‘Snap out of it, Buzz!’ EA Student Gets Dream Internship Opportunity at Pixar’s Animation Studio

CCS Entertainment Arts student Allison Fijalkowski shares her experience at Pixar’s Undergraduate Program (PUP), the internship opportunity of a lifetime.

Entertainment Arts student Allison Fijalkowski (‘23) spent the summer in sunny California learning and inspiring creatives at the animation studio that brought classics like “Toy Story,” “Monsters, Inc.,” and “Finding Nemo” to screens across the world.

PUP is a competitive 12-week summer program that accepts a limited number of undergraduate applicants every year.

“I definitely cried over just being able to interview for the studio that got me interested in pursuing 3D art. It didn’t seem real that I had gotten the job until I pulled up to the gates and was walking past the luxo ball,” she said.

Every week, the program focused on something new to further the understanding of what a career as a technical director looks like. Fijalkowski explored topics like modeling, shading, special effects (FX), and lighting. The program even featured individual and group projects, along with critique sessions.

“Being in the studio for the summer, I was able to meet and learn from so many amazing people,” she said. “Whether I was picking up new skills from the other interns or getting coffee with current technical directors, I was able to pick their brains and learn more about what they do. There were so many kind and talented artists all over whom I am extremely grateful to have been able to meet.”

Even though the internship was classroom-based, meaning she and the other interns weren’t working in production, Fijalkowski still participated in weekly intern presentations. People across the studio would use that opportunity to voice how inspired they were by the work that was produced.

“Being able to share new ideas and different techniques with other artists was fun and I’m glad my work could have helped inspire someone else in the studio,” Fijalkowski said.