Animation Industry Immersive Lab:
2D Production Program

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Asians in Animation is excited to announce the return of the Animation Industry Immersive Lab!

The by-application-only AIA Immersive Lab Production Track unites future industry leaders and the brightest creative minds to produce an original animated short film.

Inspired by historical animation industry successes, all lab participants will be challenged to form the strongest creative team and develop a pipeline that serves their creativity, all while developing a story and character relationships that bring joy to global audiences. With additional financial support, each short film will be submitted into the festival circuit for marketing and distribution.

 The Immersive Lab is designed to equip early and emerging Asian animation professionals with the skills and experience needed to thrive in the professional animation industry. Through a combination of hands-on mentorship and industry production exposure, participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of the latest animation industry practices and how to sustain an ever-evolving career in creativity.

With the ability to work with the top emerging talent of Asians in Animation, participants will creatively contribute to a one-month, hands-on animation industry simulation and produce a professional-level hand-drawn short film alongside a full production crew and industry mentors.

As Asians in Animation strives to enhance the experience for our participants by improving the program based on past feedback, the 2025 2D Production Program has been extended from a week to a month-long schedule.

For more information on our 2024 Production Cohort and their award-winning short film LITTLE PERSIMMON (​bé hồng), visit our 2024 Impact Report.

Please continue reading for more application and program candidate information.

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As part of our production program, participants are encouraged to flex their creative skills in a fast-paced, high-volume production environment as a team leader or a creative crew member.

Participants will specialize in one crew position but be given hands-on exposure to other departments, such as story and post.

Mentors are available throughout the month-long production to answer questions, as participants progress and experience a 2D animation industry pipeline from concept to post.

We are looking for participants who want to be a part of a team that forges the learning experience they want to have. We want thinkers, builders, and dreamers who can put ideas into action – people who are ready to forge their future!

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Dates & Times

The production will run from July 7, 2025 to August 1, 2025 ​with recommended flexible working hours of 9 AM - 6 PM US Pacific Time. (No work on weekends)

​Crew Leads will need to be available from June 16, 2025 to July 6, 2025 for Leadership Training and Crew Preparation.

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Open Positions (Limited spots available)

Duties for all positions may shift as needed throughout the production under the guidance of the Producer.

If you would like to contribute to this project in a manner not listed above (e.g. clean-up artist, sound designer, etc.), please contact us at [email protected].

Production

Producer: (LEAD)

• NOTE: We will prioritize candidates who have prior animation industry production experience for this role. However, we are open to those who have experience guiding a project from pre-production to completion. We are looking for a strong, steady leader for our production to set a calm tone for the rest of the team. Our ideal candidate is looking to take the next step on their animation leadership journey.
• Requirements:
  • Strong communicator and people leader
  • Strong understanding of the 2D animation production pipeline
  • Ability to implement and revamp pipeline processes
• Duties:
  • Independently lead the full crew and small production department
  • Ensure delivery of a high-quality short film
  • Establish strong communication channels between departments and people
  • Set clear project goals and expectations
  • Help the crew meet their deadlines sustainably
  • Oversee the entire production process, supporting the coordination of various aspects of production and resolving unexpected challenges as they arise
  • Oversee the daily production schedule and adjust milestones as needed
  • Conduct daily check-ins with leads to review progress, address any issues, and plan action items for the next day
  • Cultivate a healthy creative environment and team relations
  • Serve as liaison between crew and Asians in Animation overhead team
  • Assisting AIA team in implementing educational plan for program participants

 
Production Coordinator: 

• Requirements:
  • Strong communicator
  • Strong attention to detail
  • Basic leadership skills
  • Able to work with many personalities and people
  • Understanding of the 2D animation production pipeline
  • Knowledge of Google Drive and/or Airtable
• Duties:
  • Oversee coordination among departments, ensuring deliveries are met on time
  • Tracking assets and/or shots and their completion progress
  • Assist the producer in scheduling, task completion, and team care

 
​Production Assistant:

• Requirements:
  • Basic leadership skills
  • Strong written communicator
  • Knowledge of Google Calendar
• Duties:
  • Taking and distributing artist-friendly notes
  • Assisting coordinators in tracking small details and project progress
  • Escalating any milestone-blocking notes to Producer
  • Assist in various production tasks as needed to support the overall production process
  • Responsible for updating the production calendar as needed
  • Assisting Production Coordinators as needed
    
    

Story

Head of Story:  (LEAD)

• NOTE: We will prioritize candidates who have prior animation industry production experience for this role. However, we are open to those who have experience guiding a story team from pre-production to completion. We are looking for a strong, steady leader and communicator to accurately convey the creative vision for the project to others, make sure that all artistic choices serve the story, and set a calm tone for the rest of the team. Our ideal candidate is looking to take the next step on their animation leadership journey.
• Requirements:
  • Ability to mentor storyboard artists in draftsmanship, camera, and character performance
  • Feature story sensibilities: comedy and heart
• Duties:
  • Execute creative vision of story; aligning bridge sequences handouts into one coherent character story, tone, and journey
  • Assists team in meeting deadlines 
  • Run story room meetings and board pitches.
  • Provide drawovers and suggestions to plus boards
  • Delegate sequences based on the story artist’s strengths to ensure overall story quality.
  • Serve as the primary story point of contact during edit reviews
  • Report and review progress with leadership, address any challenges, and plan action items for the next day.
  • Ensure delivery of a high- quality short film

Story Artist:

• Requirements:
  • Strong storytelling skills and understanding of narrative structure
  • Ability to operate in a board-driven production setting and take ownership of sequences
  • Ability to mentor a storyboard revisionist
  • Strong understanding of camera use in visual storytelling
  • Feature story sensibilities - looking for comedy, but open to heart
  • Works under the Head of Story to align sequences with the project's creative vision
• Duties:
  • Elevate story beats visually through a few rounds of feedback (thumbs, basic boards,  polished boards) in collaboration with a story revisionist
  • Pitch boards to mentors and peers
  • Incorporate notes into board revisions
  • Provide guidance and feedback to assigned revisionist to refine the boards
  • PLEASE NOTE: Board artists are NOT expected to time their boards

Story Revisionist: 

• Requirements:
  • Ability to work under the guidance of board artist to polish boards and help refine story/performance for their assigned  sequence
  • Ability to take feedback and deliver revised work for approval
• Duties:
  • Refine storyboards based on feedback and suggestions to ensure clarity and consistency in visual storytelling. (e.g. staying on model)
  • Can plus boards in collaboration with lead storyboard artist

art

Production Designer:  (LEAD)

• NOTE: We will prioritize candidates who have prior animation industry production experience for this role. However, we are open to those who can communicate their artistic vision and manage a team. We are looking for a strong, steady leader and communicator to accurately convey the creative vision for the project to others, make sure that all artistic choices serve the story, and set a calm tone for the rest of the team. Our ideal candidate is looking to take the next step on their animation leadership journey.
• Requirements:
  • Experience in leading art teams and overseeing projects
  • Proficient in crafting a cohesive, industry production-level visual look for the 2D production within the scope of the project
  • Responsible for the overall look of the story, enhancing storytelling through world-building, lighting, and color from concept stages to picture lock
• Duties:
  • Work with the Head of Story and the Head of Animation to bridge story, art, and animation performance
  • Lead the visual development team to develop a grounded world rooted in story
  • Produce color keys and lighting concepts to establish the film's overall look, and collaborate with the team to design sets, implement textures, and make final creative decisions
  • Delegate tasks according to the artists’ strengths
  • Provide constructive feedback and guidance to the team 
  • Report the producer during daily lead check-ins, review progress, address any issues, and plan tasks for the next day
  • Ensure delivery of a high-quality short film

Character Designer:  (LEAD)

• NOTE: We will prioritize candidates who have prior animation industry production experience for this role. However, we are open to those who can communicate their creative vision for the character designs and ensure the characters stay on model throughout the film visually and conceptually.
• Requirements:
  • Strong grasp of anatomy and proportions; staying on model 
  • Ability to convey story and personality through character design
  • Ability to produce detailed 2D character turnaround sheets; ability to explore character limits through expression explorations and special poses
• Duties:
  • Work alongside the leads to conceptualize original character designs based on the descriptions provided, incorporating notes on personality traits and physical features
  • Produce strong 2D character turnaround sheets; ability to explore character limits through expression explorations and special poses
  • Create a variety of character designs, often producing multiple iterations for review
  • Assist artists throughout production to help characters stay on model (e.g. drawovers for shipping packets and animation)
  • Address any feedback, making necessary revisions to achieve the desired results
  • Help conceptualize costume designs and props if required

Visual Development Artist:

• Requirements:
  • Proficiency in creating detailed and visually appealing backgrounds
  • Interest in Concept Art and Worldbuilding
  • Strong command of camera and perspective
  • Ability to maintain consistency in style
• Duties:
  • Assist in producing assets such as backgrounds, designs, sets, and props for the film, collaborating with the Production Designer
  • Aid the Production Designer in exploring visual concepts and ideas, producing concept art and world designs based on their direction, while maintaining consistency with established color scripts and artistic style
  • Assist in producing visual effects such as smoke, fire, water, and other elements, etc.
  • Address feedback provided, making necessary revisions to achieve the desired look
  • PLEASE NOTE: Visual Development Artists will assist with coloring and lighting of character animation
    
    

ANIMATION

Head of Animation:  (LEAD)

• NOTE: We will prioritize candidates who have prior animation industry production experience for this role. However, we are open to those who can help amplify others’ 2D animation performances and manage a team.
• Requirements:
  • Ability to mentor 2D animators in principles, camera, and performance
  • Ensure cohesive character storytelling based on boards
  • Feature animation performance sensibilities: authentic, comedic, and full of heart
• Duties:
  • Lead and mentor the animation team
  • Liaise with the animation mentor to craft the strongest animation performances possible on screen
  • Delegate shot assignments based on animators’ strengths and address production progress with the Producer
  • Provide drawovers and suggestions to plus and polish performances, maintaining character consistency
  • Run animation dailies
  • Ensure delivery of a high-quality short film

Animator:

• Requirements:
  • Preferred: Prior experience in hand-drawn 2D character animation
  • Ability to bring characters and objects to life authentically
  • Attention to detail
  • Not needed: dialogue animation experience
• Duties:
  • Animate characters based on boards, focusing on details and plussing performance
  • Craft visually interesting performances that serve the character and story
  • Ensure each character stays on model
  • Address notes for each revision round (blocking, inbetweens, polish)
  • Liaising with Visual Development artists to color character animation before project deadline
    
    

post-production

Editor:  (LEAD)

• Requirements:
  • Must have access to editing software (Avid preferred but not required)
  • Prior film editing experience preferred
• Duties:
  • Compile board reels for animators
  • Deliver the final cut and export of the project
  • Temporary sound design for reels: finding temp tracks and SFX
  • Additional compositing help and/or dialogue editing as needed
  • Collaborate with Music Composer and Sound Mixer to marry sound to picture
  • Report to the Producer during daily lead check-ins, review progress, address any issues, and plan tasks for the next day

Assistant Editor: 

• Duties:
  • Work with the Editor and Production Coordinator to ingest all materials into the edit as they are delivered
  • Keeping the edit organization system orderly adapting to Editor’s needs
  • Output the final film in various formats as required
  • Assist with visual effects compositing and editing under the guidance of the editor
  • Troubleshoot any technology issues that arise
  • Miscellaneous editing tasks as needed

Compositor:

• Duties:
  • Work closely with the Production staff, Editor and Assistant Editor to composite animated shots and output the final shots in various formats as required

Composer: 

• Duties:
  • Create an original score for the film in collaboration with the creative team
  • Adjust and refine the score according to feedback
  • Deliver music project files and final exports of music ready for picture
  • Preferred: Proficiency in audio mixing and mastering but not required
• We are willing to extend the music deadline past the project deadline to allow for composer schedule flexibility

Sound Mixer: 

• Duties:
  • Collaborate with the Head of Story and Editor to mix audio levels of the project to enhance the story in one mix session
  • Deliver export of final mix to production team

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Mentors (To be announced)

Please do not contact the mentors regarding the application.
​Applicants who contact mentors will automatically be dismissed.

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Eligibility

• This program is only open to registered AIA members of Asian descent.

• We are seeking individuals who are ready to put their artistic and teamwork skills to the test under a swiftly paced production schedule. Program places are open to AIA Members who are ready to take their next step as production-ready professionals. We are not looking to train beginners. Applicants should have a strong understanding of how their artwork can be applied to a production pipeline.

 

• Candidates from any location are welcome to apply. This program is 100% virtual.

 

• Ideal Candidates are not only great at their work and have innovative ideas, but are nice teammates who look out for others and think about the collective well-being of the production. 

 

• Industry experience is not required. Previous filmmaking experience is preferred, but not required.

 

• Candidates must be available for the full program duration but are not expected to work every day. (Please see the full schedule for more clarity.)

 

• Mentor meetings will take place anytime from 1-6 pm PT. Participants under their specific mentor are encouraged to be available at these times to fully take advantage of their participation in this program. Participants are welcome to join other mentor meetings as observers. Only art reviews with mentors will be recorded for team use. General mentor sessions will not be recorded.

Once accepted into the program, participants will be asked to submit a $35 participation fee that will go towards the production. These fees will only be used on the production for post-production needs and festival submissions.

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Participant Goals & Objectives

• Connect with established Asian professionals in the animation industry akin to an internship mentorship to gain insight into what it’s like to work on a fast-moving production.

• Hone industry-standard artistic instincts within a traditional industry-level 2D pipeline.​
  
  
• Practice the technical skills and knowledge required for a successful career in animation.

• Understand how to apply one’s creative voice to a team dynamic and collective creative vision.

 

• Service a story with every artistic choice.

 

• Craft a creative environment that supports the full production crew, not just the individual.

 

• Build production-ready portfolio pieces for external use.

 

• Understand how assets and creative information travel through the animation department pipeline and how to hand off work to other departments smoothly.

 

• Foster strong creative communication channels between front-end and back-end departments.

 

• Build strong professional working relationships. 

 

• Establish a healthy working schedule for each participant’s optimal yet sustainable performance.

 

• Prepare for a successful career in animated features or TV shows.

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Activities

• Participant-only mentor sessions before and during the program dates
  
  
• Work sessions with teammates (e.g. story rooms, edit sessions, dailies, music and sound cue spotting, art callouts, production meetings)
  
  
• Art and Animation Reviews with mentors and peers

• For Crew Leads: Leadership Training, Creative Direction Planning, and Communication Tool Building (Look of Picture Decks, Shipping Packets, etc.)​

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Timeline

• Program Dates: Saturday, July 7, 2025 – Friday, August 1, 2025 Friday
  

• Recommended Work Hours: 9 AM - 6 PM US Pacific Time
  • Crew Leads will start on June 16 for Leadership Training and Crew Preparation.
    

• Application Dates & Deadlines:
  • Apps Open: May 5, 2025
    
  • Crew Leads: Due May 19, 2025
    • Interviews will take place between May 26 - June 6 
      • Candidates must be available during this week to interview
        
    • Acceptances sent within the week of June 9, 2025
  • General Crew: Due May 23, 2025
    • Acceptances sent by June 29, 2025
    • Applicants will be notified of waitlist acceptances on acceptance dates.
      
    • Accepted General Crew will be added to a participant-only platform before the program begins on July 7, 2025.
      

 The detailed day-to-day schedule will be announced on May 5th, 2025. Schedule is subject to change while in production. 

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Project Information

• The short film will be around 3-5 minutes (or less, as decided by crew) with minimal or no dialogue.

• Loose production design and art direction will be developed during June. ​

 

• Participants will receive credit for any part of the film that includes their contributions, with approval from the Producer. (e.g. anyone who participates in the story room will be awarded “Story by” credit.)

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What’s the story?

• The story and beats will be developed by the crew leads during the Leadership Training and Team Preparation period.

• Program participants are encouraged to bring characters and interesting character relationships to explore to our first Saturday story day.

 

• The overall story will have enough dramatic foundations to allow for emotion but will be executed with enough lighthearted entertainment and a positive uplift to mimic (and/or subvert!) industry trends. We are looking for compelling characters that leap off the page and stay in your heart, in a grounded world with lots of entertainment, lots of heart, and lots of laughs for the widest audience possible.​

 

• Creative guidelines are kept loose to allow creativity to be fully utilized during the program. Think of these guidelines as a springboard, rather than restrictions.

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Application & Instructions

In your responses, we are not looking for length of answers but depth of thought. Our application readers are measuring and evaluating your thoughtfulness towards the animation medium and working with others. Let us take a peek inside your head!

Crew Leads deadline: May 19, 2025
General Crew deadline: May 23, 2025

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Have questions?

Please check out our Frequently Asked Questions page for more information. 

For any additional questions, please reach out to the AIA Communications Department at [email protected].

THE LINK TO APPLICATIONS WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE ON MAY 5TH.

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​Animation Industry Immersive Lab Team

Production Program Team
Producer - Theresa Kao
Coordinators - Stella Chen, Lindsey Tamayo

Special Thanks
Lexie Chu, Katie Dizon, Saira Umar, Alice Jiang, Abigail Setera,  Bethany Tong, Dani Yuan