VFX Intern – Undergraduate-Graduate

Insomniac Games; Burbank (CA); On-site; USD 50,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance available

Game credit

Job summary

Insomniac Games is seeking a Visual Effects Art Intern to help create and refine VFX for AAA game production. You’ll work under seasoned artists, contributing assets and optimizing effects for gameplay and cinematics.

You’ll gain hands-on experience with industry tools (Maya, Photoshop, Houdini) and proprietary software, earning a game credit and mentorship throughout a 12-week internship in the United States.

Qualifications

• Pursuing a B.F.A. in Computer Art, Illustration, Game Design, Product Design, or equivalent.
• Six to twelve months of related experience or training is beneficial.
• Proficiency in Maya, Photoshop, and a real-time toolset such as Unreal or Unity.
• Candidates should be creative, self-motivated, and able to contribute in a fast-paced studio.
• Graduate window May 2026–Dec 2029, Undergraduate or Master’s degree.
• Available for the full 12-week internship period.

Responsibilities

• Create and polish visual effects assets for the game’s visual experience.
• Develop VFX from scratch: materials, meshes, and particles.
• Set dress levels and cinematics with VFX to enhance gameplay and storytelling.
• Optimize VFX to balance performance and visual quality.
• Use Maya, Photoshop, Houdini, and proprietary tools to refine VFX.
• Collaborate with the VFX team to meet project milestones.
• Learn industry techniques and Insomniac’s VFX process while developing skills.

Skills

Creative

Teamwork

Self-motivation

Collaboration

Education

B.F.A. in Computer Art

Undergraduate or Master’s student

Tools

Maya

Photoshop

Houdini

Unreal/Unity

Job description

Join the Visual Effects Art team at Insomniac Games and gain hands-on experience creating visual effects for AAA game production.

As a Visual Effects Art Intern, you'll work alongside experienced artists in a creative, collaborative game studio environment. You'll contribute to visual effects development, from creating and polishing assets to optimizing effects for gameplay and cinematics.

Throughout the internship, you'll receive mentorship from senior team members, learn the Insomniac process for creating visual effects art, and gain practical experience using industry tools such as Maya, Photoshop, Houdini, and proprietary tools. You'll have the opportunity to contribute to a AAA game production and earn a game credit for your work.

What You’ll Be Doing:

• Create and polish visual effects assets that contribute to the visual experience of a game.
• Develop visual effects from scratch, including creating materials, meshes, and particles.
• Set dress levels and cinematics with visual effects to enhance gameplay and storytelling.
• Optimize visual effects to maintain performance while achieving the intended visual quality.
• Use Maya, Photoshop, Houdini, and proprietary tools to create and refine visual effects.
• Collaborate with the VFX department to complete project milestones and contribute to game production.
• Learn game industry techniques and the Insomniac process for creating visual effects art while developing your creative, technical, and teamwork skills.

What We’re Looking For:

• Currently pursuing a B.F.A. in Computer Art, Illustration, Game Design, Product Design, or equivalent.
• Six to twelve months of related experience and/or training is beneficial.
• Strong foundation skills and production design skills.
• Proficiency in Maya, Photoshop, and a real-time toolset such as Unreal or Unity.
• Creative, self-motivated, and responsible, with the ability to contribute in a collaborative, fast-paced studio environment.
• Passion for video games and art, with an interest in learning visual effects techniques used in game development.
• Students with expected graduation between May 2026 and December 2029 from an accredited university. Undergraduate or Master's
• Able to work during one of the following periods: May 17th - August 6th or June 14th - September 3 rd . Relocation assistance is available for eligible candidates.
• Must be available for the entire 12-week internship period.

At this time, SIE will only consider applicants who are authorized to work for any employer in the United States and who will not require work visa sponsorship from SIE now or in the future to maintain their authorization to work in the United States.

Our intern positions offer a fixed hourly pay rate. Please note that the pay rate is exclusive to the internship period and may not reflect what pay may look like following the completion of an internship

At SIE, we consider several factors when setting each role’s base pay range, including the competitive benchmarking data for the market and geographic location.
Please note that the base pay range may vary in line with our hybrid working policy and individual base pay will be determined based on job-related factors which may include knowledge, skills, experience, and location.

Intern Pay Range

$36.50 - $40.25 USD

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Protected Veteran

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• Disabled Veteran: a veteran of the U.S. military who is entitled to compensation (or who would be entitled to compensation if not for the receipt of military retired pay) under the administration of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and/or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.
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Disability

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The application deadline for this role is November 21, 2026