Netflix Animation Opens Second Mentorship Program

The new iteration of the SVOD’s diversity initiative opens on April 11 and will focus on finding and training emerging talent from veteran and Native American communities.

Netflix is set to launch its second Animation Foundations mentorship program for underrepresented communities, this time linking up with military veterans and Indigenous communities. The streamer partnered with Veterans in Media and Entertainment (VME)—a non-profit networking organization of US military veterans working in, or aspiring to work in, media and entertainment—and Native-focused non-profit IllumiNative to identify promising candidates.

Designed to build equity and ready up-and-coming creatives for the early stages of their careers, the four-month program launches on April 11 and will pair participants from the veteran and Native American/Alaskan Native communities with mentors from Netflix Animation Studio.

Selected mentees will receive guidance on breaking into the industry and planning career growth, as well as building portfolios and resumés to help them apply for internships, apprentice programs and entry-level animation jobs.

Last year’s program featured a partnership with LatinX in Animation—a non-profit branch of the Latino Film Institute—and autism education organization Exceptional Minds. It matched 74 mentees with 19 Netflix Animation mentors working in art and visual development, storyboarding, CG/VFX, writing and production management. Netflix will begin confirming mentors for this second edition toward the end of March.

VME currently has 4,800 members, and has found jobs for veterans in film, television, commercials, digital media, theater, music, animation and gaming since forming in 2012. IllumiNative, meanwhile, is an initiative designed to increase the visibility of, and challenge negative narratives about, Native nations and peoples in American society.

Netflix is currently preparing for the 2022 launch of its original animated series Spirit Rangers (pictured) from creator and Chumash tribal member Karissa Valencia. And the streamer also recently pledged US$1 million to support Sub-Saharan African film and TV students as part of its new Creative Equity Scholarship Fund.

Source:Kidscreen