Comments on: Most Unpaid Internships Are Illegal http://www.cartoonbrew.com/student/most-unpaid-internships-are-illegal.html Tue, 14 Feb 2012 21:56:27 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Luther http://www.cartoonbrew.com/student/most-unpaid-internships-are-illegal.html/comment-page-2#comment-1047669 Luther Thu, 05 Jan 2012 20:53:56 +0000 http://www.cartoonbrew.com/?p=22184#comment-1047669 I’ve seen, first hand, both side of the unpaid internship in Austin and I will say, if worked properly, it can be a very positive thing- of course it can be horrible too, but so can a paid job, I suppose. I was brought on for an unpaid internship at a startup-ish animation and post-house with no relevant schooling (or college degree) or experience about five years ago because they liked my show-posters I was doing on the side, my wife and I moved cities and left descent retail jobs, and I proceeded to bust my hump and make myself as indispensable as possible while working a part-time coffee shop job. Within 6 months I was hired on, mostly because they couldn’t continue the level of work being done after I started without me, and within a year and a half I was a principal CD overseeing one of three offices. I have since been picked up by a national agency and am very happily working in the creative industry and doing better than many of my colleagues who went to school for it. This was accomplished mostly through hard work and a little luck, but would not have been possible at all without that unpaid internship. In turn I have had many unpaid interns since and, though I haven’t hired any of them (not for lack of wanting to, just haven’t had the right circumstances yet) I’m always sure they get hands-on, customer or client facing work in their reel, relevant experience, contacts, and I continue to support them in any way I can in a mentoring role. I’m not by any means saying unpaid work is ideal, but there are a host of reasons it should be an option, for instance I think a lot of talent is untapped because someone can’t go to college for the profession they’d want (for me it was all about money, having gotten married very young and not having family financial support). So in short, I wouldn’t sell it short as long as it’s not being exploited, which is abominable. That being said though, an unpaid intern is only as abused as they allow themselves to be, as you can genuinely walk out any time you want (something that kept me in check often with my interns). I’ve seen, first hand, both side of the unpaid internship in Austin and I will say, if worked properly, it can be a very positive thing- of course it can be horrible too, but so can a paid job, I suppose.

I was brought on for an unpaid internship at a startup-ish animation and post-house with no relevant schooling (or college degree) or experience about five years ago because they liked my show-posters I was doing on the side, my wife and I moved cities and left descent retail jobs, and I proceeded to bust my hump and make myself as indispensable as possible while working a part-time coffee shop job. Within 6 months I was hired on, mostly because they couldn’t continue the level of work being done after I started without me, and within a year and a half I was a principal CD overseeing one of three offices. I have since been picked up by a national agency and am very happily working in the creative industry and doing better than many of my colleagues who went to school for it.

This was accomplished mostly through hard work and a little luck, but would not have been possible at all without that unpaid internship. In turn I have had many unpaid interns since and, though I haven’t hired any of them (not for lack of wanting to, just haven’t had the right circumstances yet) I’m always sure they get hands-on, customer or client facing work in their reel, relevant experience, contacts, and I continue to support them in any way I can in a mentoring role.

I’m not by any means saying unpaid work is ideal, but there are a host of reasons it should be an option, for instance I think a lot of talent is untapped because someone can’t go to college for the profession they’d want (for me it was all about money, having gotten married very young and not having family financial support). So in short, I wouldn’t sell it short as long as it’s not being exploited, which is abominable. That being said though, an unpaid intern is only as abused as they allow themselves to be, as you can genuinely walk out any time you want (something that kept me in check often with my interns).

]]> By: vertMB http://www.cartoonbrew.com/student/most-unpaid-internships-are-illegal.html/comment-page-2#comment-1031099 vertMB Tue, 27 Dec 2011 18:08:44 +0000 http://www.cartoonbrew.com/?p=22184#comment-1031099 I recently graduated with my degree in animation and I'm finding it tough to get work and I'd be more than happy to do an internship but I don't understand how some of them are even physically possible. There was an offer for a 3 month unpaid internship in London but I have no idea how you would be able to afford to do that? London is crazy expensive so unless you're a millionaire that internship seems impossible, I still need to pay rent, bills etc and if I can't afford rent then I can't afford to work for three months for free in one of the most expensive cities. I recently graduated with my degree in animation and I’m finding it tough to get work and I’d be more than happy to do an internship but I don’t understand how some of them are even physically possible.
There was an offer for a 3 month unpaid internship in London but I have no idea how you would be able to afford to do that? London is crazy expensive so unless you’re a millionaire that internship seems impossible, I still need to pay rent, bills etc and if I can’t afford rent then I can’t afford to work for three months for free in one of the most expensive cities.
]]> By: MissConception http://www.cartoonbrew.com/student/most-unpaid-internships-are-illegal.html/comment-page-2#comment-1028879 MissConception Mon, 26 Dec 2011 15:39:28 +0000 http://www.cartoonbrew.com/?p=22184#comment-1028879 What I find ridiculous is that my sister just spent several months being an unpaid intern at a few choice government departments in Washington D.C. So if the government finds it so illegal, perhaps they should practice what they preach and start paying their own interns as well. What I find ridiculous is that my sister just spent several months being an unpaid intern at a few choice government departments in Washington D.C. So if the government finds it so illegal, perhaps they should practice what they preach and start paying their own interns as well.
]]> By: HarrryLime http://www.cartoonbrew.com/student/most-unpaid-internships-are-illegal.html/comment-page-2#comment-1027704 HarrryLime Sun, 25 Dec 2011 22:41:33 +0000 http://www.cartoonbrew.com/?p=22184#comment-1027704 I have done a 6 month internship through my high school a few years back. My art teacher was friends with the studio owner, and he was looking to see if he had any potential students interested in animation. Needless to say I took the opportunity. I got more out of my 6 months of learning art then high school could give me. To be fair the studio head and artists were more like teachers to me than anything else. I didn't do any real work for them until my final weeks there. Even then what little work I did was filling in colors (digitally) on Toucan Sam or Tony the Tiger. I enjoyed my time at the studio getting great direction and learning to actually draw. It was a lot of fun, and I don't regret the opportunity. I have done a 6 month internship through my high school a few years back. My art teacher was friends with the studio owner, and he was looking to see if he had any potential students interested in animation.

Needless to say I took the opportunity. I got more out of my 6 months of learning art then high school could give me. To be fair the studio head and artists were more like teachers to me than anything else. I didn’t do any real work for them until my final weeks there. Even then what little work I did was filling in colors (digitally) on Toucan Sam or Tony the Tiger. I enjoyed my time at the studio getting great direction and learning to actually draw. It was a lot of fun, and I don’t regret the opportunity.

]]> By: Jack http://www.cartoonbrew.com/student/most-unpaid-internships-are-illegal.html/comment-page-2#comment-1027660 Jack Sun, 25 Dec 2011 21:55:10 +0000 http://www.cartoonbrew.com/?p=22184#comment-1027660 Wait till you see what Digital Domain has in store to profit from this with the upcoming DD university in florida, we were told by john textor the owner of DD that " nothing beats free" in terms of the free labor they expect to receive after training all the student who will flood to DD school in hopes of one day working there. There will be 2 schools one in florida and one in china. Wait till you see what Digital Domain has in store to profit from this with the upcoming DD university in florida, we were told by john textor the owner of DD that ” nothing beats free” in terms of the free labor they expect to receive after training all the student who will flood to DD school in hopes of one day working there.

There will be 2 schools one in florida and one in china.

]]> By: ThatPersonThere http://www.cartoonbrew.com/student/most-unpaid-internships-are-illegal.html/comment-page-2#comment-972287 ThatPersonThere Thu, 24 Nov 2011 05:08:34 +0000 http://www.cartoonbrew.com/?p=22184#comment-972287 The stories posted here about Little Airplane Productions are true. But they are only the tip of the iceberg. As one of the mid-level managers who once worked there, I can tell you that there was a general feeling among my associates that -- in all seriousness -- the folks in upper management were part of some cult. It was the only way we could explain their very bizarre behavior, especially that which was negatively directed towards the employees. It was a miserable place to work and I wouldn't wish it upon my worst enemy. In short, Little Airplane Productions sucks. The stories posted here about Little Airplane Productions are true. But they are only the tip of the iceberg. As one of the mid-level managers who once worked there, I can tell you that there was a general feeling among my associates that — in all seriousness — the folks in upper management were part of some cult. It was the only way we could explain their very bizarre behavior, especially that which was negatively directed towards the employees. It was a miserable place to work and I wouldn’t wish it upon my worst enemy. In short, Little Airplane Productions sucks.
]]> By: Heisenberg http://www.cartoonbrew.com/student/most-unpaid-internships-are-illegal.html/comment-page-2#comment-751915 Heisenberg Tue, 15 Feb 2011 18:21:54 +0000 http://www.cartoonbrew.com/?p=22184#comment-751915 How are these people living during their internships? What about rent, and food and transportation? Most of these internships last for months, if not the better part of a year, and that's some serious coin. Do their parents pay for it? Are they living with friends? Do they put it all onto credit cards or take out a bank loan to finance their free labour enterprise? Maybe they have a rich spouse, or inherited some sort of fund? I can't imagine working 30-40 hours a week in a studio, and then working nights and weekends (for let's face it, probably minimum wage) at the same time, and living like a pauper unless I had no education and no experience at all and desperately needed the opportunity. How are these people living during their internships? What about rent, and food and transportation? Most of these internships last for months, if not the better part of a year, and that’s some serious coin.

Do their parents pay for it? Are they living with friends? Do they put it all onto credit cards or take out a bank loan to finance their free labour enterprise? Maybe they have a rich spouse, or inherited some sort of fund?

I can’t imagine working 30-40 hours a week in a studio, and then working nights and weekends (for let’s face it, probably minimum wage) at the same time, and living like a pauper unless I had no education and no experience at all and desperately needed the opportunity.

]]> By: Lauren Horoszewski http://www.cartoonbrew.com/student/most-unpaid-internships-are-illegal.html/comment-page-2#comment-499427 Lauren Horoszewski Tue, 04 May 2010 17:39:19 +0000 http://www.cartoonbrew.com/?p=22184#comment-499427 I did an unpaid internship last summer, but it was an incredible opportunity. It was hard to go for a couple months with no pay, but in my opinion, totally worth it. The studio let me build my own puppets for my MFA film on the hours that I wasn't scheduled to help them. It was extremely cool of them to let me use their studio space, and expertise in the stop-motion field, which undoubtedly will help my chances of getting a job in the future! I did an unpaid internship last summer, but it was an incredible opportunity. It was hard to go for a couple months with no pay, but in my opinion, totally worth it. The studio let me build my own puppets for my MFA film on the hours that I wasn’t scheduled to help them. It was extremely cool of them to let me use their studio space, and expertise in the stop-motion field, which undoubtedly will help my chances of getting a job in the future!
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