WATCH: Talented Glen Cove Student's Animation, 'Pretty'

Glen Cove High School senior with a talent for animation recently spent a few hours at a studio that produced several popular films, learning firsthand about the animated film business.

Blue Sky Studios is best known for producing the “Ice Age” and “Rio” series of animated films, as well as "The Peanuts Movie," "Horton Hears a Who," "Robots" and many others.

Julia Farley's animated piece, "Pretty" won many accolades last spring, including several local film festival honors. Watch her piece here:

TV Production teacher Chris Barry sent Julia's piece to his friend Tom Cardone, who began his career with Walt Disney Feature Animation and is now art director at Blue Sky.

"I knew that Julia's piece was so good and on such another level that I had to send it out there and Tom was the most obvious choice,” Barry said. “He's been successfully working in animation for 30 years and I wanted someone of his caliber to see Julia's work.

"This is really sophisticated and well done,” Cardone said of Julia’s work. “I can't believe she's only in high school."

Cardone then invited Julia and Mr. Barry up for a tour of the company's headquarters in Greenwich, Connecticut. They pair had an amazing visit, touring the facility and learning about the entire creative process of developing a major animated film.

“It was an incredible opportunity for Julia,” Barry said. “She wants to be an animator and to actually see that career in action was a really great thing for her."

Cardone encouraged Julia to stay on this path and apply for an internship at Blue Sky once she was in college.

Story by Syntax, Photo courtesy of the Glen Cove City School District: Glen Cove senior Julia Farley (left) is pictured with Tom Cardone of Blue Sky Studios.