluate and plan their storyboard sequences, take their boards from first "thumbnails" to final approval, collaborate with fellow artists, and work with directors and producers. Throughout their training, they are given opportunities to partake in additional creative enrichment opportunities including: classes in gesture drawing, life drawing, writing, improvisational techniques, acting, and visual storytelling (among others). Following this crash course, they are then launched on a three month stint with one of our projects to put into practice what they have learned.
If you are dedicated, resourceful and full of ideas, then we want to talk to you! It is important that whatever your area of study, you have also taken the time to focus on learning the fundamental skills that will serve as the foundation for your future growth.
We are looking for recent graduates in Studio Art, Illustration, Animation, or related fields who can demonstrate the ability to communicate strong storytelling skills through drawing. An ideal candidate should possess excellent draftsmanship in drawing, a solid understanding of perspective and staging, and the ability to communicate narratives through visual clarity in drawing.
Portfolio Submission Opens: Early Spring
Program Start Date: Summer
(Specific dates are determined on a yearly basis)
- Matriculation from a university program in Studio Art, Illustration, Animation, or related field
- Resume and cover letter
- Portfolio: story sketches from 2-3 original projects (suggest 10-40 sketches each project), graphic novel excerpts, character sketches and/or designs, life drawings (not to exceed 5), gesture drawings (not to exceed 5), rough sketches or thumbnails, additional personal and/or academic artwork
