Applied Art & Disney

[bama_c]

Newbie to wdwmagic here, and I love the theme of this board! I am an artist, and I love Walt Disney World. I imagine anyone with those two characteristics would dream of working as a Disney artist. I would like to know if anyone has any insight as to how best to try to make this dream come true? I have been doing digital graphic design for many years as a profession, but my real love is applied artwork. Although I have been doing applied art for a very long time, only recently have I begun doing the applied artwork on commission. I would like to figure out a way to combine this love of art with my love for Disney and make it a way to bring in income. Does anyone here have experience as a Disney artist?

My specialty is architectural renderings, and I have recently been doing a series of EPCOT collages for fun (see my avatar for a small sample). I also do oil and watercolor painting. I live in Alabama, but would be willing to move for the right kind of job. I am not a young person just coming out of college, but I do have a degree with a concentration in studio art/graphic design.

Any thoughts?

 

[terp79]

I'm an experienced artist and have had the honor to work for Disney, specifically Walt Disney Imagineering on 3 different occasions in the last 2 years.

I am a newbie and semi fresh outta college, I have been a graduate for 2 years now.

Sadly I have no answer to your "how do i get in" question. But I do have hand me down advice.

I had connections and friends within WDI who called upon me for my services.

My concentration was painting in college with a minor in studio design and graphic arts. My gigs with WDI all have been storyboard illustrations/digital coloring and rendering for blue sky projects. I also have done a few graphic designs as well. (Not really painting or fine art)

Right before I graduated college I had a long conversation with an Imagineer and he told me the typical "there is no right way to become and Imagineer" speech. But he did give me the typical path in which WDI finds people.
This is what he told me...

1. Graduate College
2. Get professional experience working in the entertainment industry that deals with your degree or find a job in which you can work with Disney
3. Have an online website or portfolio of work showcasing your talents.
4. He said if your lucky and WDI likes what they see they may call upon you to freelance for them
5. Sometimes after freelancing on a few projects (3-5) you may get lucky and be asked to come in and intern
6. After interning (he said they take about 10 interns a year), if you did a good job, you MAY be asked to stay on full time

This was the advice he gave me as I was about to graduate.
I have completed steps 1-5 but have not been asked to intern.
Most internships are given to college students or fresh outta college grads, sadly i feel I missed the boat on trying to get an internship. . .not to mention most creative/bluesky departments never have internships open.

I wish I had more information that could help but alas I don't. It's going to be a long journey for me and I'm taking it one day at a time.

As many Imagineers will say "Good Luck"

If you have any questions feel free to ask.

 

[kingslyZISSOU]

I'm an experienced artist and have had the honor to work for Disney, specifically Walt Disney Imagineering on 3 different occasions in the last 2 years.

I am a newbie and semi fresh outta college, I have been a graduate for 2 years now.

Sadly I have no answer to your "how do i get in" question. But I do have hand me down advice.

I had connections and friends within WDI who called upon me for my services.

My concentration was painting in college with a minor in studio design and graphic arts. My gigs with WDI all have been storyboard illustrations/digital coloring and rendering for blue sky projects. I also have done a few graphic designs as well. (Not really painting or fine art)

Right before I graduated college I had a long conversation with an Imagineer and he told me the typical "there is no right way to become and Imagineer" speech. But he did give me the typical path in which WDI finds people.
This is what he told me...

1. Graduate College
2. Get professional experience working in the entertainment industry that deals with your degree or find a job in which you can work with Disney
3. Have an online website or portfolio of work showcasing your talents.
4. He said if your lucky and WDI likes what they see they may call upon you to freelance for them
5. Sometimes after freelancing on a few projects (3-5) you may get lucky and be asked to come in and intern
6. After interning (he said they take about 10 interns a year), if you did a good job, you MAY be asked to stay on full time

This was the advice he gave me as I was about to graduate.
I have completed steps 1-5 but have not been asked to intern.
Most internships are given to college students or fresh outta college grads, sadly i feel I missed the boat on trying to get an internship. . .not to mention most creative/bluesky departments never have internships open.

I wish I had more information that could help but alas I don't. It's going to be a long journey for me and I'm taking it one day at a time.

As many Imagineers will say "Good Luck"

If you have any questions feel free to ask.

I too am an art student (still in high school, very soon to be college), And my main goal is to work at wdi. I want to do a lot of concept design/ creative development, but I am open to pretty much anything. I take it there are many artists who dream of working for wdi? This is discouraging, but I will not give up.

 

[bama_c]

I'm an experienced artist and have had the honor to work for Disney, specifically Walt Disney Imagineering on 3 different occasions in the last 2 years.

I am a newbie and semi fresh outta college, I have been a graduate for 2 years now.

Sadly I have no answer to your "how do i get in" question. But I do have hand me down advice.

I had connections and friends within WDI who called upon me for my services.

My concentration was painting in college with a minor in studio design and graphic arts. My gigs with WDI all have been storyboard illustrations/digital coloring and rendering for blue sky projects. I also have done a few graphic designs as well. (Not really painting or fine art)

Right before I graduated college I had a long conversation with an Imagineer and he told me the typical "there is no right way to become and Imagineer" speech. But he did give me the typical path in which WDI finds people.
This is what he told me...

1. Graduate College
2. Get professional experience working in the entertainment industry that deals with your degree or find a job in which you can work with Disney
3. Have an online website or portfolio of work showcasing your talents.
4. He said if your lucky and WDI likes what they see they may call upon you to freelance for them
5. Sometimes after freelancing on a few projects (3-5) you may get lucky and be asked to come in and intern
6. After interning (he said they take about 10 interns a year), if you did a good job, you MAY be asked to stay on full time

This was the advice he gave me as I was about to graduate.
I have completed steps 1-5 but have not been asked to intern.
Most internships are given to college students or fresh outta college grads, sadly i feel I missed the boat on trying to get an internship. . .not to mention most creative/bluesky departments never have internships open.

I wish I had more information that could help but alas I don't. It's going to be a long journey for me and I'm taking it one day at a time.

As many Imagineers will say "Good Luck"

If you have any questions feel free to ask.

Wow! Thanks so much for that information. How terrific that you actually have worked on a few Disney projects... I would imagine that's good for the resume, anyway. I wonder how many people walk into "Casting" with a portfolio in their hands, every day. :lol: It has crossed my mind to try it when I am there for vacation in September!! Good Luck to you, as well... again thanks for the thoughtful response.

Pixiedust to you!!

 

[terp79]

No problem, just trying to help out. If you're planning on walking into casting down at WDW make sure your portfolio is heavy on digital illustration, graphic design, 3-d rendering and the like. Unfortunately, WDI orlando is pretty much based around land development, architectural and structural implementation, engineering and refurbishment/upgrade. Most of the blue sky/creative/fine art - out of the box thinking jobs are out in glendale.

Most people on here think or assume that both WDI orlando and glendale function the same way, which is not true. In most cases WDW management will contact WDI glendale first. They'll lay out the scope of the project or what they're wanting and the creative teams will work on a pitch (which includes all the fabulous stuff us imagineers in training want to do) then glendale will fly representatives/project managers down to Orlando to present the idea. If the idea is green lit then WDI glendale will begin actually working on the attraction out in California then ship all the working parts down to orlando for installation. Glendale Imagineers will fly down to oversee the construction in which they will work with teams of Imagineers from Orlando.

So you can see most of the applied art happens in California. The only "creative" position that I am aware of down at WDI orlando is the graphic design department. I actually have met the Imagineer in charge of the graphic design dept. He's really laid back and really cool. When speaking with him, most of the departments jobs are refurbishment based and signage around the park. He was working on the upgrades of hotel food and beverage signs throughout the resort when I had the chance to speak with him. He also told me that they also work for other segments/lines of business within Walt Disney World.

I hope this bit helps....

 

[michael92]

So... no arts for WDI orlando..