Apprenticeship Application — The BRIC Foundation
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The BRIC Foundation
Thank you for your interest. The submission period for applications is now closed.

Hello and welcome to the BRIC Apprenticeship Program! BRIC Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit company focused on increasing representation in Entertainment, Gaming, Media and Tech. We are dedicated to improving how entertainment companies hire and retain diverse talent. By teaming up with Education, Government, Non-Profit, and Industry partners, BRIC is proud to be creating equitable pathways for future generations of diverse and historically excluded creators so that they may tell their stories and make an impact on the world. We are honored to launch this apprenticeship program that will increase pathways to become a: visual effects artist, tech artist, concept artist, background artist, digital FX artist, production manager, game designer, storyboard artist or animator.

What is BRIC's AVG Apprenticeship Program?

BRIC's Apprenticeship program is federally and state-recognized, utilizing California’s Public Career Technical Education (CTE) AME Sector to provide early career awareness, exploration, preparation and training opportunities for students in public schools. The goal of this program is to remove barriers to entry and support young people from all backgrounds in obtaining jobs across animation, VFX, and gaming industries.

What does the AVG Apprenticeship entail?

The AVG Apprenticeship combines on-the-job training with mentorship and job-related academic instruction in a curriculum aligned with a specific career pathway. Eligible candidates will have the opportunity to receive:

Learn about the Apprenticeship Program Competencies.

Who can apply?

Must be a Current California Resident, who is 18-24 years old or a veteran, and authorized to work in the US. Candidates must also have foundational knowledge in one of the available career tracks below.

What do I need to apply?

Select an Apprenticeship Career Track below and submit the application by November 22, 2023 at 11:59 PM (PST).

Application includes:

Your origin story - we support empowering perspectives and want to know what makes your perspective unique

One-page PDF resume detailing work, education, and software experience

Digital link to your portfolio website that must include a minimum of 5 samples of your chosen discipline (ex. animation, storyboarding, etc.)

Optional cover letter explaining why you want to be in the program

Optional video interview that must include:

Your name

Your creator statement

an overview about your personal connection to pursuing your career in the arts

what inspires you as a creative

what your hopes are upon completion of the apprenticeship

The video must be no longer than 3-5 minutes.

Zoom or phone selfie recording will work for this video interview.

RSI/Training Partners:

West Los Angeles College

Gnomon School of VFX + Animation

Otis College of Art and Design

Brainstorm School

Emile Cohl

CG Spectrum

Artstation Learning

Gnomon Workshop

Santa Monica Community College

9B Collective

DNEG

DreamWorks Animation

Epic Games

Framestore

GRX Immersive

Illumination

Inov8 Next Labs

Legends Animated

Mammal Studios

Paramount

Psyop

Riot Games

Six Point Harness

Skydance Animation

Studio Smokescreen

Terraform Studios

Titmouse

Warner Bros. Discovery

Wild Blue

Employer Partners:

Apply to an Apprenticeship Career Track below:

What we’re looking for:

- Experience with Maya and/or Blender

- Ability to create / work with a wide variety of 3D Assets ranging from environment props to character designs

- Modeling and Texturing experience

Please mention if you also have experience with:

- Rigging

- Motion capture

- Motion builder, ZBrush, Photoshop, After Effects, or Houdini

- Character & Creature Animation

Thanks for your interest. Applications are now closed.

What we’re looking for:

- Ability to sketch, ideate, and iterate characters and concepts

- Take your knowledge of story tropes, archetypes, and narrative devices of all kind to help improve the designs that go into our worlds

- Create designs using inspiration from historical, fantasy, sci-fi, mainstream trends, and/or pop culture references

- Experience working with Photoshop or other relevant painting/design tools

Please mention if you also have experience with:

- 3D

- Understanding of human and animal anatomy

Thanks for your interest. Applications are now closed.

What we’re looking for:

- Familiarity with 3D level design tools (UnrealEd, Kismet, Maya, Max, or similar 3D editor)

- Understanding of how games work and why people play them

- Ability to receive feedback and implement

Please mention if you also have experience with:

- Programming/scripting experience in C/C++, Lua or other languages

- Game Design (personal projects, school projects, or work experience counts!)

- Providing game testing feedback

Thanks for your interest. Applications are now closed.

What we’re looking for:

- Understanding of production manager-related needs (scheduling, budgeting, projections, script breakdowns)

- Understanding of production pipeline and workflow within departments

- Ability to be highly organized and work collaboratively

Please mention if you also have experience with:

- Using the production planning process to set/meet project deadlines (personal projects, school projects, or work experience counts!)

- Experience using any production tracking software

- Administrative duties (e.g. facilitating meetings, taking notes, distributing materials)

Thanks for your interest. Applications are now closed.

What we’re looking for:

- Strong drawing/design skills

- Observational Drawings/Sketchbook samples

- Experience with Photoshop, Procreate, or similar software

Please mention if you also have experience with:

- Storyboard Pro

- Gestural drawing, the ability to draw very loosely and roughly yet with clarity in character appeal and acting

- Strong understanding of cinematography and narrative staging

- Versatile range of character-driven story sequences

Thanks for your interest. Applications are now closed.

What we’re looking for:

- Enthusiasm to jump into any pipeline whether it’s environment, character, or other artistic discipline

- Problem-solving skills and good communication

- Experience with 3D programs (like Maya, Blender, ZBrush) and Photoshop

- Basic programming experience

Please mention if you also have experience with:

- Game development with Unity or Unreal

- Coding/Scripting

- UI/UX design experience

- Rigging

Thanks for your interest. Applications are now closed.

What we’re looking for:

- Self-motivated and detail oriented

- Good communication skills

- Should be familiar with Adobe apps (Illustrator, Photoshop and After Effects)

- 3D experience (Maya, Blender, or ZBrush, etc)

Please mention if you also have experience with:

- Nuke, FumeFX, Houdini, Thinking Particles, Maya fluids, and rigid body dynamics

- Prior internship experience or classes in Graphic Design, Motion Design, Visual Effects, and/or Post Production

- The Red Giant / Maxon suite, Cinema 4D, Unreal Engine, or Unity

Thanks for your interest. Applications are now closed.

Commonly Asked Questions:

Qualifications & Eligibility:

Due to grant restrictions, this AVG Apprenticeship is limited to current California residents, ages 18-24 or veterans, who are authorized to work in the US. If you are a current California resident, but are not in the Los Angeles/Southern California region, you will be limited to virtual on-the-job placement options.

We plan on expanding in future years, so please stay tuned for more information.

This is not a dealbreaker. If you’re selected as an Apprentice, BRIC can help support your local transportation needs, such as providing LA metro passes.

No, you do not need to be a student for this program. The Apprenticeship is open to any level of education as long as you meet our listed eligibility requirements.

A key component of Apprenticeship is on-the-job placement and training with a studio employer, so it will be difficult to be a full-time employee elsewhere or a full-time student while this takes place. Depending on the studio, Apprentices generally work the same hours as full-time studio employees, up to 39 hours per week.

That said, we encourage you to still apply if you are graduating soon. Some students who only have part-time classes on certain days may still be able to work with an employer, but this will require a high level of self-discipline to succeed.

Applications & Portfolio:

Yes, but be sure that your application and portfolio are tailored to each specific track that you’re applying for.

This is the main component that reviewers will be looking at. Be sure to tell us about your background and the moment that made you realize your interest in your chosen field. This is an opportunity to tell us your story and about you as an artist. Where does your creative vision come from? What inspires you? What are your goals?

Please do not spend too much time on your video submission. The video submission is offered as an optional alternative to traditional application methods like a written cover letter. Think of it as alternate option for reviewers to get to know you!

Overall, portfolio sites should not distract from the portfolio itself. Public sites built on Wix or Squarespace, or dedicated art galleries like ArtStation or Instagram, are all acceptable methods! However, we recommend against using Google Drive to display your portfolio as there’s a higher chance of reviewers encountering access issues.

About the Program:

This is a 12-month program that includes RSI (144 hours of related supplemental instruction) and an on-the-job placement. We are using a competency-based model, so apprenticeship timespans are dependent upon employer assessment of growth with a minimum timespan of 6+ months.

Your RSI (144 hours of related supplemental instruction) can be virtual, in-person, or hybrid. Many on-the-job placements are virtual but some may require you to be hybrid or in-person in the Los Angeles area.

Since we have many employers with different needs, hours are going to be based on what position you’re going for, and which employer you match with. It will be up to 39 hours a week during the placement.

At the time of this FAQ’s writing (October 16, 2023) in Southern California it is a minimum of $18.78/hr. Halfway through the Apprenticeship, BRIC will conduct a competency assessment and if you’ve met half of your competency requirements, it will trigger a $1/hr raise. Once all competencies are completed, it triggers another $1/hr raise.

Actual rates will vary depending on the partner studio. Things such as union agreements or internal policies may impact final pay rates.

Since studios assess their talent needs on an ongoing basis, we unfortunately aren’t able to provide a list of which studios will be sponsoring which positions in advance.

If selected, most Apprentices are matched with one employer at a time. However some Apprentices may be matched with multiple employers and will be lucky enough to choose in that case.

Because we are assessing talent needs with studios on an ongoing basis, you may not hear from BRIC until an open studio position aligns with your application. This may take anywhere from a few weeks to several months. When an employer talent request aligns with an application, BRIC will reach out to you with the position details, answer any questions, and help prepare you for the interview process. You will interview with the employer, and if selected, BRIC will reach out to coordinate onboarding.