Last updated: November 2026
LAIKA's summer internship applications aren't open right now. The summer 2026 window closed on March 27, 2026, and LAIKA's careers page still shows that deadline as passed. In both cycles we could document, the stop-motion studio posted its internships on the first Monday of March and closed them on the last Friday, a window of about three and a half weeks. Every posting we read paid $20.00 an hour for a 12-week, on-site summer in Hillsboro, Oregon. In plain words: you apply in March 2027, you intern in summer 2027, and the portfolio you send has to be ready before the window opens.
Quick Facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Where to apply | LAIKA careers page only. LAIKA says it accepts applications only through its official career page, not by email or mail. Check the page from late February 2027 |
| Application window (2027–28) | Summer 2026: March 2 to March 27, 2026 (closed). Summer 2027: expected to open around March 1, 2027 and close around March 26, 2027 at 6:00 PM Pacific, based on the 2025 and 2026 cycles |
| Rolling? | No. One batch of postings each March with a stated deadline in each posting |
| Eligibility | Juniors or seniors in college, or graduates within the last 12 months, on the postings we read (the 2026 Archives posting also named graduate students). Portfolio required. GPA not stated |
| Duration | 12 weeks during the summer, per the careers page. Start and end dates aren't published |
| Compensation | $20.00/hour set rate, non-negotiable, on every 2025 and 2026 posting we read. LAIKA offers only paid internships and can't offer college credit in place of pay |
| Return offers | Not published. No class size, acceptance rate or conversion rate on LAIKA's own pages |
| Locations | On site in Hillsboro, Oregon (Portland area). No remote internships and no housing assistance |
| # Programs | One summer program; the roles change every year with production needs. The careers page lists 12 past positions, from puppet fabrication to production management |
The row that matters most: the window is about three and a half weeks long, once a year, and LAIKA won't consider an application without a portfolio.
Externships are short, remote programs where you finish a real project for a real company; most run 8 weeks at 5 to 10 hours a week. None of them replaces an art or fabrication portfolio, but two cover the production side of a studio: the SQL & Database Architecture with Breaking Games Externship builds the database habits behind ShotGrid tracking and archive catalogs, and the BeReal Product Management Externship builds the scheduling and prioritizing that production roles ask for. Explore all Externships.
What Is a LAIKA Internship?
A LAIKA internship is a paid, 12-week summer placement at LAIKA's animation studio in Hillsboro, Oregon, the studio behind its stop-motion feature films. Interns work in-house on art, fabrication, animation, CG or production tasks; past roles listed on the careers page include Puppet Fabrication, Costume Fabrication, Camera, Stop Motion Animation, CG Animation, Storyboard Artist and Production Management. LAIKA also runs a live-action studio in Los Angeles, but every internship posting we found was in Hillsboro. The studio says positions "will vary each year depending on production needs," so no single role is guaranteed. Its careers page names US schools its people come from, including Ringling, RISD, CalArts, SCAD, USC, NYU, Pacific Northwest College of Art and Bowie State University.
When Do LAIKA Internship Applications Open for 2027–2028?
LAIKA opens all of its summer internships at once. In 2025 the postings went up on March 3 and closed Friday, March 28, at 6:00 PM PDT. In 2026 they went up on March 2 and closed Friday, March 27, at 6:00 PM PDT. Both open dates and both deadlines moved by only one day, so we expect applications for summer 2027 to open around Monday, March 1, 2027 and close around Friday, March 26, 2027. LAIKA doesn't publish a start date, so the gap from posting to the internship is about 3 months only if the program starts in early June.
Applications aren't open. LAIKA's job board lists one opening, a live-action role in Los Angeles, and no internships, and its careers page says the summer 2026 deadline passed on March 27. This is the window to build the portfolio you'll send in March.
Build a portfolio for the role you want, not a general one. Character work for a character design posting, shots for stop-motion animation, finished pieces for fabrication. Set a reminder for the last week of February.
Expected: summer 2027 postings go up together and close about three and a half weeks later, around 6:00 PM Pacific on the last Friday of March. You can apply to more than one role.
Expected, based on what applicants reported in 2026: rejections from the end of March, shortlist emails in early April, and final interviews in mid-April.
The 12-week internship, on site in Hillsboro, Oregon, at $20.00 an hour if the 2025 and 2026 rate holds. LAIKA publishes no return-offer rate.
How to read this page: our dates come from tracking previous recruiting cycles and daily posting data. Treat them as informed estimates based on historical patterns, not confirmed dates. The company's official careers page is always the most current source. If a role is posted there, go by that, even if this page suggests the window hasn't opened yet.
Why You Must Apply the Week Applications Open
This is a hard deadline with a short window. Every posting we read stated an exact cutoff, "Friday, March 27, 2026, by 6:00PM PDT" in the 2026 Archives posting, and the careers page still flags that deadline as passed. LAIKA posts once a year, so missing late March means waiting a full year. Speed on day one matters less than having the right portfolio ready: postings say applications without relevant samples, portfolios or reels won't be considered. Applicants in 2025 and 2026 heard back as early as March 31, so reviews start before the window is long closed.
Which LAIKA Internship Programs Should You Target?
LAIKA runs one summer program, and the roles in it change each year. The table groups the past positions on LAIKA's careers page with the postings we read from 2025 and 2026.
| Program | Focus | Duration | Key skills |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stop Motion Animation | Test stages and shots with various types of animated performance | 12 weeks, summer, Hillsboro | Precision on repetitive, finely detailed animation; prioritizing and meeting deadlines |
| Puppet, Costume and Art Fabrication | Support fabrication teams across armature, costume, molding and casting, and hair and fur | 12 weeks, summer, Hillsboro | Sewing, sculpting, molding and casting with silicone; Photoshop and Illustrator basics |
| CG Animation, Asset, Lighting and Effects | Past positions on the careers page; applicants said there was no 3D animation internship in 2026 | 12 weeks, summer, Hillsboro | No CG posting text was readable for this guide |
| Storyboard and Visual Development | Past positions; applicants reported a character design role in 2026 and no visual development role | 12 weeks, summer, Hillsboro | Role-specific portfolio required |
| Production (Production Management, Puppet Production, VFX Production) | Production documentation, shot notes and schedules in ShotGrid, dailies playlists | 12 weeks, summer, Hillsboro | Communication, detail orientation, ShotGrid or Flow |
| Archives (2026 posting) | Inventory, catalog, photograph and organize archival assets created by production | 12 weeks, summer, Hillsboro | Microsoft Office; archives, library science or museum studies background |
LAIKA says you can apply to as many internship positions as fit your skills and experience. Check the careers page in March for the 2027 list.
What Are the Eligibility Requirements?
These come from LAIKA's careers page and the six internship postings we read from 2025 and 2026.
• Class standing: currently enrolled as a junior or senior in college, or graduated within the last 12 months. The 2026 Archives posting also named graduate students. Check each 2027 posting, since the wording is set per role.
• Portfolio: required. LAIKA's careers page says portfolios are required for internship positions, and postings say applications without relevant samples won't be considered.
• International students: students at a US college or university who can get a work visa such as OPT can apply. LAIKA says it can't sponsor J-1 or other international internship visas.
• Location: in-house in Hillsboro, Oregon. LAIKA doesn't offer remote internships.
• Housing: LAIKA doesn't offer housing assistance for interns.
• Physical: postings asked interns to lift up to 15 lb (2025) or up to 30 lb (2026 Archives).
• GPA: not stated in any posting we read.
Can Freshmen and Sophomores Apply?
Not on the postings we read, which asked for juniors, seniors or recent graduates. A sophomore today would be a junior by March 2027, though, so that window is yours. If you're further out, use the year to build a portfolio around one role. LAIKA also says it doesn't offer job shadowing, informational interviews or studio tours, so don't count on a side door.
What Skills Does LAIKA Look For, and How Do You Build Them?
We read six real LAIKA internship postings in full: five from summer 2025 (Costume Fabrication, Puppet Fabrication, Puppet Production, Stop Motion Animation and VFX Production) and the 2026 Archives posting. Communication appears in all six, and detail orientation in five; the Stop Motion posting asks for someone "Detail-oriented with excellent communication skills, and work ethic." Fabrication roles add hands-on craft such as sewing, sculpting and silicone casting. Production roles add ShotGrid and Microsoft Office. Four of the six are production or fabrication roles, so the chart leans that way.
What LAIKA looks for in interns
Skills across 6 LAIKA intern & analyst job descriptions · summer 2025 and 2026 postings, projecting summer 2027
Method: full-text reading of six LAIKA internship postings (five summer 2025, one summer 2026) from LAIKA's own job board, read through archived copies. Four of the six are production or fabrication roles; no CG or storyboard posting text was readable, so art and CG skills are under-counted.
How Is Demand for Marketing Interns Moving Right Now?
Marketing intern postings · Jul–Oct 2026
all internships 2.5×
For LAIKA applicants: LAIKA's own job board listed one opening on November 10, 2026, a live-action role in Los Angeles, and no internships. Its careers page says the summer 2026 deadline passed on March 27.
Daily US job-posting counts, Jul–Oct 2026; each bar is that month's daily average. Growth = October vs July; “all internships” = the 48 intern searches tracked across the whole period. Covers under half of US postings; shows direction, not market size.
Build These Skills Before You Apply
Each skill below comes from LAIKA's postings. Art and fabrication skills come from your own portfolio work; the remote Externships here cover the production side.
| Skill (from real JDs) | JD evidence | Externship that builds it |
|---|---|---|
| Database tracking and cataloging | VFX Production: "input shot information and notes into ShotGrid production database"; Archives: inventory and catalog assets | SQL & Database Architecture with Breaking Games |
| Prioritizing and meeting deadlines | Stop Motion: "Able to effectively prioritize tasks and meet deadlines" | BeReal Product Management |
| Studio marketing and audience | 2026 applicants reported a marketing internship among the roles | Beats by Dre Creative Advertising Strategy |
| Communication | Archives: "excellent verbal and written communication skills" | BeReal Product Management |
No Externship teaches puppet fabrication, stop-motion animation or character design. For those roles, the portfolio is the application.
What Is the LAIKA Application and Interview Process Like?
LAIKA describes a simple online application; the later stages below come from applicants' reports in 2025 and 2026.
1. Apply on the careers page. Put your portfolio URL in the website field and attach a resume as a PDF or Word file. A cover letter is optional and, per LAIKA, addressed to "Recruiting."
2. Screening. Applicants reported rejections starting about four days after the 2026 deadline.
3. Shortlist email. Applicants described emails naming them in a top group for a role, such as top 19 for stop-motion animation or top 28 for armature.
4. Interviews. An applicant reported final interviews for some roles in mid-April 2026.
5. Decision. LAIKA says it can't offer status updates, and some applicants never received a reply.
LAIKA publishes no interview questions, applicant count or acceptance rate.
What Students on Reddit Say
Applicants talk mostly about portfolio fit and the silence after applying. These are lightly paraphrased from threads we read in full.
A 2026 applicant rejected for the character design internship shared her portfolio, and commenters agreed it was strong but built around visual development and environments. Their advice: a character design posting needs expression and pose work, so match the portfolio to the exact role.
In 2026, applicants posted shortlist emails: top 31 for 3D puppet fabrication, top 28 for armature and top 19 for stop-motion animation. One had made the top 30 for the same role the year before and still didn't get it.
By late May 2026, applicants were tracking filled roles on LinkedIn, including armature, stop-motion animation, puppet fabrication and technology project management. Several had never received a rejection and took the silence as a no.
How Do You Stand Out for a LAIKA Internship?
First, build the portfolio for one posting. LAIKA's postings reject applications without relevant samples, and applicants who sent general art for a specific role said that's why they missed. Second, apply to every role that fits; LAIKA allows multiple applications, and the roster changes each year, so last year's role may not return. Third, sort out the practical side early: the internship is on site in Hillsboro with no housing help, and international students need work authorization such as OPT, since LAIKA can't sponsor J-1 visas. LAIKA publishes no class size or conversion rate, so there's no benchmark to aim at.
What Other Companies Should You Consider?
If you're targeting animation studios, these employers also hire interns:
- DreamWorks Animationfeature animation with spring and summer intakesGuide →
- Disneystudios, parks and media internships, including animationGuide →
- Nickelodeonanimation studio in Burbank, CaliforniaGuide →
- SonySony Pictures Animation is one of its divisionsGuide →
- Pixar Animation StudiosCG feature animation in Emeryville, CaliforniaCareers site
Our media and entertainment internships guide compares more studios, networks and publishers.
FAQ
Can I still apply for a summer 2026 LAIKA internship?
No. The summer 2026 deadline passed on March 27, 2026, and the program has run. LAIKA's job board showed no internships on November 10, 2026. The next window is for summer 2027, expected to open around March 1, 2027 and close around March 26, so have your portfolio ready by late February.
When do LAIKA internship applications open for summer 2027?
Expected around March 1, 2027, closing around March 26 at 6:00 PM Pacific. In 2025 the postings went up March 3 and closed March 28; in 2026 they went up March 2 and closed March 27. LAIKA hasn't announced 2027 dates, so watch its careers page from late February.
Are LAIKA internships paid?
Yes. Every 2025 and 2026 posting we read paid a $20.00 an hour set rate, non-negotiable. LAIKA's careers page says it offers only paid internships and can't give college credit in place of pay. It doesn't offer housing assistance, so interns cover their own housing in the Portland area.
Can I do a LAIKA internship remotely?
No. LAIKA says all internships are hosted in-house and it doesn't offer remote internships. Every posting we read was on site in Hillsboro, Oregon, near Portland. LAIKA's Los Angeles studio makes live-action films and series, and we found no internship postings there.
Who is eligible for a LAIKA internship?
The postings we read asked for juniors or seniors in college, or graduates within the last 12 months; the 2026 Archives posting also named graduate students. A portfolio, samples or reel is required. GPA isn't stated. Fields vary by role, from fine arts and animation to archives and museum studies.
Does LAIKA hire international students as interns?
Yes, if you're enrolled at a US college or university and can get work authorization such as OPT. LAIKA's careers page says it can't sponsor J-1 or other international internship visas. Plan your OPT timing before the March window, since the internship runs 12 weeks in the summer.
Which internships does LAIKA offer?
It changes each year with production needs. Past positions on LAIKA's careers page include Art, Puppet and Costume Fabrication, Camera, Stop Motion Animation, CG Animation, CG Lighting, CG Effects, Storyboard Artist, Visual Development and Production Management. The 2026 cycle also had an Archives internship. LAIKA doesn't guarantee any role.
What happens after I apply to LAIKA?
LAIKA says it can't give status updates. Applicants in 2026 reported rejections from March 31, shortlist emails naming a top group for each role in early April, and final interviews in mid-April. Some applicants never heard back at all, so treat silence by May as a no.
LAIKA's next window is expected in March 2027, so the months before it are for your portfolio. If you're aiming at a production role, a remote Externship gives you a finished, deadline-driven project to describe.
About the Author
Bifei Wang has spent 17 years focused on human flow and the growth of young professionals, spanning international education, career training and coaching, and recruitment process outsourcing. Over 7 years at Extern, he has had one-on-one sessions with thousands of students exploring careers in consulting, finance, tech, marketing, and data, giving him a firsthand view of how the job market has shifted for early-career professionals and what it actually takes to break in.
