Animation is a thrilling, creative and diverse career choice. Like most creative fields, success can bring many pleasures and accolades to your door and could lead to the kind of job many can only dream of. However, finding yourself working for an animation big-wig, or sitting behind an acclaimed animation studio desk is no easy task; how on earth do you set yourself on the journey of success? The thing is there is no set route or structure to reaching the big time; it’s about branding yourself, knowing the right people and being in the right place at the right time. A lot is left to chance. However, for these things to pay off, you have to actually be great at your job. That being said, there are several things you can do in order to better your chances of being picked up by your dream animation studio or land great clients if you are a freelancer and working from a home office.
1. Perfect Your Art
Being a good animator is not as simple as just being able to draw really well or knowing a bit about computer software. Animation has many branches, and each one requires a plethora of knowledge and specific set of skills. There are several ways to educate yourself. Of course, a good school is a fantastic way to refine your skills. But, you don’t have to spend loads of money on a school if you don’t want to. Thanks to the Internet, you can find tons of free tutorials online. What employers want to see are samples of well-honed work, not necessarily where or from whom you acquired your skills.
2. The Animation Skill Set
Your chosen discipline will have its own specific skills. However, the big animation studios tend to look for these 4 essential skills in their animators, whether full-time or freelance.
Teamwork. Wherever you work, animation is never a solo venture. You will always have to work with others, so your teamwork skills will have to be polished.
Traditional Art Skill. Yes, it is 2018, and most animation is now processed via a computer of some kind. However, most animation, in the beginning stages of a project especially, require exploration using traditional art methods. Having these skills also equips you with an extensive knowledge of history, colour, texture and movement.
Software. Following on from the above point, is you are more inclined to spend time on your traditional skills, you should know that your software and programming knowledge is also required to be at the same level.
Acting. This is the most surprising of the skills to some people, but arguably the most important. Great animation depends primarily on the ability to convey emotion through pictures. Therefore, a solid knowledge of acting is highly prized among prospective animators.
3. Portfolio
Your portfolio is the most important tool in your employability arsenal. It is your calling card, your signature, the culmination of work that acts as a shop window for your product and unique style. It is proof to potential employers of what you are capable of, so you need to invest serious time, care and energy into compiling, editing and curating your portfolio.
4. Networking
If you are intending to freelance as an animator, this is a must. Freelancers depend on a reliable client base, so networking is extremely important. Your portfolio is no good unless you have someone significant to show it to! Networking can seem contrived, but it needn’t be. Don’t be shy! Animation studios and other potential employers are excited to find the best talent out there; be brash and bold, they welcome new prospects! So, go to the conferences and parties, share your work online, do stuff for free, make your face a regular image in the mind of your dream employer.
A note on the difference between freelancing as an animator and seeking full-time employment: You can have just as much success in the field with either arrangement. You just need to ask yourself ‘how flexible do I want my work life to be?’ Freelancing is great if you are not afraid of the financial instability and are not apprehensive about networking and hustling. If you are more inclined to the stability of full-time employment by an animation studio, then go for that (the beauty of this being you only have to go through the uncomfortable action of networking occasionally, as opposed to it being a constant factor in your professional life!)
5. Experience
In the beginning, experience will be tricky to come by, but it has to be acquired. Luckily, you don’t need anyone to employ you to create your art, so at least you have a starting point. However, a few employments on paper is what you need to get in the door. Internships, small commissions, self-supported projects; all of these serve well to begin a foundation of core experience.
If you are looking to gain permeant employment with a studio, it often serves well to freelance for a while. This way you expand the range of experience you have and are pushed out of your comfort zone. If you can stand the heat of freelancing for a while you may find that this betters your full-time employability potential considerably. A good thing to begin with is to join an online freelancing platform and begin to pick up little jobs to bulk out your CV.
6. Know Your Industry
The animation industry is constantly evolving; in order to stay working in the industry, you have to continue to learn and develop your own skills and knowledge. Stay interested and continue to learn; nothing is more attractive to an employer than an animator who is on top of the curve of the industry’s latest technologies, software and techniques.
As this is an industry in which love for your work is what drives you, staying interested in what is going on around you shouldn’t be too tricky!
The only way to ensure success as an animator is to keep doing, practicing, promoting and talking until something comes to you. As long as you keep pushing, your dream business will come to you eventually.
