As Animation Journal is placing the ultimate touches on our 2023 Schooling & Profession Information, we’re happy to give you some inside-the-studio perception into what it takes to land your dream job, from DreamWorks Animation artist Maarten Lemmens.
10 Issues You Have to Find out about Getting a Job at an Animation Studio
1.) Making Connections. In the event you’re making use of for a creative position at an animation studio, you usually current your self with a demo reel or portfolio. As a rule, there are lots of of different candidates ticking off the identical field as you with nice portfolio work. At that time, plenty of studios begin leaning into “how will this character match into our firm?” This data then comes from a brief interview or suggestions from present staff. Within the final 12 months, at my present animation job at DreamWorks, I’ve been requested a number of instances if I knew somebody from faculty or a earlier job that they have been contemplating, and if I believed they’d be an excellent match.
Ensure you think about your co-workers and classmates as folks you may assist develop with as an artist and be taught from. Your ‘competitors’ is on the market on this planet, the folks round you aren’t even 0.1% of that — it’s rather more helpful constructing a constructive bond with them.
2.) Demo Reel/Portfolio: The significance of concepts & emotion. These subsequent two sections apply extra so for artists resembling animators and illustrators, the extra visible arts. A whole lot of the time, animation studios see portfolios that comprise comparable talents. The best way to face out probably the most is by making use of concepts to your work that haven’t been seen or heard earlier than. Typically artists rush into their work to get that finish end result as shortly as attainable. Consider concepts that relate to folks, or in animation ones that swap emotion to maintain the viewers engaged. Good examples and beginning factors are an individual put into an setting that they’re not often in, or an emotional subject that’s relatable however not talked about a lot. Make it stand out!
3.) Demo Reel/Portfolio: Curating for a particular studio. Each studio has their very own model, and clearly they’d like to recruit artists that share parts of that model for a straightforward match. In the event you’re making use of to function movie studios resembling Disney, for animation you’d need to add extra performing animations. In the event you’re making use of to Sony Footage Animation, it will be good to check out some pushed cartoony physique mechanics. This goes for artwork too. Look what the studio you need to work for gives, and information your portfolio in the direction of it.
4.) Discover Your Trade Match. Do your analysis to find out which discipline appeals to you. There are such a lot of completely different industries in animation, resembling function movie, TV animation, promoting, video video games, and extra. Film and TV animation is extra based-to-camera, you may resolve the place the viewers seems, while online game animation must enchantment from all angles — there’s no dishonest. The kinds and methods of making artwork are all very completely different from one another. One is assisted by mo-cap knowledge, or reference movies can be utilized, and at one other firm you might want all of it to return out of your creativeness.
5.) Not Each Studio Is Sunshine and Rainbows… Totally different studios are run otherwise and due to this fact don’t all the time enchantment to everybody. A subject to think about when making use of or interviewing with an organization is time beyond regulation. Some corporations ask you to do huge quantities, and others provide you with loads of work forcing you into recurring time beyond regulation requests. Some folks love the prospect to earn and work extra, and others would adore it to be extra of an possibility whether or not they select to do it. There are studios for everybody!
If you’re wages, additionally think about the price of residing in that space, and shifting charges. Making $30 per hour in Florida isn’t the identical as receiving that in California! As well as, contact a present worker and ask how the office setting is — is it aggressive, or do folks genuinely care and need to construct one another up?
6.) Interviews. When an organization asks to interview you, they’re excited by your expertise! Congratulations! Now could be the time to do additional analysis about this firm so that you don’t inform Disney you really liked Bee Film. Attempt to be sure you have three questions readily available for every interview section you undergo. Be your self, they’re on the lookout for a candidate that they’d like to work with, seize lunch with and say good day to at an organization occasion.
7.) Discover On-line Programs. Right here at DreamWorks, there are many artists and animators who’re lecturers for on-line lessons that anybody may take for a fraction of the worth of America’s sky-high faculty tuition charges. It’s additionally a tremendous alternative to create connections, as many college students from there have ended up working with their lecturers right here. I additionally extremely advocate you concentrate on what you’re excited by and have an industry-level trainer help you to hit that {industry} customary.
8.) College students: Don’t Rush the Fundamentals! Similar to not speeding for inventive concepts in your artwork, it will be important to not rush the training course of, both. Equally to how illustrators ought to take time on form, worth and colour idea, animators ought to take time with elementary animations, like a easy ball bounce. Typically folks rush this, however DreamWorks and Pixar make most of their new hires begin with ball bounces. The fundamentals return in every bit of artwork: excellent and apply!
9.) Enhance Your Secondary Abilities/Hobbies. Drawing isn’t for everybody, however it’s a good talent to have within the animation {industry}. As is understanding different elements of the pipeline at a studio, with the intention to be aware of the capabilities of what goes on round your job within the manufacturing course of.
10.) Simply Have enjoyable and Be Your self! Prefer it states, simply have enjoyable — we’re all right here to stay a dream and share our love for animation. Be your self, and benefit from the journey! Everybody’s story goes on distinctive paths and at completely different speeds.
Maarten Lemmens is a full-time animator at DreamWorks Animation of their Function Movie division. He not too long ago animated on the Oscar-nominated Puss in Boots: The Final Want after beforehand engaged on Black Adam and within the sport {industry} on Fortnite, Horizon Forbidden West, and Mortal Kombat. Born and raised in Belgium, he moved to america to check Laptop Animation at Ringling School of Artwork and Design, the place he created the award-winning quick movie Goalie (watch it on YouTube).
