Nickelodeon Animation Studios: My Unforgettable Summer As A “Nicktern”

This is a guest post by Marie Cheng for Contributor Platform. 

This past summer, I had the awesome opportunity of interning at Nickelodeon Animation Studios in Burbank, CA. I served as a Production Intern for a pre-school show currently in development. The opportunity to be a “Nicktern” came to me after three attempts to be selected for the internship over the course of three different semester application timeframes. On the third try, I received the exciting call that I had been selected as an intern!

When applying, I tried to tailor my resume for a television animation production job, including my past experiences in the entertainment industry at Mattel and Sony Pictures Entertainment. The application process itself consisted of an online application, one phone interview with HR, and one more interview with a specific department/show. The interviewees are incredibly friendly and genuinely interested in who you are, your passions, and why you believe the “Nicktern” experience is for you.

During my summer at Nickelodeon, I had the chance to learn about animation production through a variety of classes offered to the interns, including lunches with executives, show creators, artists, and contributors from all facets of the studio. We also had special events, including intern game night and special screenings. We also learned about the process of how a television show is developed, produced, and marketed. Each show has its own culture and style, and it was amazing to see how colorfully different and entertaining each one is. The amount of collaborative effort behind each production is unbelievable and inspiring for someone like myself who aspires one day to contribute to a show as a storyboard artist.

For other students like myself, majoring in animation or another subject, I encourage you to consider applying to intern at Nickelodeon. A passion for animation and a thorough knowledge of past and current shows at Nickelodeon are helpful areas to begin when preparing your resume, cover letter, and going through the interview process. I also highly encourage students to have a general idea of which portion of the production pipeline they want to explore (i.e. development, television writing, storyboarding, design, production, executive, technical, etc.).

At the end of the day, showcase the best of yourself–who you are, what you do, and why you love to do it, and those qualities will ultimately make you a viable candidate for internship opportunities wherever you go.

Good luck and have fun!

About the Author:

My name is Marie Cheng, and I am currently a senior BFA Digital Arts-Animation major at Chapman University in Orange, CA. I grew up loving animated films and television because it pushed the boundaries of imagination and could visually connect with audiences regardless of their cultural backgrounds or language. Connect with Marie on her LinkedIn.