Character Artist Intern- Undergraduate

Insomniac Games
Burbank, CA
On-site

Who this role is best for

Geared toward undergraduate students comfortable with 3D modeling and texturing in a collaborative game development environment.

Best fit for

  • Undergraduate students with a focus on character art and a passion for game development
    — “Currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree working towards Character Art.”
  • Individuals with foundational skills in Maya and Substance Painter
    — “Create efficient UV layouts using Maya or equivalent software.”
  • Candidates seeking mentorship and practical experience in a team-oriented setting
    — “Receive mentorship from senior members of the Character Art and Animation team.”

Things to consider

  • Must be available for the full 12-week internship period in Burbank, CA
    — “Must be available for the entire 12-week internship period.”
  • No visa sponsorship available; only eligible for US-based applicants
    — “SIE will only consider applicants who are authorized to work for any employer in the United States.”

How to stand out

  • Showcase your ability to create and refine 3D models and textures in your portfolio
    — “Create and refine 3D models and textures for characters and props used in game development.”
  • Highlight any experience with corrective blendshapes and animation workflows
    — “Develop corrective blendshapes for characters and props to support animation.”
  • Emphasize your collaborative approach and willingness to learn from senior artists
    — “Collaborate with the Character Art and Animation team to develop and refine assets.”
  • Include examples of texture and material creation using Substance Painter
    — “Author textures and materials in Substance Painter to support character and prop development.”
Pace · Fast PacedCollaboration · HighAutonomy · MediumDecision Impact · Individual

Derived from job-description analysis by Serendipath's career intelligence engine.

What success looks like

  • create and refine 3D models and textures
  • develop corrective blendshapes
  • create efficient UV layouts
  • author textures and materials
Typical background
Bachelor's degree in Character Artsix to twelve months of related experience

Skills & requirements

Required

3D ModelingUV LayoutMaterial CreationMayaSubstance Painter

Preferred

PythonCharacter ModelingAnimation

Stack & domain

PythonMayaGame DevelopmentAnimation

About the role

Original posting from Insomniac Games via Greenhouse

Job ID: R-125852

Role Summary: 

Join the Animation Department at Insomniac Games and gain hands-on experience creating characters and props that contribute to game development. 

As a Character Art Intern, you'll work alongside experienced artists to create models, textures, and corrective blendshapes for characters and props. You'll gain practical experience with character modeling, UV layouts, and material creation while learning how these elements support animation and game production. 

Throughout the internship, you'll receive mentorship from senior members of the Character Art and Animation team, develop your artistic and technical skills, and contribute to projects in a collaborative game development environment. 

What You’ll Be Doing: 

Create and refine 3D models and textures for characters and props used in game development. 

Develop corrective blendshapes for characters and props to support animation. 

Create efficient UV layouts using Maya or equivalent software. 

Author textures and materials in Substance Painter to support character and prop development. 

Collaborate with the Character Art and Animation team to develop and refine assets while learning game production techniques and workflows. 

Gain hands-on experience with character art development while strengthening your modeling, texturing, and technical skills through mentorship from experienced artists. 

What We’re Looking For: 

Currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree working towards Character Art. 

Six to twelve months of related experience and/or training is beneficial but not required for currently enrolled students. 

A creative, self-motivated, and responsible approach to learning and completing assigned work. 

Passion for video games and animation, with an interest in character modeling, texturing, and game development. 

Python skills and previous experience with Maya are preferred. 

Eligibility 

Students with expected graduation between May 2026 and December 2029 from an accredited university. Undergraduate

Able to work during one of the following periods: May 17th - August 6th or June 14th - September 3rd. Relocation assistance is available for eligible candidates. 

Must be available for the entire 12-week internship period. 

At this time, SIE will only consider applicants who are authorized to work for any employer in the United States and who will not require work visa sponsorship from SIE now or in the future to maintain their authorization to work in the United States. 

Our intern positions offer a fixed hourly pay rate. Please note that the pay rate is exclusive to the internship period and may not reflect what pay may look like following the completion of an internship.

At SIE, we consider several factors when setting each role’s base pay range, including the competitive benchmarking data for the market and geographic location. 

Please note that the base pay range may vary in line with our hybrid working policy and individual base pay will be determined based on job-related factors which may include knowledge, skills, experience, and location. 

Intern Pay Range$36.50—$36.50 USDPlease note, Sony Interactive Entertainment conducts background checks at the offer stage for all new employees (which may include criminal background checks for some roles) and will need to process personal information to support these checks.

Please refer to our Candidate Privacy Notice for more information about what personal information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and your data protection rights.

Source: Insomniac Games careers (Greenhouse)

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