If you’re a high school student interested in film, animation, or visual storytelling, you may already enjoy creating videos, sketching characters, or experimenting with editing and design. Film and animation summer internships for high school students can take that interest further by helping you explore how storytelling, design, motion, and production come together in real creative environments. Instead of only practising on your own, you begin to see how these skills are used across professional projects and collaborative teams.

Imagine spending your summer working on creative projects: helping with video production, learning animation techniques, or assisting in storyboarding and editing. Picture collaborating with creative teams, understanding how ideas evolve from concept to final product, and gaining insight into both the artistic and technical sides of the industry. These experiences provide hands-on learning that goes far beyond theory.

How do you choose the right film and animation summer internships for high school students?

With many options available, it’s important to distinguish between internships that offer meaningful creative involvement and those that are more observational. Some programs are highly structured with workshops and guided projects, while others place you directly into production environments where you can contribute to real work. Thoughtful research helps ensure you find an opportunity that aligns with your interests and skill level.

Film and animation internships may involve working with production studios, animation companies, media organizations, or creative agencies. You might assist with filming, editing, storyboarding, character design, or animation projects.

You’ll learn from experienced professionals, collaborate with peers, and develop essential skills such as storytelling, creativity, technical proficiency, and teamwork. Along the way, you’ll build a portfolio, gain industry exposure, and develop a clearer understanding of what pursuing film or animation at the university level might truly look like.

To help you get started, we’ve curated a list of 15 Film and Animation Summer Internships for High School Students. They’ve been selected for their hands-on learning opportunities, strong mentorship, and ability to provide meaningful early exposure to the creative industries.

For adjacent opportunities, you can check out media internships and art internships.

15 Film and Animation Summer Internships for High School Students

1. NYU Tisch School of the Arts – Summer High School Residential Programme

Location: NYU Tisch School of the Arts, New York City, NY, USA
Cost/Stipend: Approx. $11,101 + $75 application fee; limited need-based scholarships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Varies by track; selective
Dates: 4 weeks
Application Deadline: Rolling; apply as early as possible
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors; minimum 15 years old; minimum unweighted GPA 3.0; international students are welcome to apply

The NYU Tisch Summer High School Residential Programme places you directly inside the curriculum of one of the world’s leading arts schools. Students apply to one of several artistic tracks, including Filmmaking and Animation and spend four weeks on campus in New York City following the same structure as Tisch’s undergraduate programme: daily classes and workshops, professional training, and production and post-production.

The Filmmaking track teaches cinematic visual storytelling using Tisch’s professional digital cameras and editing workstations, covering directing, cinematography, screenwriting, and editing. The Animation track goes into the principles and techniques of animated storytelling. Prior experience is not required for either track. The programme is intensive by design and earns you 4–6 transferable college credits upon completion.

Why it stands out: One of the few high school programmes that replicates the actual undergraduate curriculum at a world-ranked film school with 4–6 transferable college credits on completion.

2. Immerse Education’s Film & Animation Summer School

Location: Tokyo, Japan
Cost/Stipend: Varies; summer school scholarship available through our bursary programme
Dates: 2 weeks during the summer
Application Deadline: Multiple summer cohorts with rolling admissions
Eligibility: High school students worldwide aged 15-18

The Career Insights Program lets high school students explore careers in major global industry hubs. The Film and Animation Summer track is designed to give students direct exposure to real-world Film and Animation Summer workflows and professional environments.

Participants engage in project-based learning with established companies, attend interactive workshops, and visit offices, factories, and headquarters. The program also includes weekly 1:1 career coaching sessions and personalized feedback on your resume and overall profile. You’ll present your findings to industry experts at the end of the program. You can find more details about the application here.

Why it stands out: You’ll gain direct industry exposure, build a professional network, and receive a certificate you can include in your college applications and work profile.

3. Arts for Learning Miami – ArtWorks: Internships in the Arts

Location: Arts for Learning Miami / MDC Koubek Center, Miami, FL
Cost/Stipend: Free; $14/hour, up to 144 hours of paid work
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: June – July; 5 weeks
Application Deadline: May 1st
Eligibility: Current 9th-12th graders only; must be at least 14 years old; must be a Florida resident and meet I9 work eligibility requirements. Not open to international students without US work authorization. Non-residents may receive community service credit hours only.

Arts for Learning Miami’s ArtWorks programme is a five-week paid internship for Florida high school students (grades 9–12) that places teens on discipline-specific creative teams under the guidance of professional artists. Relevant tracks include Creative Writing & Film and Animation, alongside Visual Art, Dance & Theatre, and Music Production.

Interns work at the MDC Koubek Center in Miami, producing original works of art while developing workforce skills through structured professional development. No prior arts experience is required. Interns are paid $14/hour for up to 144 hours across the programme.

Why it stands out: One of the few paid, discipline-specific creative internships available to high schoolers, placing teens inside an actual professional arts production environment rather than a classroom simulation.

4. Atlanta Film Society – Internship Programme (Marketing & Media Track)

Location: Atlanta, GA (hybrid, remote plus in-person for events)
Cost/Stipend: Unpaid; college credit, 12-month ATLFS membership, and All-Access badge to Atlanta Film Festival awarded on completion (~$700 value)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Small; competitive
Dates: Varies by semester; spring internship runs January – May
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Must be at least 18 years old; high school seniors considered on a case-by-case basis. Must be Atlanta-based. Not open to international students without US work authorization.

The Atlanta Film Society is a year-round nonprofit that produces the Academy Award-qualifying Atlanta Film Festival and a range of film education programmes. Its internship programme offers you a well-rounded, unpaid experience inside a working film organization, covering areas including Marketing/Communications/Design, Media/Video/Tech, Screenplay Programming, Business Development, and Festival operations.

The current Marketing Associate Intern role involves managing ATLFS’s digital presence, website updates, SEO, social media content creation, and market research, plus creating rapid-response content during festival season. College credit is awarded; interns receive an ATLFS membership and All-Access Festival passes upon successful completion.

Why it stands out: Interns work on real marketing campaigns and digital strategy for a live film festival operation, one of the few programmes where a high schooler can contribute to an Academy Award-qualifying event.

5. UNCSA School of Filmmaking – Animation Summer Intensive

Location: UNCSA School of Filmmaking, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
Cost/Stipend: $2,638 – Residential Student
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Small groups
Dates: Session 1: June 21st – July 3rd | Session 2: July 5-17 (can be combined for 4 weeks)
Application Deadline: May 1st
Eligibility: Rising high school freshmen through incoming college freshmen; international students are welcome to apply

The University of North Carolina School of the Arts offers a standalone Animation Summer Intensive for rising high school freshmen through incoming college freshmen. Two sessions are available: an introductory session and an advanced/returning-student session, and students may combine both for a 4-week experience.

The programme covers visual storytelling, directing, storyboarding, editing, sound design, cinematography, character design, and both traditional hand-drawn and 3D computer animation, under the guidance of professional animators. Participants work through interactive workshops with direct faculty feedback in a conservatory-style environment. UNCSA is one of the only dedicated arts conservatories in the US to offer an animation-focused pre-college intensive of this depth.

Why it stands out: One of the only dedicated animation intensives at a US arts conservatory covering both traditional hand-drawn and 3D CG animation in a structured, faculty-led environment.

6. Moving Picture Institute – Hollywood Career Launch Program (Intern Placement)

Location: Los Angeles, CA; New York, NY; Washington, DC (placement-dependent)
Cost/Stipend: Free; living stipend provided for the internship duration
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Under 1% acceptance rate; extremely competitive
Dates: Typically 12 weeks; summer placements best to apply by February; rolling applications accepted year-round
Application Deadline: Rolling; summer positions should be submitted as early as possible, typically by February
Eligibility: Open to students and recent graduates; some advanced placements for intermediate-level filmmakers. Must be eligible to work in the US. International students should confirm work authorization eligibility before applying.

The Moving Picture Institute’s Hollywood Career Launch Program places interns at partner production companies in Los Angeles, New York, and Washington, DC, providing a living stipend for the duration of the placement. Since 2006, MPI has awarded over 265 paid internships; past placements have included Millennium Media (The Expendables), BRON Studios (Joker), Skybound Entertainment (The Walking Dead), and studios with connections to FOX, Disney, AMC, CAA, and NBC.

In addition, through MPI’s partnership with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, you are eligible for selection to attend Academy Gold, giving you access to panels with Academy members, studio screenings, and career mentorship. Most applicants are students or recent graduates; intermediate-level filmmakers are also considered. The acceptance rate is under 1%.

Why it stands out: The only programme on this list that places interns directly at major Hollywood production companies with eligibility for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Gold programme as an added track for selected participants.

7. Vancouver Film School – Summer Intensives (Animation & Film Production)

Location: Vancouver Film School Campus, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Cost/Stipend: Approx. $825 CAD per 5-day workshop
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Small groups
Dates: Multiple 5-day sessions, July – August
Application Deadline: 1 week prior to workshop start; rolling
Eligibility: Must be 16 years old; domestic and international students welcome

Vancouver Film School’s Summer Intensives are 5-day, hands-on workshops run at VFS’s professional campus in Vancouver, BC, offering tracks in Film Production, 3D Animation & Visual Effects, Intro to Animation Film & Design, and Writing for Film & Television.

Each workshop uses industry-standard tools, including Adobe Illustrator, Premiere, and After Effects, and simulates the kind of iterative studio production process students would encounter in a full-time programme. Students create a portfolio-ready project by the end of the week. The 3D Animation & VFX intensive covers the full pipeline from pre-visualization to demo reel work. Students must be at least 16 years old.

Why it stands out: Taught by active industry professionals at Canada’s premier film and animation school, with access to professional software and a tangible portfolio output in just one week.

8. Warner Bros. Discovery – Reach Honorship Program

Location: Warner Bros. Discovery Studios, Burbank, CA; L.A. County locations
Cost/Stipend: Free; paid summer internship + $5,000 college scholarship (paid directly to college)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; a small number of students are awarded annually
Dates: Summer internship typically June – August
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Graduating high school seniors based in Burbank or Los Angeles County with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 who plan to attend an accredited US college or university. Not open to students outside the Burbank/LA County area or to international students without US work authorization.

Warner Bros. Discovery’s Reach Honorship Program awards internship-scholarship packages to graduating high school seniors with a demonstrated interest in careers within the media and entertainment industry. Roles span corporate and studio functions from finance, human resources, operations, marketing, and communications to content development, post-production, sound editing, and games.

Honorship recipients complete a paid summer internship at Warner Bros. Discovery studios in Burbank, California or through L.A. County-affiliated placements, and receive a $5,000 scholarship paid directly to their accredited college or university in $1,250 annual instalments while enrolled. The programme is highly selective and has placed students annually since 2006 across tracks, including Warner Bros. Animation/Hanna-Barbera, providing early career access to one of the world’s largest media and entertainment companies.

Why it stands out: Combines a paid Hollywood studio internship with a college scholarship, the only programme on this list that directly funds a student’s university education in addition to providing professional industry experience.

9. Museum of the Moving Image – Teen Council (NYC)

Location: Museum of the Moving Image, Astoria, Queens, New York City, NY, USA
Cost/Stipend: No cost; stipend provided upon completion
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 15-20 students selected annually
Dates: November – May (academic year; not summer); final commitment day includes Teen Film Festival in May
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in October; finalists are notified in late October
Eligibility: NYC high school students in grades 10-12 (ages 15+)

Among the various film and animation summer internships for high school students, the Museum of the Moving Image’s Teen Council stands out for placing 15–20 selected students inside a functioning arts and cultural institution in Queens, New York. Council members take a direct leadership role in programming for young audiences, curating events, shaping content, and organizing the museum’s annual Teen Film Festival.

The programme covers media arts, project management, museum operations, and the history and technology of the moving image, with professional engagement from museum staff throughout. It meets on select Wednesdays and Saturdays from November through May, with full commitment required. A stipend is provided upon completion.

Why it stands out: One of the few truly paid internship-style programmes for high schoolers at a major media institution with genuine responsibility for programming a public film festival.

10. Fresh Films – Weekly Filmmaking Programme

Location: Available at 30+ US locations; virtual options also available
Cost/Stipend: No cost; stipend provided for sessions attended
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Varies by location
Dates: Year-round; summer programmes typically July – August
Application Deadline: Varies by location
Eligibility: Teens ages 13-19 interested in film, content creation, or storytelling; international students are welcome to apply

Fresh Films is a year-round mentorship programme available at 30+ locations nationwide and virtually, pairing teens aged 13–19 with professionals from major studios and networks. During the programme, you produce a music video for a band, a competition show, a social video and scene for Paramount+, a documentary for Roku, and a scripted short film with Sony Pictures, each under the guidance of working industry professionals.

Weekly meetings connect students with staff from Sony, Paramount, Discovery Networks, and America’s Got Talent. The programme explicitly focuses on production output: by the end, participants have a multi-format portfolio of completed industry-adjacent work. A stipend is provided for attendance.

Why it stands out: Real industry partnerships with Sony, Paramount, and Roku mean students produce actual content for actual platforms, not simulations of industry work.

11. NYU Tisch – Future Filmmakers 

Location: NYU Tisch School of the Arts, New York City, NY, USA
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; commitment to full 12-week programme required
Dates: Academic year programme (not summer)
Application Deadline: Varies
Eligibility: NYC-area high school students with an interest in the arts and demonstrated academic achievement

Known as one of the more prestigious film and animation summer internships for high school students, the NYU Tisch Future Filmmakers Workshop is a free, 12-week programme for New York City high school students with an interest in the arts and a demonstrated commitment to completing the entire course. All aspects of filmmaking are covered, including directing, cinematography, editing, screenwriting, and production, with faculty from the Tisch School of the Arts leading sessions and working filmmakers participating as guest lecturers.

The programme emphasizes developing each student’s personal voice as a filmmaker alongside technical skills. Students who complete the programme have the opportunity to present final work and build direct relationships with Tisch faculty. It is fully free of charge and available to NYC-area high schoolers.

Why it stands out: A fully free, faculty-taught 12-week programme at one of the world’s leading film schools is one of the most accessible pathways into serious filmmaking education for NYC teens.

12. UNCSA School of Filmmaking – Filmmaking Summer Intensive

Location: UNCSA School of Filmmaking, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
Cost/Stipend: $5,329 – Residential Student
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Small groups
Dates: Runs concurrently with animation sessions
Application Deadline: May 1st
Eligibility: Rising high school freshmen worldwide

Alongside its animation track, UNCSA offers a parallel Filmmaking Summer Intensive covering screenwriting, cinematography, directing, producing, and digital editing. The programme is structured for high school students and rising college freshmen, with a curriculum designed to provide a comprehensive foundation across the production pipeline from developing a script through final edit.

The conservatory-style environment means small cohorts, direct faculty engagement, and critique sessions that mirror what students will encounter in a professional training programme. The structure is intensive by design, and students leave with a tangible project and a clearer sense of their creative interests within the discipline.

Why it stands out: A conservatory-grade filmmaking intensive covering every stage of production, rare at the high school level, run by one of the US’s top dedicated arts universities.

13. Apollo Theatre – Technical Theatre Production Internship 

Location: Apollo Theatre, 253 W 125th Street, Harlem, New York City, NY
Cost/Stipend: Free; $16.50/hour (paid)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; limited placements per intake
Dates: Orientation July 1-3; Internship July 7th – August 15th (6 weeks, Monday-Friday)
Application Deadline: April 7th (completed application must be received by 10 pm EST; late applications not accepted)
Eligibility: Must be a current 11th grader entering 12th grade in September. Must be a New York City resident in one of the five boroughs. Not open to students outside NYC or to international students without NYC residency and US work authorization. Candidates under 18 selected will need NYS working papers.

The Apollo Theatre Academy’s Technical Theatre Production Internship places New York City high school students (entering 12th grade) inside the production crew of one of America’s most iconic live performance venues for six weeks in the summer. You’ll be trained by Apollo staff across technical disciplines, audio engineering, lighting design, videography, production design/carpentry, and stage management.

The programme also covers marketing, programming, and development as part of a comprehensive overview of how a major performance institution operates. Interns are paid $16.50 per hour and can receive school credit for successful completion. Mandatory orientation sessions precede the internship start, and a parent/guardian is required to attend the programme orientation.

Why it stands out: Paid placement inside one of America’s most historically significant performance venues with hands-on training across the full technical production pipeline from a working crew at a live professional theatre.

14. BRIC Youth Media Fellowship (NYC)

Location: BRIC House, Brooklyn, New York City, NY, USA
Cost/Stipend: No cost; paid at $15/hr for 2 hours/week
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 8-10 students per fellowship group
Dates: Academic year: October – May (Wednesdays 4-6pm); summer programme also available
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in September
Eligibility: NYC high school sophomores, juniors, or seniors (ages 15-19)

The BRIC Youth Media Fellowship is a paid after-school programme for NYC high school students (sophomores, juniors, or seniors aged 15-19) that centres on producing ‘Concrete Stories: BRIC Youth Media Festival’, a public short film festival for NYC youth filmmakers. Working in groups of 8–10 under BRIC staff guidance, students select a festival theme, issue submission calls, review and select films, design marketing materials, and run the public screening event at BRIC House in Brooklyn.

The programme is structured like a real production and distribution role within a working arts organization. Students are paid at $15 per hour for two hours per week throughout the October–May academic year, with additional summer programme opportunities available.

Why it stands out: Students actually produce and run a real public film festival with full curatorial and programming responsibility rather than simulating the experience.

15. Bloomberg Arts Internship – Film and Media Track 

Location: Various arts organizations across New York City (intern placement sites)
Cost/Stipend: No cost; stipend provided
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Multiple cohorts; competitive selection from participating schools
Dates: June 29th – August 21st (7-8 weeks); mandatory orientation June 29th – July 2nd
Application Deadline: typically open in February
Eligibility: Students from participating NYC public high schools

The Bloomberg Arts Internship (BAI) is a paid summer internship programme supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies and administered by Columbia University’s Teachers College, placing NYC public high school teens in internships at arts and cultural organizations across the city. Placement sites include film, media, and creative organizations; previous placements have included institutions with film programming, production, and post-production operations.

The programme is 7–8 weeks in summer, from late June to mid-August, and includes a structured writing component led by Columbia University that supports college essay development. Interns receive a stipend, and the programme is open to students from participating NYC public schools.

Why it stands out: A fully paid placement at a real arts or media organization in NYC, with Columbia University’s Teachers College running the college essay development component a genuinely unique combination.

Where Creative Experience Meets Global Opportunity

Creative work becomes more meaningful when you move beyond interest alone and start shaping stories, visuals, and ideas through practical experience in real settings.

The 15 film and animation summer internships for high school students featured in this article show how early industry exposure can sharpen creativity, confidence, and technical ability.

As you build projects, experiment with new techniques, and work across different creative environments, you begin to realise that your next step may not only be about improving your skills, but also about widening your perspective.

That wider perspective is exactly where our Study Abroad blogs come in, offering fresh destinations, new academic possibilities, and global experiences that can help your creative journey grow even further.