Bit Films Spring 2014 Internships

Bit Films is an independent digital production studio existing at the intersection of industry and academia. This spring, we are offering multiple unpaid internship opportunities on our ongoing projects. They are ideal for students (18+), recent graduates, and those wishing to gain more studio experience in their field.

Project summaries, position descriptions, application instructions, supervisor biographies, and an intern FAQ are located below.

Production occurs within Hampshire College's Animation Incubator Studio, housed in Adele Simmons Hall on the Hampshire College campus.

The spring internship period runs from Monday February 3, 2014 through Friday May 16, 2014.

Intern applications are due via email by Monday January 27, 2014 at 5pm (EDT). We plan to inform applicants of their status via email very soon after that date. Please follow the application instructions closely (see details below)! Incomplete or improper applications will be rejected. Late applications may be considered but only if positions remain available.

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Tube Open Movie: ‘Wires for Empathy’

A short 3D animation based, like Elephants Dream, in free/libre software, the Tube project is also a new experiment in distributed collaboration. Wires for Empathy plays on the ancient Gilgamesh poem, in a variant of the hero's progress that becomes the animation's own frames.

Supervisors: Bassam Kurdali and Fateh Slavitskaya

Read more about Tube

Looking Backward

This portrait of Philander Knox, US Secretary of State (1909-1913) is just one of 350,000 3D stereographs in the Keystone-Mast Collection, housed in an earthquake proof vault, thirty feet underground, at the University of California, Riverside. This image, and 300 other images of people and places from the world as it existed more than 100 years ago, will be the basis of  LOOKING BACKWARD, a major book and traveling exhibition scheduled for 2016. Our work is focused on bringing these archival stereographs to life for the gallery exhibition through a combination of modern computer vision technology and digital artistry.

Supervisor: Chris Perry

Read more about Looking Backward

Alpha

ALPHA (working title) is an a comedic CG adventure involving a teenage alien trying to rescue her brother in the most unlikely of places.

Supervisor: Chris Perry

Adrift

ADRIFT is a CG feature that follows a young woman named Cassie who awakens on a luxury liner amidst a great mystery.

Supervisor: Chris Perry

‘LEAP’

An Animated Short

LEAP is a touching story of a young girl, Elyseé, caught between two worlds; the first, her pastoral homeland, ravaged by revolution; the second an afterlife. LEAP follows Elyseé’s journey from one to the other and back while exploring one daughter’s love for her father.

Supervisor: Jake Blais

3D Generalist: TUBE

Tube’s final steps involves timelapse and crowd sequences. Generalists’ main tasks will be involved in finishing these, including modelling timelapse and some crowd elements, using simulation and scripts to populate the crowd scenes, and using various animation tools such as shapekeys, Tube scripts, and particles to age assets during the timelapse. Ability to work with shading, lighting and python scripting a plus.

Lighting Artist: TUBE

Lighting is currently underway, using the brand new Cycles path tracer for rendering. Lighters both remote and local will be expected to use Helga and Subversion, and be able to work within our lighting pipeline to set up shots and prep them for render.

2D / Texture artist: TUBE

Interns interested in doing graphic design for posters / advertisements appearing in the subway station and train, or working on texturing 3D models (trains, the station itself, and secondary characters). Some of this may involve animated textures for a timelapse sequence. Texture artists will be expected to use Sparkleshare to share single .blend files and textures.

Graphic designer: TUBE

In addition to typical texture work there are many elements of graphic design in the 3D environments of Tube: Signs, Advertisements, and especially propaganda abound. This is a chance for a graphic design intern to work in/on a virtual environment, producing work that fits the overall themes and designs of the film.

Production Assistant: TUBE

Work closely with the producer to plan and coordinate elements of the Tube Open Movie including its funding campaign, promotion, and distribution. Act as videographer documenting the production process for occasional blog updates and gather making-of footage. Help shape community outreach and the dissemination of project news. Priority will be given to those literate with the concerns of free software and free culture. Valued skills include knowledge of Wordpress/CSS and a willingness to explore new technology as necessary. Beneficial but not required to be local to the Hampshire College production hub.

Digital Artist: LOOKING BACKWARD
We seek a digital image generalist comfortable in Photoshop (specifically retouching, dust/dirt removal, painting masks/mattes) who can help us in converting our century-old two-camera stereographs into one-camera digital movies that show off the full dimensionality of the original locations the stereographs were captured in. Comfort with the *nix command line, familiarity with C/C++ programming, the OpenCV library, and After Effects are all plusses.

Concept Artists / Character Designers: ALPHA and/or ADRIFT

We are seeking accomplished artists excited to work together with our writers and director to flesh out the unique and captivating worlds of these two films, both of which are in early development. Ideal candidates are strong illustrators and painters, able to create compelling 2D images on their own but who are also able to work well with a team at identifying and strengthening the best elements of a shot, setting, and/or character. The strongest candidates also have a demonstrated cinematic eye and are fluent in the language of film. Accepted candidates will get to learn more about each project and decide which resonates most with their skills and interests.

Concept/ Storyboard Artist: LEAP
LEAP is in it’s infancy and we need help fleshing out the story beats and inventing the visual language that will become the tapestry of this film. The goal for this position will be to develop the staging of the major story beats. A strong sense of camera, framing and space are required as well as a great imagination and the ability to draw accurately using digital or traditional media.

Character Designer: LEAP

We have made some headway in developing characters, but there is a long way to go. You should be able to draw somewhat realistic characters, with creative flair, especially girls. The inspiration has been captured and recorded, so there is a large library to inspire your work. We are looking to build turnarounds for all the characters as well as expression boards.

TO APPLY: Send a full application via email to internships@bitfilms.com before the application deadline listed above.  

A full application includes a cover letter (PDF), a resume (PDF), and an online digital reel (URL). In the cover letter, please identify which internship(s) you are interested in and why you are seeking this/these position(s). The resume should highlight any relevant work and/or course experience related to the position you are seeking. There has been much written about what are the elements of a good demo reel. Please consult Pixar's How to Create a Demo Reel page (as well as others) for advice, but in brief: keep your materials short and sweet, putting your best work first.

Bassam Kurdali (Director: TUBE)

Bassam is a 3D generalist filmmaker whose 2006 short, Elephants Dream, was the first 'open movie'. It established the viability of libre tools in a production environment and set precedent by offering its source data under a permissive license for learning, remixing and re-use. His character, ManCandy, began as an easily animatable test bed for rigging experiments; multiple iterations have been released to the public, and Bassam demonstrates him in the animated tutorial video, The ManCandy FAQ. Under the aegis of Urchin, Bassam is continuing to explore a model of production that invests in commonwealth. He teaches, writes and lectures around the world on open production and free software technique. Raised in Damascus, Syria, Bassam trained in the United States as an electrical and software engineer.

Fateh Slavitskaya (Producer: TUBE)

Co-Founder of the Urchin studio and libre media group, Fateh works at the juncture of F/LOSS tools and free culture to explore new modes of animated and live-action filmmaking. She oversees and develops its programs as a creative partner responsible for screenwriting and design. In addition to maintaining Urchin's industrial consultancy, Fateh campaigns on behalf of a variety of free/libre and open source software projects. Her work with Bassam Kurdali has been supported by grants from private donors, the Robeson Fund for Independent Media, the Massachusetts Arts Council, and substantial crowdfunding.

Chris Perry (Bit Films program supervisor) 

Chris Perry grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area before leaving in 1988 to attend college and graduate school in Massachusetts. After receiving his M.S. degree from the MIT Media Laboratory in 1994, he worked in the computer animation production industry as both a programmer and a user of the tools for producing high-quality computer graphics. This four-year tour took him from Rhythm & Hues Studios in Los Angeles back to the Bay Area where he worked at Pixar. In 1998, Chris returned to the east coast. He now teaches computer graphics and animation at Hampshire College, a small, innovative liberal arts institution in Amherst, Massachusetts. Chris completed an MFA degree in Computer Art at the University of Massachusetts (2007). He has written and directed three animated short films. In 2014, Chris was awarded a Technical Achievement Award from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. Chris lives in Northampton with his partner and their two children.    twitter    blog

Jake Blais (LEAP)

Jake is a Senior Art Director for LEGO Systems, Inc. and most recently, a co-creator of LEGO Star Wars, The Yoda Chronicles and other LEGO animated shorts, as well as a contributor to the Bit Films shorts Caldera and The Incident at Tower 37. He has a BA from UMASS Amherst in Animation and an MFA from Academy of Art, San Francisco. He is inspired by his two beautiful and talented children and lovely wife.

Q: So what's in it for me?

A: Interns will get to work on cutting-edge non-commercial graphics and animation projects under the mentorship of professionals in the field. Interns have access to fully-equipped workstations and a substantial computer animation  infrastructure to produce this work. They also receive screen credit in each final production they worked on, and a written evaluation detailing their contribution if needed. The internship is an opportunity to significantly add to your demo reel. Strong interns often continue as visiting artists and members of the remote crew. These internships can be a valuable chance to develop your skill set and industry contacts in a stimulating and fruitful environment. We make every effort to respond to the interests and career advancement needs of participant interns.

Q: Are these paid positions?

A: No, these are unpaid positions. Interns are responsible for their food and other expenses, but there is a possibility that housing and transportation can be provided.

Q: Who can apply?

A: Applications are welcome from current students (18+), recent graduates, and those interested in gaining further studio experience in their field. Previous applicants are welcome to apply again, whether or not they were accepted for a position in the past. NOTE: A reel and resume are not required for current interns applying for another internship. Simply send the cover letter.

Q: Are they full-time positions?

A: They certainly can be, but applications are welcome for both full- and part-time participants.

Q: Must I be available for the full internship period to apply?

A: We are open to considering special arrangements.

Q: I'm a current student. Can I use one of these opportunities for school credit?

A: It depends on your home institution and your academic advisers. Hampshire College Division II exams often contain documented volunteer work, but be sure to consult with your Division II committee before forging ahead. If your institution won't directly give you credit for this work, you may want to speak with your adviser about casting it as an independent study course.

Q: How will interns be selected?

A: Applications will be taken via email and selections will be made by the supervisors based on the strength of each applicant's materials. Offers of positions will be communicated via email no later than one week past the application deadline stated in the initial announcement. If a suitable candidate is not found for a given position, that position will not be filled.

Q: Can I get feedback on my application materials?

A: The supervisors generally do not have time to offer feedback on application materials.

Q: When is my application due?

A: See the top of this document for the specific dates related to this internship session.

Q: What is the location and what are the hours of the studio?

A: Production takes place in Hampshire College's Animation Incubator Studio, in Adele Simmons Hall on the Hampshire College campus. The location is open on weekdays from 9am-4:30pm (with extended evening hours until 11pm on most nights). During the fall and spring terms there is easy access to public transportation; interns typically carpool or bike to the studio during the summer session.

Q: What if I have more questions?

A: Email them to internships@bitfilms.com.