How should I apply for a position at Pixar?
Once you see a position of interest listed on the Pixar Jobs site, please click on the specific position.
You will then receive specific information about how to apply and what we look for in a demo reel and/or portfolio.

Will you contact me regarding the status of my submission?
Given the quantity of resumes and reels we receive, we’re unfortunately not able to contact people individually with
specific feedback. However, you will receive an email acknowledging receipt of your submission. No phone calls, please!

How often should I reapply?
As clichéd as it sounds, timing is everything. Numerous Pixar employees applied several times before being hired, so please don’t be
discouraged. Generally, we recommend reapplying every 6 months unless there is a change in your contact information
or you’re interested in applying for a different position.

How do I apply?
Please apply directly online and, if applicable, upload your materials as specified in the job posting.

How long will my resume be kept on file?
If we feel your experience and skill set are a fit but we don’t have any current openings, your resume will remain active for 6 months.
Otherwise, all resumes are archived for 2 years.

What animation software do you use or recommend?
Pixar uses its own proprietary software built and maintained in-house. In general, we look for broad artistic and technical skills,
rather than the ability to run one package over another. We concentrate on finding people with breadth, depth, communication skills,
and the ability to collaborate. If you have those attributes, we can teach you the specific tools.

If I am not authorized to work in the United States, can I still apply at Pixar?
Pixar is interested in hiring the best and brightest, and we feel fortunate to have artistic and technical folks from
around the globe. Unfortunately, the requirements and process for obtaining work visas is complicated and difficult.
We recommend you become familiar with the qualifications for obtaining visas (H1-B, TN, O-1, etc.),
and if you meet these requirements, we welcome you to apply.

What do you look for in Animators?
One of the most common questions Pixar receives nowadays is, “How can I become an Animator at Pixar?” There’s really
no good answer that’s both short and useful, so we’ve put together some information tohopefully provide guidance for people
who dream of being involved in Pixar's animation process. Pixar places the technology of computer graphics firmly at the service of the
art of animation, not the other way around.  This priority is expressed clearly in Pixar’s production
process, in which the Animators specialize in animation, with virtually all technical concerns handled by Technical Directors.
The implication of this structure and this value system is what Pixar looks for first and foremost in Animators—
we want you to be able to bring the character to life, independent of medium. Computer-graphic technical prowess
is of course important, but the emphasis is not as strong within the Animation Department.

The reality is that computer graphic animators have no advantage over pen-and-ink animators, clay
animators, stop-motion animators, etc. So while it’s preferable for someone to have 3D knowledge, it’s
not paramount. In fact, three-quarters of the Animators on Toy Story were new to computers when hired.
A common question is, “What software should I learn?” The answer is implied by the above: “Software
doesn’t matter; learning to animate matters.” Still, you might expect that learning the software that Pixar
uses would give you a leg up. However, even this isn’t true: Pixar uses its own proprietary software. Your
knowledge of basic animation fundamentals is the foundation for your computer training,
not the other way around.

What are the qualities of a good Animator?
A Pixar Animator should be able to bring life to any object or character, showing the character’s internal
thoughts and feelings through its physical external motion. To do this, the Animator must be a good actor. 
His or her work should communicate clearly, containing simple ideas with which an audience can empathize. 
The animation should be entertaining to watch, employing good timing and relying on individualized, believable
characters to put forth humor and emotion. The Animator also needs an understanding of physical motion. 
Knowledge of weight, balance, overlap, texture, and form should be evident in the work. In fact, in evaluating a
prospective Animator, Pixar relies very heavily on the demo reel presented by the candidate.

You could say that three things are important in pitching yourself to Pixar: the reel, the reel, and the reel. 
Other factors will of course come into play, including collaborative spirit, timeliness, and compatibility with Pixar
itself, but these issues never even come up unless the reel passes muster. Of course, the more a reel shows the
qualities discussed here, the better. We want to see your ability to demonstrate a strong sense of acting, more
so than movement. Reels that show fast-moving spaceships, etc., are difficult to judge because we're not able to
get a sense of someone’s ability to understand physics and the fundamentals of animation. We would much rather
see a simple story line with strong acting.

We’re interested in your animation ability—not your ability to model,shade, and light. Acting is the
key element and then we review reels to get a sense of weight, timing, staging, physics, etc. People frequently ask if they
should include a flatwork portfolio demonstrating their life drawing skills. While this is nice, it doesn’t give us a
sense of your ability to animate a character and bring something to life.

There are at least three other issues that can help make the reel a more effective reflection of
the person behind it.

First:
It can be very difficult to figure out who did what in a collaboration or group project, and correspondingly difficult
to evaluate the work, unless there are clearly described divisions of labor (see item #6 in “
Putting Together a Reel”).

Second:
It should express what you want to do. The freedom of being in school encourages experimentation
and going beyond what you would normally try. However, unless the result shows what you want to do in the
“real” world, this tendency does make it harder to see who you “really” are.

Third:
Realize that whizzy technology is not great art. There’s something about 3D computer graphics that
dazzles people until they get lost in achieving this one ray-traced effect, or adding just one more texture map. 
When you finally wake up and get back to the content, there’s no time left for great animation. Good animation is
clearly visible through almost any technical limitation. In fact, the thrill of great animation is seeing pencil lines or
matchsticks and glue come to life; why would it be any different with a computer?

Or, as we never tire of saying: Computers don’t animate. People do.

And in an effort to hit you with even more information, below are some quotes
from our Directing and Supervising Animators about what they like to see in reels:

"I'd rather see 15 seconds of amazing animation than 3 looooooooooong minutes of an unwatchable film.
Those 3 minutes can feel like an eternity if everything isn't perfect."

"You’re applying for Animation? Well—show me good animation! Show me acting.
Show me thinking. Show me a character that is alive. I don't care about lighting, modeling, shading, particle effects,
or how clever you are. Blow me away with something I've never seen. An original character with
a distinct personality!"

"Do you draw? Are you a good designer? That's great! Make sure it's in your computer
animation as well!"

"Animation. Computer. Drawn. Stop motion. Sand under glass. If your reel kicks arse, we may hire you
regardless of the medium. We don't want to see only computer stuff."

"Keep your reel short n' sweet. We watch a lot of these things in reel review so if there's
weird, older, not-so-goodstuff at the beginning we might pull the tape out before your great stuff! We don't
need to see where you came from—we need to know how good you are right now. Edit down to
your best stuff."

"The classic animators were inspired by real life and all of the other films around them. And so are we.
We're not looking to hire Animation Nerds. We want people who draw from their own other experiences, from
live action, and yes, from the Old Masters!"

How can I be considered for voice-over work?
All of our voice casting is handled through Walt Disney.

Can I submit a creative story and/or script idea?
Please do not send any kind of creative submission to Pixar. All of Pixar's ideas and stories are developed
internally and it is our policy not to look at any external submissions. For legal reasons we automatically return
all creative material (scripts, synopses, sketches, etc.) unopened and unread.

What format should I submit my resume in?
You have the option of uploading a resume or copying and pasting resume text. However, if you choose to
paste your resume text, it’s helpful if you also upload your resume. We frequently experience formatting issues
with pasted resume text. If you opt to upload a resume, please upload either .doc or .pdf files. Please do not
upload .docx files.

How do I upload and view my resume?
After you click Apply Now, you will be prompted to upload or copy and paste your resume.
You will be able to use this resume for future applications if you wish. However, you will not
be able to view your submitted resume/attachments.

Can I edit my application once I have submitted it?
Once you submit an application, it's been submitted and the application or resume cannot be updated
or deleted. You can, however, reapply with an updated resume.

How can I ensure that my application went through?
You will receive an email confirming that your application has been received. If not, you may want to reapply.

Your demo reel pages say to read the submission agreement for the reel, but I can't find it.
You will be prompted to acknowledge the submission agreement at the end of the online application process.

I'm having technical difficulties with the job site; can I apply some other way?
No, please email Recruiting if the site is down or not working. Generally, to solve most issues, restart
your computer, close your browser, and clear your cache.

How do I submit my portfolio via the system?
Please follow the instructions in the "How to Apply" section of the specific job posting.

I'm having problems uploading a demo reel or cover letter.
Make sure that you have a high-speed connection. Note that it can take upwards of 30 minutes to upload
a 50MB file over a standard 128kbps (upload speed) DSL line. Generally, to solve most issues, restart your
computer, close your browser, and clear your cache. If you are still having problems, please email Recruiting.
Please note that you will not be able to view the demo reel or any other uploaded attachments.

My school is not available in the pull-down menu on the application or in the sub-source menu.
If it's not available, please enter the school name in the Other: text field next to School list in the
Education History section or the Specific Referral Source: text field in the Referral Information section.

I sent an email to Recruiting and have not received a response.
Any email sent to Recruiting that does not pertain to technical issues or problems with Pixar's
recruiting site will be deleted. Please note that recruiters only review applications and resumes
submitted through the recruiting system. They do not view or receive files sent to Recruiting.

I am unable to access the Career/Internship listings, what should I do?
Please clear your computer's cache and shut down/restart your browser. Also confirm that your
browser is not blocking cookies (this is required for most websites, including the Pixar Jobs site). If so,
allow cookies from pixar.com.

If this doesn't resolve your problem, please send the following troubleshooting information here.

• Time you had the issue -
• Your operating system/version -
• Your browser/version -
• Your IP address. You can get your IP address by going to whatismyipaddress.com.

Note: The system will NOT be available the second Sunday of each month
7-11 p.m. (Pacific time) due to maintenance.

I'm interested in working in the Canada studio. How do I apply?
For applications to our Vancouver studio, please apply to their job postings at www.pixarcanada.com.

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