The apprenticeship at Walt Disney Animation Studios consisted of 16 weeks of intensive training, structured around six distinct assignments that covered a wide range of lighting disciplines and pipeline practices.
Following the training period, we were promoted from Trainee to Apprentice and joined the production of Zootopia 2. To prepare us for the unique challenges these characters and environments would present, much of our training work was created using actual Zootopia 2 assets and characters.
Throughout the program, lectures were interjected, not only to teach studio best practices, but also to develop our artistic eye and ability to self-critique. With dedicated mentors guiding each of us, the experience offered an immersive, collaborative environment that fostered both creativity and growth.
DISCLAIMER
ALL OF THE MATERIAL CREATED DURING THE TRAINEE PROGRAM WAS FOR TRAINING PURPOSES ONLY.
NONE OF THIS WORK WAS USED FOR PRODUCTION OR MARKETING PURPOSES.
#1 - Character Lighting
The first assignment of the program focused on character lighting. We were provided with a backplate as a set extension and tasked with matching the lighting on the characters to the plate.
This served as an excellent introduction to the Disney Animation pipeline and allowed us to get comfortable with the studio’s tools and workflows.
#2 - Painted Key Interpretation
The second assignment was designed to emulate what we would most likely encounter in production. Each artist received the same painted keyframe, and the goal was to match it.
The challenge lay in interpreting broad 2D brushstrokes into a believable 3D space while maintaining the overall mood and making creative decisions along the way.
#3 - Film Study
Building on the previous task, we were asked to select a film reference from a curated list and recreate its lighting. Encouraged by my mentor, I chose a frame from La La Land that seemed particularly challenging.
It proved even more complex than expected. The projection quickly became visually busy, and maintaining focus with a limited dynamic range required careful balance. Despite the struggles, this assignment became my favorite and the one where I experienced the most growth.
#4 - Keyshot Lighting
For this assignment, we were tasked with lighting the key shot of a sequence, which would later be exchanged with another trainee to continue lighting the remaining shots. The emphasis was on building an efficient, well-organized setup that could easily be propagated and adapted for other shots. Each of us was assigned a unique time of day and a corresponding painted key.
#5 - Sequence Continuity
This assignment continued from the previous one. I inherited the key shot from Daniel Wiseman and was responsible for lighting the remaining four shots in the sequence. The focus was on maintaining visual continuity, character appeal, and consistency across the entire sequence while adapting the setup to new compositions.
#6 - Marketing Lighting
The final assignment introduced us to lighting for marketing, which comes with its own technical and artistic considerations. The goal was to maintain strong character appeal while creating a neutral, evenly lit setup that would give the marketing team flexibility for adjustments across various campaigns.
